
My own oddest sight was when boating past the mills of Leigh on the Leeds Liverpool, we passed a waterlogged cushion with a large turtle sitting serenely on it, watching us through beady eyes! – P. H.
Rescuing a calf that had strayed too close to the water near Napton. – D. R.

Going in to a lock on the Kennet and Avon, going up, to find the pound looking like a ditch in summer! yes, top paddles and bottom gates left open – N. I.
Chugging past a family swimming in the cut, from their boat, with “Mum” filming the joyous occasion – P. G.

Woken by a cow swimming next to the boat (actually in the boat channel) – D. K.

Yesterday, W&B canal winding the locks in a hail & thunderstorm, fork lightening in the distance – A. G.
We don’t have canal holidays, but we have seen a swan attacking a white fender on the side of a boat. My partner likes taking pictures of boats along the route, some have the most unusual names, and decorations on top. F. R.
Wedding photographer asking to pose the bride and groom against my boat. – M. M.
A couple of years ago we were cruising Trent & Mersey when just below Great Haywood a small aeroplane crashed on a railway line with several fatalities, bringing down cables etc, it was all cordoned off so we couldn’t move anywhere for several days then to top it off when they did open up the canal we were frozen in. – D. F. G.
In the 1970’s we got a loose bow fender (on a hire boat) jammed under the bottom gates of a lock on the Stourbridge flight while it was emptying. It raised the gate right out of its socket! – A. N.
Any more Canal Oddities? What would you like to see next?