Why I’ll Keep on Cruising as Long as I Can! – by a hotel boat guest

Jean Copland has travelled with us on our hotel boats many times and knows us and the narrowboats quite well. She has also travelled on the Mallard and Dabchick, which cruised the canals some 30 years ago, so she is well placed to offer a comparison between boating then and now.

Jean kindly agreed to write something about her experiences of hotel boating on the English canals.

Jean says,

I can’t remember exactly when my first hotel boat trip was but probably in the early  80s. I had always been intrigued by the idea and answered an ad. in The Lady  when my mother died and my husband insisted that I did something I really wanted to do but had never done before. (We had hired a narrow boat for a week as a family when the children were little.)

The Mallard and Dabchick were based at Braunston (long before the place was developed) and were run by Michael Watson. These boats had previously provided very homely, cosy holidays where the guests were encouraged out to do the shopping and help in the kitchen; some of them did not take instantly to Michael’s efforts to introduce a spot of “style” into the experience! (He once told me that ladies had said that things were different in dear Peter and Joyce’s day!)

I loved it! For instance, nobody was allowed to “stack” the dirty dishes at the end of each course; Michael took them away himself! He always employed a first-rate cook as part of the crew and the food was excellent.

One of the things about travelling in the well-deck of the butty was that John the boatman frequently used a long line for towing so it was much quieter than close up and you could see more of the canal ahead. After several trips I persuaded my husband to try out a four night cruise and he too was instantly hooked. My daughter Alison also began to join me on trips and is still an ardent supporter of that style of holiday.

When Michael had to give up he sold the boats on to a man who was totally inexperienced and the result was disastrous and only lasted a year.

A few canal-deprived years passed and then my brother who lives by the canal in Oxford saw Snipe and Taurus moored near his home and picked up a brochure. I booked with Emma and Derek and thoroughly enjoyed some years boating with them. Yet again the boats were sold, abortively, and it was not till 2007 that Alison and I met Neil and Corinne. The rest is history. They have become good friends and as long as I can still clamber between the two boats I hope to keep on cruising.

You only have to compare the layout of the Mallard and Dabchick to see that things are now much more modern; there was only one shower on the two boats and the communal loos were portapotties. The boats were carpeted throughout and not so simple to keep clean. (Nice, though.) I liked the dining layout.

I have always loved traditional canal architecture and marvelled at the engineering. There is nothing more tranquil than a rural night mooring, waking up almost at water level with only natural sounds around you. Apart from town developments I don’t feel canals have changed that much and jarring notes remain few and far between. The holiday itself is what you choose to make of it, walking, cruising, chatting or retiring to your sanctum with a good book, overeating and above all relaxing. Anyone planning such a holiday must be aware that living conditions are cramped by home standards but they will soon get the hang of bringing only the minimum amount of stuff and stowing it all to hand. It has been fascinating to watch the improvements that Neil and Corinne have made over the years to turn the Snipe and Taurus into a first class holiday home.

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Many thanks to Jean for providing this lovely guest post.

Have you been on hotel boats before? We’d love to hear about other people’s experiences.

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Peggy Melmoth

5 Things You Never Knew About Banbury

When you’re travelling the English canals on hotel boats it’s a chance to visit quaint villages and towns and discover local traditions, anecdotes and food. If I was to take a narrowboat holiday on a hotel boat I wouldn’t mind going to Banbury. Here’s why.

1. They Have a Hobby Horse Festival

Banbury has held an annual Hobby Horse Festival since the year 2000.

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
And she shall have music wherever she goes.

According to The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes a “Cock Horse” can mean a high-spirited horse, or an additional horse to help pull a cart up a hill. It also means a child’s hobby horse or an adult’s knee.

The origins and age of the nursery rhyme are unclear, although it dates back at least to the eighteenth century. The identity of the fine lady is also a mystery, and in some versions of the rhyme she is actually an old lady.

2. For 250 years there was no cross

Banbury’s many crosses were demolished by Puritans in 1600. After 250 years the current Banbury Cross was created in 1859 at the centre of the town commemorating the marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal, daughter of Queen Victoria, to Prince Frederick of Prussia.

3. They’ve got Tooley’s Boatyard

If my previous article on the Shroppie encouraged you to read Narrow Boat then you will know of the legendary Tooley’s Boatyard. It was built in 1790, has a 200 year old blacksmiths’ shop and is an officially listed cultural site. Tooley’s was working until 1995 and is said to be the oldest continuous working dry dock in Britain. There is now a blue plaque there to commemorate the life of Tom Rolt.

4. They’ve got their own cakes

Banbury cakes are a bit like an oval version of an Eccles cake, made with mixed fruit peel, brown sugar, rose water, rum and nutmeg. These flat pastry cakes were once exclusive to Banbury, and have been made to a secret recipe since the sixteenth century.

5. ‘Ramlin Rose’ is based around Banbury

In the late 1980’s author Sheila Stewart realised that if nobody had yet captured a boatwoman’s life-story it would soon be too late. She resolved to find a boatwoman and write her biography. She put a letter in the Banbury Guardian looking for any women who had been born and bred on a horse-drawn boat on the Oxford Canal. As she could not find one woman who could provide enough memories to comprise a biography she wove the memories of several women into the fictional life story of Rose Ramlin. It’s a fascinating account of a way of life that no longer exists.

Ride a hotel boat to Banbury Cross

In late September our hotel boats will be taking a short cruise along the upper River Thames between Lechlade and Oxford and then the Oxford Canal to Banbury. If you’re interested there’s not many places left!

Hotel boats to Banbury.

Have you been to Banbury? Does your local canal town have any interesting traditions or anecdotes?

Peggy Melmoth

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Cruise 2: Stourport to Nantwich

With week two complete, our new crew have really settled into the daily routine. They are getting to grips with the boating skills required to move a pair of hotel boats from A to B with speed and efficiency and (equally importantly) they have even been on their first forays across the roof with the tea-tray – something that always impresses passers by & guests alike!

We had a couple of wet days on our second cruise, but managed to persuade the weather to take a break when there were locks to work – we even had some sunshine as we went down Audlem!

Oh yes, and this weeks quiz questions:

Q1: What is the name of the deep canal cutting through the hillside near Tyrley?

Q2: Name the famous canal-side pub in Audlem, with its narrow boat shaped bar.

Q3: How many locks are there in the Audlem lock flight?

Q4: We travelled through four counties on this cruise – can you name them all?