A Boy off the Bank

Book Review
A Boy off the Bank by Geoffrey Lewis

I encountered Geoffrey in the depths of the BCNS tent at the Pendeford rally in August and, on a whim, agreed to buy the above book - the first of a trilogy. I have his signature inside the front cover as proof if necessary.

Other pressing reading material pushed BotB to the bottom of the pile but a sudden burst of man flu left me with time on my hands. This time, coupled with a limited amount of reading material within arms length caused me to alight on the book in question.

Without spoiling any of the plot, its a heartwarming tale of a lost and abandoned boy who finds a new life in the arms of the extended canal family. The book covers his rescue, his early days on the narrowboats and on into young manhood up and down the Grand Union. A full quota of life events is thrown at our young hero including births, marriages and death to all the elements are there for a gripping read.

But, and you knew there was a but coming, it wasn't the page turner it could have been. Geoffrey clearly wanted to be as authentic and accurate as possible, as is evident from his acknowledgements. The sad thing is that the literary maxim "never let the facts stand in the way of a good story" are very true and some artistic license is needed to sweeten the pie.

The book provided a thoughtful and well researched insight into life on the cut during the war years. However, it reads as a storyteller trying to stitch together a number of disparate facts ferreted out by a researcher. A prime example of this was a red herring story line which dragged the characters down the Birmingham Worcester Canal as far as Tardebigge Top Lock, just to have a chance encounter with Messrs Rolt and Aickman. As I said, a slave to historical accuracy.

The end result is an excellently executed backdrop but an unconvincing storyline. The decision to write the narrative in colloquial Brummie meets Boaters speak was a challenge, even for a longtime resident of the midlands fair city.

So am I dissing the book? Well yes, and no. I don't think it has the legs to become one of the great sagas but it did add some historically accurate colour to the Brentford / Birmingham route with which I am so familiar.

The key question is what about books two and three? Well, with No1 having a cover price of £7.99 (ISBN 978-0-9545624-6-5) I guess I will use up the last few pounds on my Waterstones gift card and learn more of the declining years during the 1950's. As for No3, well as at September there were a few chapters waiting to be written so maybe I will look that one out in time for Christmas 2009 - but then again, maybe I wont...

Leeds Liverpool Canal 1981

October 1981
Heath Charnock (Chorley) to Skipton

106 miles
70 locks
6 days

This trip was undertaken by the Captain before he was promoted to such an exalted rank!
As can be seen from the grainy photos taken on 110mm film (do you remember that short lived format?), I was barely 20 and accompanied the then Capain (now deceased), his wife (my Mother) and my Aunt.

The overriding memory of the three surviving crew was rain, rain and more rain. As I recall, it rained every day for most of the day and always heavily!

Maybe this is par for the course on the western side of the Leeds Liverpool, but it went down as one of our less successful boating trips and we spent a whole week in a state of mild hypothermia. However, it must have stopped raining as some points to allow the following photo's to be taken.

The Captian working Stegneck Lock

I recall the scenery being somewhat dull but even in 19

81 my father and I were both canal fanatics and enjoyed the trip. Its funny looking at a very young me all togged out in my Troll waterproofs, but clearly happy to sit out in the pouring rain day after day plodding along a lonely stretch of canal. Some things never change, and each year you will still find me in exactly the same position, happy as a pig in muck!

For this trip we hired nb Rivington from a now defunct yard at Rawlinson Lane in Heath Charnock. This is about an hour or so above the Wigan flight and just before Botany.

The photos don't include the name of the hire company but (I am reliably informed that it was Leeds & Liverpool Cruisers - see comments below) the boat was approx 50ft , steel with GRP superstructure and decked out on a particularly bilious orange livery.

Happy viewing.

Mooring at eastern end of summit pound near Gargrave

Were it not for the images captured on this film I would deny ever having visited this stretch. This is good news because whilst I have technically "done it", it remains effectively a virgin canal ripe for exploration.

Approaching Skipton

Little Onn to Calf Heath

Tuesday 21st October 2008
Little Onn to Calf Heath
Shropshire Union and Staffs & Worcs Canals

14 Miles
2 Locks
6 Hours

After yesterdays rain it was a delight to see the day dawn clear and bright. The seemingly unoccupied boat behind me did in fact have a crew on board, one that are currently unhappily based at Otherton Marina, and who are active members in the escape committee seeing refuge at Calf Heath!. We have heard so many bad reports about the way boaters are treated at Otherton it is hardly a surprise that they are barely 2/3rd full.

The day was truly exceptional with bright sunshine and gentle winds, but more boaters than one generally expects this late in the season.

