
On Surveys and Winter Warmth (Listeners' questions - 6)
03/10/24 • 34 min
As the slow march of Spring travels along the canal and towpaths, tonight I answer two more questions: How do we keep the boat from freezing when we have to leave it unattended, and how long does it normally take to buy a narrowboat?
Journal entry:
7th March, Thursday.
“A grey wind blows
From a grey sky
Troubling the surface
Of the canal.
Damson blossom
Torn from branch
Spun snow-like
With each gust.
Sweet smell of woodsmoke
And the throat-catch of coal
Crosses my path, head high,
And is lost along the towpath.
þæs ofereode,
þisses swa mæg
(That passed over...
so may this)
Episode Information:
In this episode I refer to Miles Hadfield’s (1950) English Almanac and Eleanor Parker’s (2022) Winters in the World. I also read a verse from John Clare’s ‘Last of March written at Lolham Briggs.’
With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast.
Chris and Alan on NB Land of Green Ginger
Captain Arlo
Rebecca Russell
Allison on the narrowboat Mukka
Derek and Pauline Watts
Anna V.
Orange Cookie
Donna Kelly
Mary Keane.
Tony Rutherford.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory with MJ and Kayla.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mark and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
All other audio recorded on site.
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
- Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.social
- Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.
As the slow march of Spring travels along the canal and towpaths, tonight I answer two more questions: How do we keep the boat from freezing when we have to leave it unattended, and how long does it normally take to buy a narrowboat?
Journal entry:
7th March, Thursday.
“A grey wind blows
From a grey sky
Troubling the surface
Of the canal.
Damson blossom
Torn from branch
Spun snow-like
With each gust.
Sweet smell of woodsmoke
And the throat-catch of coal
Crosses my path, head high,
And is lost along the towpath.
þæs ofereode,
þisses swa mæg
(That passed over...
so may this)
Episode Information:
In this episode I refer to Miles Hadfield’s (1950) English Almanac and Eleanor Parker’s (2022) Winters in the World. I also read a verse from John Clare’s ‘Last of March written at Lolham Briggs.’
With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast.
Chris and Alan on NB Land of Green Ginger
Captain Arlo
Rebecca Russell
Allison on the narrowboat Mukka
Derek and Pauline Watts
Anna V.
Orange Cookie
Donna Kelly
Mary Keane.
Tony Rutherford.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory with MJ and Kayla.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mark and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
All other audio recorded on site.
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
- Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.social
- Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.
Previous Episode

Walking Home (In fading light)
As a family, we gained a reputation for the way our 'short walks' often turned into marathon hikes which invariably meant staggering home long after dark (usually without a torch). In this week’s episode I reminisce on the lessons learnt, their prescient significance, and living in a culture that does growing old and dying so astonishingly badly.
Journal entry:
24th February, Saturday.
“Cloud cliffs, grey and climbing
Early spring sunshine
Catching the stonework traceries
And Benedictine flint and brickwork.
The hub of politicking and commerce
Silenced by the wheel-turn of centuries.
Now trees stand where monks walked
And daffodils nod in silent prayer.
An hour of gentle talk and laughter
Among such emerald greens of spring.
And crows bathe in the Stiffkey brook
As the wayside flames with primrose,
Crocus, and snowdrop.
Later, vast flights of wild geese fly south
Along the coastline.”
Episode Information:
This episode comprises largely of family recollections, but please note that it also touches on the themes on death and dying.
With special thanks to our lock-wheelers for supporting this podcast.
Chris and Alan on NB The Land of Green Ginger
Captain Arlo
Rebecca Russell
Allison on the narrowboat Mukka
Derek and Pauline Watts
Anna V.
Orange Cookie
Donna Kelly
Mary Keane.
Tony Rutherford.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory with MJ and Kayla.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mark and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
All other audio recorded on site.
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
- Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.social
- Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.
Next Episode

Just shadows on a summer lawn
For us the river of the year has, so far, been roaring and fierce. It is difficult, at times, to see the bank or to even know whether we are floating or sinking. However, that is only one small part of the picture. What follows is a rather incoherent attempt to find coherence amid the noise.
Journal entry:
10th April, Wednesday
“This morning dawned in chilled silver
I wore my coat up to my chin.
Now the sun is out
And coltsfoot down dances
On a warm wind.”
With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast.
Chris and Alan on NB Land of Green Ginger
Captain Arlo
Rebecca Russell
Allison on the narrowboat Mukka
Derek and Pauline Watts
Anna V.
Orange Cookie
Donna Kelly
Mary Keane.
Tony Rutherford.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory with MJ and Kayla.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mark and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
All other audio recorded on site.
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
- Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.social
- Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.
Nighttime on Still Waters - On Surveys and Winter Warmth (Listeners' questions - 6)
Transcript
JOURNAL ENTRY
7th March, Thursday.
“A grey wind blows
From a grey sky
Troubling the surface
Of the canal.
Damson blossom
Torn from branch
Spun snow-like
With each gust.
Sweet smell of woodsmoke
And the throat-catch of coal
Crosses my path, head high,
And is lost along the towpath.
þæs ofereode,
þisses swa mæg
(That passed over...
so may this)
[MUSIC]
WELCOME
It's the night of a n
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