A sticky quagmire became a swamp, a quarry & a mudpool in turns but after a couple of hours heavy digging by a relay of strong persistent men the remains of a beautiful boat emerge. ...More
A personal and thought provoking angle on a wide range of waterways topics
Off The Mainline by Tony Lewery
Tony Lewery
is a well known waterways author, a regular contributor to
the waterways press and acknowledged expert on canal art and heritage.
For over ten years Tony has been writing these 'Off The Mainline' features for Canal Junction, taking a personal and thought provoking angle on a wide range of waterways topics and events, all accompanied by his own original photographs or artwork. They are intended to encourage discussion and Tony is pleased to hear your views.
Big truth, little miracle
Recreating the traditional sounds of the canals; not the slow thump of diesel engines but the click of horses hooves, the creak of harness and the crack of the smacking whip. ...More
The working life of the boat painter
Decorating a working boat with 'roses & castles' recently, Tony found that few modern canal users even noticed, maybe they don't want canal history. ...More
Heritage is a lock keeper’s hut!
Heritage. We can’t pick and choose our own heritage, but we do alter the future by deciding what there will be for our future heirs to inherit. ...More
Canal Horse and Boat Heritage
We need to keep a representative number of historic horse-boats in existence and mobile because they provide the best possible simple ‘heritage’ check! ...More
Wrecks on the River Weaver
When the first seriously hard frosts of the winter hit the River Weaver in Cheshire it revealed the dignified remnants of many old working boat wrecks. ...More
Shropshire Union Fly-Boat Broken Up
How did Symbol, the last surviving wooden narrow boat to be built in Wales come to such a state of dangerous collapse that it had to be destroyed? ...More