An account of the adventures of Joshua Ford, a young mule driver on the old Erie Canal during the canal season of 1884.

A lot has changed since Towpath first rolled up its shutters 10 years ago on the Regent’s Canal in Hackney and everything but the toasted cheese sandwich was cooked from home across the bridge. And a lot hasn’t. It is still as much a social experiment as a unique and beloved eatery. What happens when seasonality means you close every year in November, because England’s cold, dark winters are simply inhospitable to hospitality from a little perch beside a shallow, manmade waterway that snakes through East London? What if you don’t offer takeaway coffees in the hopes that people will decide to stay awhile and watch the coots skittering across the water? If you don’t have a phone or a website, because you’d rather people just show up like (hungry) kids at a playground? Towpath is a collection of recipes, stories and photographs capturing the vibrant cafe’s food, community and place throughout the arc of its season – beginning just before the first breath of spring, through the dog days of summer and culminating – with fireworks! – before its painted shutters are rolled down again for winter.

Have you ever wondered about the people who lived and worked along the canals? Have you ever caught a glimpse of something they might have seen or an echo of something they might have heard? As the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames and Severn canal wind their way from Framilode to Inglesham, they hold the stories of all who lived and worked on them. From Jack spinning yarns as he legs barges through the Sapperton Tunnel to Elizabeth swimming for all she is worth in the Wallbridge gala, the stories in ' Tales from the Towpath' span 250 years of life on the Cotswold canals. Mixing fact and fiction, they bring the past to life and, like all the best tales, appeal to children and adults alike. These original tales by storyteller Fiona Eadie are complemented by the evocative illustrations of local artist Tracy Spiers.

Step back in time with Maestro as he goes on a field trip from his home on car #3, changing 'hats' from conductor to trail guide. He joins his friend Malvin the mule on a watershed walk along the towpath trail. Come along, too, and learn about a slower pace of life, when canal boats transported people and goods from town to town.

Towpath's Tail is the story of a special pit bull puppy with a magical tail that spreads happiness wherever he goes. But when Towpath's tail is suddenly stolen by an angry young boy, his friends all abandon him, leaving the puppy to wander, sad and alone.Towpath's only hope comes from the kindness of a young stranger who helps him regain the magic, despite his stubby new tail. Soon we realize that Towpath's magic was not in his tail after all, but in his heart. Towpath's Tail makes a wonderful addition to family reading hour for children five and above, as well as humane educations programs for lessons in bullying and kindness to others. Complete with full color illustrations by Rhonda Van.

Twisting and turning its way through great cities and towns is the eternal navigation: a network of canals that fed the industrial growth of our country. Nowadays we might consider our waterways a place to find peace and relaxation, but under that tranquil surface hides a turbulent past. Storyteller and narrowboat dweller Ian Douglas has salvaged a wealth of stories from the depths. Murder and mystery, heroes and love, devils and oatcakes are all wrapped up in this wonderful book – but beware ... you will never see the towpath in the same way again!