The Bookshop that Floated Away - book review

The Bookshop that Floated Away

by Sarah Henshaw

April 2014

I trailed this book a few days ago and a subsequent long haul business trip provided ample opportunity to read it. In fact I started it in Birmingham Airport and finished it about 10 mins before touchdown in Yerevan, Armenia.

Now before I start, how about a little competition? The above photo shows a well thumbed copy of the book against a night time back ground of central Yerevan, taken from my hotel balcony. Can anyone post a picture of this book in a more remote or obscure location - lets call the competition "The book that floated away"!

And so what about the book? Well, like its author I can, without fear of offence, safely describe it as quirky. It is a canal book like no other that I have read, not least because I discovered that the Ahabs / Tidys feature no less than four times as the Book Barge makes its slow way round the Inland Waterways.  But the main distinguishing feature of the book is that it is as much a literary voyage as it is a travelogue. Sarah Henshaw not only sells / barters books, but like a bad publican she has in insatiable urge to consume her product. However, unlike a publican, the consumption of literature has a mainly positive effect on the consumer and of course, a bookseller can always sell on what she has already read.

Its easy to imagine the author spending long solitary hours at the tiller, pondering the things she has read and people she has met over the years - and all the resulting connections come pouring out of the pages.

As an ex bank manager I particularly loved her unorthodox (and unsuccessful) way of trying to raise finance and for the die hard boaters you will be profoundly interested in discovering how she attended to her "natural needs" on a boat with no loo. I am not going to tell you - for that you will have to read the book and have a good titter!

Sarah's love of literature shines through on every page, drawing parallels and insights of a myriad of authors - some well known and some less so. All in all its a literary smorgasbord set against the backdrop of a somewhat haphazard six month canal journey where the escapades and scrapes are faithfully portrayed - I know - I was there for some of them,  not least the surge up the Severn Estuary on the top of one of the years biggest spring tides.

Its very hard to be objective about Sarah's first book because I so want it to be a success. For my money it is a canal travel book with a distinctive USP. If you like canals and literature all recounted in a slightly tongue in cheek self deprecating way  it's one for you. 

There are not many Sarah Henshaws around in the world, they are as much an endangered species as the independent bookshop she campaigns to save. So get a copy, give a copy to your literary / boaty friends, support the Bookshop that floated away.

Copies are available from the Book Barge website and at the Birmingham Spring Market in Digbeth tomorrow, Sat 12th April.

North Walsham and Dilham Canal

North Walsham and Dilham Canal update
April 2014

My regular trips to North Walsham often include a trip to the North Walsham and Dilham.

Canal at Ebridge

For decades it was a gradual decline into weed clogged obscurity but now a small band og enthusiastic restorers are bringing it back to life.  The pound above Ebridge has been full for a couple of years and is a fantastic amenity enjoyed by many who can stroll along the well tended towpath and watch the swans glide up and down against the backdrop of the empty watermill.

Further up a lock has been restored and stands complete save for bottom gates. Wood for the gates stands ready on a nearby yard - old railway sleepers and coastal sea defence groynes.

Home made lock gates

The original cast iron balance beams - reused.

Beyond the lock work is progressing in the channel with lots of big boys toys being used to build up the banks, dredge the channel and generally make ready for re watering which will see water return to the Swafield Watermill, and the lock brought fully back into service.

The next section to be watered - by the end of 2014?

All this progress is very exciting as there will soon be a couple of miles of navigable canal, a working lock and a working watermill to experience - scope for a trip boat I would say.

A glimpse of the Tyne

Newcastle in the mist
April 2014

Whilst London basked under the spring sun we headed north to Northumberland, visiting friends in Morpeth.

Our trip took in the rather marvelous Barter Books in Alnwick, one of the largest in the UK. Its proprietor in a Railway buff and this is reflected in the vast selection of railway books. Sadly Alnwick is far from the inland waterways and by contrast there was was 18 inches of canal books - and I had read most before. 

