Hi Fran and Rich. Keith here on NB Timeless. My grandmother worked at a cotton mill in Bury on the looms. Because of the noise in the mills she lip read all the time, almost knowing what you was going to say before you said it by copying your lip movements. She died of lung cancer in her early 60's presumably from the cotton dust. She was an amazing women from what I can remember of her. She was the bread winner in the household because my Grandfather has been injured badly in WW1 and was unable to work. It was a hard life and not all that long ago. All the very best to you both.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for sharing this with us. It sounds like your grandmother was an amazing lady. I think the women were born tough in those days.

I see ourselves in you guys! Lovely you must’ve made a lot of friends. Take care Richard from Victoria BC.

Wow, you look so happy! Enjoy!

Just like the old days! Cruising along, stopping to look around, and changing scenery…just lovely. And the videography, music, & editing were just spot on. I should stop, your expanding heads might keep you from exiting the boat!

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

😂🤣😂 Thank you x

It's great to see you both cruising again.🎉

Always lovely tagging along with you and hearing about the places you visit.

That Must have been terrible working conditissues with all the dust and the noise. With very poor wages ,and the mill Owners Got very wealthy. Very interesting great video.😢😊

My Nan lived in Burnley for 50 years. Her last place was near Turfmoor. Burnley holds a special place in my heart. I named my boat after her too. NB ol’Betty

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

That's lovely

@theleftyboater

8 ай бұрын

I plan to take Ol'Betty home up the Rochdale next year 😊

Like old times with your cruising. Lovely. Most enjoyable. Look forward to your next one. Take care.

so idyllic even in the old industrial parts- lovely❤

Not only the women managing the looms, their children were also in the business crawling on their fours cleaning under the looms. The illnesses from dust started early.

So happy you are cruising again!

It was a beautiful day for cruising the canel. Thanks for the ride. Take care, see soon 😊

Thanks for sharing King's Mill. I think "North and south" with Richard Armitage was filmed in that location. I think you might like it because it also shows the human side of the cotton trade. And apparently clog-dancing was invented in the cotton Mills inspired by the rhythm of the machinery.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Thank you

Looks like a Rich and Fran heaven weaving and art..

great Vvlog as usual, we love you Fran and Rich............

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

🧡🧡🧡

Lovely cruise and fascinating info on Mill.💚

Hi Fran Rich ,a Wonderful and so interesting blog how them women and children worked in them conditions the noise the dust how did they but up with that it was wonderful showing us around and at 3 pounds was value for money,Fran you will have to ask Rich to get you a work boat so you can have a bigger loom behind you all the time lol ,i love it when you are crushing and showing us things we who live on the land world never see without people like you ,so a big thank you and hugs to both,j🇬🇧🌹🫂👀🤫🧑‍🦽👍🤩👌🙏😊

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

We have seriously thought about this John ☺️

We are having a Artisans Fair at our large museum this weekend. I belong to the embroidery guild and we displayed and sold our embroidery. Right beside our display was the weavers and they where selling their products and showing how to weave on a large loom. Their produces were beautiful and amazing in colour. 🇨🇦

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

That sounds wonderful

Love your video's, the factories were brutal back then but they had to work. Unlike today where so many people didn't go back to work and think everything should be given to them specially in USA where I am. If they knew how much easier work is today compared to earlier centuries. You worked or you died.

I just recently found how I could like and subscribe on my TV. Guess it was there all along but I didn't know. I think it you want to share a video you still need to get to a PC or tablet for that.

Good day, Phil here watching in New Zealand, another very interesting Vlog. I was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, just east of Manchester. Lots of Cotton mills where my parents both worked and met. They married just after the war. As a young lad I remember visits to the mills with my Dad, the smells and noise was unforgettable. However the mills organized awesome Christmas parties at the mill for us kids. The building was silent, lots of food to eat, usually a clown or magician to entertain us and a visit from Santa with a lovely present. My parents have passed now but both lived to their 90s. And yes the skies were sometimes dark at times with smoke and thick fogs.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Aah, lovely childhood memories. Thank you

My hubby and grandson are Burley season ticket holders it’s right on our doorstep.