I made an obligatory stop at Wheaton Aston filling station and topped off the diesel tank (62p per litre) and was advised that the 60:40 split is by no means obligatory, it is all down to self declaration, which the garage is happy to accept. When applied, the extra tax will cost an additional 50p per litre, which sounds a lot but when considered on an annual basis, it is not enough to dissuade us from boating.

From Diesel I moved on to the self service pump out only to discover that both my pre paid meter cards have been used by friends who have borrowed the boat and replaced the cards, fully used. Its not the money that matters, it’s the inconvenience of only finding out when all connected to the machine! Grr. In future I will hide my BW payment cards.
Whilst “not” pumping out I encountered another of the genial solitary male continuous cruisers sailing aboard “Directors Cut”, selling some lovely photos to supplement his pension. It is interesting how the linear village throws you into contact with complete strangers, most of whom display a warmth and willingness to engage which you never find on land.

The stretch from Wheaton Aston to Brewood was a stunning show of autumn colour – the best I have ever witnessed. This left the cut clogged with leaves, of course, but that was a small price to pay for the experience. And anyway, you always get there in the end.

As it’s the last trip of the season I tried to get a pump out at Autherley, but the staff had all gone out to rescue on of their cruisers leaving a cleaner to man (actually it was “woman”) the shop. Her remit didn’t extend to pump outs so the holding tank got a good dollop of Blue and I will keep my fingers crossed that the new tank ventilation system via the rinse pipe continues to do the trick. If it lasts all winter without stinking I will become a true convert of the maxim that “a well ventilated tank is a non smelly tank”.


Finally made it back to Calf Heath at 4.30 and said a sad goodbye to WB and the last proper trip of 2008.

Market Drayton to Little Onn

Monday 20th October 2008
Market Drayton to Little Onn
Shropshire Union Canal

7 Hours
18 Miles
5 Locks

It blew a gale overnight and I awoke to pouring rain so I had a lazy start to the day and finally got on the move at 11am. I immediate fell in behind a rather slow boat and dawdled my way to the Tyrley Locks, letting some space build up between us.

It happened that a crew were descending, so I waited and fell into conversation with the owner of the boat in front, who was a continuous cruiser and had been aboard for for five years, slowly making his way around the system accompanied only by his dog. He was a quiet but friendly man who graciously lifted a bottom paddle on exiting the lock and so eased my passage. His boat was called “Inky and I” so I guess I was talking to “I”. Mind you, I am sure he called his dog Spot which was curious. Maybe boats live for longer than dogs… I followed “I” right through Woodseaves Cutting, which was made ponderous by the huge number of leaves brought down by the overnight winds. There was no danger of breaking the 2mph speed limit today. We finally parted company with waves and greetings at Goldstone Wharf, with me on my way to Calf Heath and him to his winter moorings half way up the Bradley Arm of the BCN. (see log entry May 2007).

The passage up the Tyrley Flight and through the cutting had been sheltered and in sunshine, but all that changed as I left Goldstone behind. Dark grey clouds streamed in carried by a gale force wind which sent WB crabwise up the cut and became wild as I crossed the lofty Shebdon Embankment. Just beyond the old Cadburys works a boat pulled out when I was less than 100 yards away and then veered from side to side. I quickly realised that this was the same boat that has been making a total hash of things in the area the previous day so pressed on and passed by without delay.

By the time I reached Grub Street cutting the clouds opened necessitating a quick stop to don full waterproofs, have a pint of water and stoke the fire – all whilst the boat continued at tickover and without touching either bank. This is not a trick to play when there are other boats around.

From here on the rain never let up and I passed a sodden Norbury Junction with few signs of life, apart from a curl of smoke from the residential boaters. I had the canal to myself all the way through Gnosall, but was constantly reversing to clear the clogged prop. The surface debris was so bad that at times the prop was fouled the minute I started up. Progress was therefore very slow.

I decided to press on a bit further and stop at dusk, hopefully stopping at Little Onn, just before the Rye Hill Cutting where I had noticed a good mooring spot after bridge 24. The spot was also recommended by a walking boater who helped me with Tyrley Top Lock. I arrived in the failing gloom to find plenty of space and a sheltered haven for the night.

The evening was spent drying off in front of the fire and watching a few episodes of Dads Army, followed by an hour of The Water Road, an excellent canal travelog by Paul Gogerty which I have been rereading whilst away. Whilst it follows the established theme of “man takes off in a boat and finds both himself and the lost England”, PG is a travel writer by profession and therefore writes very well. He explores the people around the cut and therefore introduces a rich seam of human life interest, which is engaging, bringing the trip to life.

The rain cascaded down, the wind howled and I settled in for a cosy last night aboard.