Before we left we had a final look on their in line catalogue and turned up a brochure on the Foxton Inclined plane, published by its engineers in 1906 to publicise their achievements. We had bartered a huge box of our old books and used some of the credit to pay for this unusual canal artifact - more of that another day.

Marks and Spencer

We also took a stroll around a misty and cold Newcastle but not withstanding the weather there were a few good images to be had before we headed home for a warming Thai take away. I was particularly taken with the Grainger indoor market which includes the very first Marks and Spencer outlet - fascinating stuff.

A Boaty Update

A boaty update

April 2014

My blog posts have been a bit intermittent recently on account of a manic work and domestic schedule, but there have been boaty interests here and there.

Firstly, Wand'ring Bark's BSC falls due in May so following a helpful reminder from the Trust the services of Phil Jones were sought. The boat passed with flying colours except for the bit that didnt! The gas test revealed a marginal pressure drop but a bit of fiddling revealed a dodgey connection between the rubber hose and the solid piping at the bottom of the gas locker. I am glad this intermittent fault was spotted as for all my cavalier attitude to some stuff, I take gas security on the boat very, very seriously.

Then there is the Jam Butty / Montgomery. Hard on the heels of the BSC I commissioned Trevor Whitling to do a survey. Trevor is one of the leading examiners for old hulls and his detailed examination picked up a clutch of welding tasks which are all being attended to before we pay / take delivery. This will delay the delivery date a couple of weeks but we will end up with a tip top hull good for a couple of decades, a hull certificate to get proper insurance, a BSC certificate whilst I fit out the interior over the next couple of years and, of course, a whole lot of peace of mind.

Then there is the small matter of a mooring which has been agreed in Calf Heath, just across the way from our existing mooring and easy to pole (I hope).

So out boating plans are coming together and we hope to have the combination out and about for the Roving Traders Floating Market in Birmingham 27th to 29th June.

The Bookshop that Floated Away - not quite a book review

The Bookshop that Floated Away

by Sarah Henshaw

April 2014

I usually make a practice of reading a book before writing about it, but for every rule there is an exception and this is one of them.

We have a particular affinity with Sarah Henshaw and her Book Barge which took a nationwide tour in the summer 2011. We meet up with her at several points up during her six month journey, generally supporting her attempt to barter her way around the inland waterways.

A new book is launched from a floating bookshop

In particular I remember getting a call one Sunday evening from a slightly distraught Sarah when she had just arrived at Portishead on the Severn Estuary and was about to make a dawn passage to Sharpness on the biggest spring tide of the year. The conversation went along the line of:

"Hi Andy - I have made it to Portishead"

"Great - so tomorrow id the big day"

"Yes, but the estuary is a bit big - you know, wide, its got waves and everything like the sea"

"Yes Sarah, that's because it is the sea!"

"Yeh, well, I am a bit worried about the journey tomorrow. The pilot is asking all sorts of questions about the boat - do you fancy joining us for the passage"

A capacity crowd attends the launch event

You don't turn down offers like that so two hours later Dan and I rocked up in Portishead with fish and chips, booze, sleeping bags and assorted tools for some ultra fast engine maintenance and spent the night on the floor of the Book Barge.

Proud author attending the book signing

The passage was dramatic with the Sat Nav touching 20mph as we passed under the suspension bridge, but it all ended well and we waved farewell to Sarah and Stu as they sailed away up the Gloucester Sharpness Canal to complete the circumnavigation of the system.

 Booze, Boats and Books - cant be bad....

Along the way Sarah started to write a book and today the book  finally came to fruition with the launch of The Bookshop that Floated Away, a humerous account of a bizarre journey, one girl, a boatfull of books and a bucket load of hope published by Constable for £7.99.

Copies can be obtained from the Book Barge at Barton Turns Marina (Open most Saturdays) or at the Spring Market at The Bond in Digbeth, Birmingham on Saturday 12th April.

The Spring Market promises to be an excellent food and craft event with the Book Barge and the Homebrew Boat offering waterbourne interest and the Wild Side preserve stall will have its first outing of 2014.

I will do a proper review of the book as soon as I can pry Helen's sticks fingers off the dust jacket!