Glad you are back on the road again

So pleased you're a Villa boy 😂

Sorry, I hit the wrong button. Marvellous video.

Well done, good review.

Thank you both really enjoyed your Video like old days xx

We met briefly when you were on the way to Queen Street Mill and were keen to get your take on Burnley. I'm a keen cyclist and have done the route you took on this blog hundreds of times, at different times of the day. I've never encountered any youths causing problems and never had any trouble whatsoever. Indeed, the towpath is used by cyclists, walkers, dog walkers and fisherfolk. Always pleasant. I am so pleased you gave us an open minded look and gave the town a thumbs up 👍. Come back any time, visit Townley Hall, you'll be amazed. Maybe we'll beat Villa one day 😅

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

We always try to keep an open mind and not judge on other peoples stories. It was just a shame there was not anywhere suitable to moor nearer town

My mother worked in a cotton mill in the carding room and silly as it sounds she enjoyed working there as the comradery was so good, it did affect her hearing though as she got older and btw she has just enjoyed her 92'nd birthday,,,you have a wonderful YT channel

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

That is wonderful thank you. Good news that she is still going strong x

We cruised through there a couple of years ago and, like yourselves, had no issues apart from a bit of weed. The embankment was amazing and, at the time we were passing through, kids and adults were on the way home from school an/or work and we got plenty of waves and cheery helloes. Glad to see you out and about again :)

Well done Shaun. So good of you to share your experience. Very informative 😊

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Erm...wrong channel I think 😂😂😂

@user-jg6qg4oq1b

8 ай бұрын

I was watching Foxes but it must have moved on to yours whilst I was commenting. Love you both more tho 😂😂

Love it true to your word your back on the cut, lovely vlog and i love your mooring, just love a good view. Dont know why people scare monger about Towns, like you two speak as you find. Great to have you back guys ❤👍

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Thanks so much

Great cruising video again, love the nostalgia of the English countryside and you do it so well, love from Ferntree Gully Australia xx

It was so refreshing to see and hear a couple giving positive comments about all the so called black spots on the industrial canal towns. Most bloggers seems to revel in giving places black marks just on imaginary hearsay!❤

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

We always try to make our own minds up

Thank you. I love your videos.

Glad to see you cruising again. You look more relaxed.

Don’t forget the ‘cloth ears’ after all that volume! 😊 great vid as usual!

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Wow, I never realised that was where it came from. Thank you

Really interesting vlog and great to see you back cruising. It was fascinating to see the old mill museum. Reminds me of a great BBC miniseries called North and South based on the novel by the same name by Victorian novelist Elizabeth Gaskell. It shows in great detail the lives of the mill workers at the time, the child labourers, the brown lung that killed workers and early attempts at unionisation. Really well done if you haven't watched it and the acting was fab. take care and happy adventures :)

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Thank you, I am going to order the book

Townley Hall is the MUST SEE in Burnley

An interesting section of the Leeds & Liverpool canal. Looking forward to your onward travels.

Great vlog thanks both…

Your comment about the smoke & mills making the area dirty was so true. My father moved our family from Bradford in 1954 down to W.Sussex for that very reason as he and my sister both suffered from asthma, probably due to the poor air quality. I have lived on a boat for many years & now have clean air and wonderful countryside but my heart still belongs in Yorkshire 💕🦆

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

I can understand why, it is beautiful up here

My dad use to work at dean clough Halifax on the looms making carpets in the 70/80s xx

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

There are a lot of woollen mills also. I managed to get some offcuts of wool from one of them in Saltaire

Thank you, lovely video.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Our pleasure!

The engineering around the build of that canal is amazing. Thanks for the trip. =-)

So nice to have you both back on the beautiful waterways. And your dogs & Laura Maisey. Great job, you 2. Jerry & Jennifer Peoria Arizona

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

We really enjoyed this video & it was nice to enjoy your content again. Of all the NB channels we watch, this one seems to resonate with our lifestyle here in Indiana USA. We have sailed for many years but sold all the sailboats and migrated to our Class A RV. However, we miss the waterways and fulfill homesickness, vicariously, via your channel. Someday we want to be on a NB and try that side of life. Thanks for inspiring us again.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

It sounds like you have had a very exciting life. It would be interesting to see how you cope with the slowness of narrowboat life.

@csjmoore

8 ай бұрын

@@FloatingOurBoat A sailboat is not too much slower than a NB. Our 43 Irwin was 7 kt and the Bluewater Youngsun 35 was 5.5 kt. Our Winnebago is much faster but we only travel 200 miles a day at 60 kt.

Lovely tour and vlog back in the days it was proper working no moaning about working hard-core people lol

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Absolutely

Loved the video. Glad you are back cruising.

Hellooo! I love the maps a the start so I can get my barrings..

Very nice video. Glad you visited a mill, my Grandmother and Grandfather worked "atth' mill" in Burnley - Grandfather was a "Reacher In" - you'll know what he did Fran? Keep Cruising!! Take Care John

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Thank you John. Now I have to go and do some research. I don't know what that is 🤔🤔

Fantastic history hills you were talking about I have them here I live in east Sussex Hastings it's hilly I've been here 22 years got used to it now. Thank you for an interesting video loved it lots.

6:45 my grandmother worked king's mill didn't talk about it much but she knew what i was saying all the time. Surprised you didn't stop at weavers triangle nice museum there

@davideyre254

7 ай бұрын

Missed the last comment sorry love the videos well done

@FloatingOurBoat

7 ай бұрын

It seems many of the mill workers kept their stories to themselves.

Great vlog Guys. Going through Burnley, it seemed you were the only boat moving, seemed very eerie. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.😅xx

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

This stretch of canal has been very quiet. I think many people avoid it.

Another great vid. Rich's perfect filming (and Fran's!) and a riviting description of working in't mills. The only thing l can add to that is that the women taught themselves a sign language, as they could not be heard above the noise! How hard they worked! And the conditions they endured! They certainly made them tough in those days. Slave labour, virtually. Can you see people if today standing it?

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

We really don't know how lucky we are yet most people still grumble

Lovely video. About all the bad stories…some may be true but, as my mom used to say about hearsay, consider the source. That’s not a strike against them, but their point of view is just theirs. And you have yours.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

We agree 100%

Great video ,👍👍

I bet Fran walked uphill to school but directions... (barefoot in the snow :) ) Those weaving (looms) machines are brilliant, the builders must have been amazingly smart; those looms are so complicated.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Maybe not barefoot but I remember walking through deep snow to school in wellies. They didn't close at the first sign of a snowflake as they do now!!

@MissingLink-hb9ov

8 ай бұрын

@@FloatingOurBoat yeah, they even close school in Alaska when it snows.

Good to see your making videos again I work in a mill in Essex been going since 1824 makes flour though , when you doing more blogs I usually listen to them when I'm in the factory 👍

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

We really do mean to make a new podcast soon, we just never seem to get around to it.

A fabulous Vlog. We love the mooring you stopped at by Reedley Marine. Just great to see you at Queen Street Mill. My father was involved with the textile industry in Lancashire for most of his working life. We like Burnley, the old chimneys and what they have done with the derelict mills. I’ve taken lots of pics as we’ve traveled through. I hope you have got down the Wigan Flight okay? Jenny + Trev NB Life of Riley xx

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

It was a lovely mooring and a lovely cruise. In our opinion it doesn't deserve such a bad reputation

Welcome back 🎉.

If you didn't see the short BBC tv series North & South with Richard Armitage, you really should! They used the Queen St mill as location with all the 300 looms working at once, an incredible scene that really gives the sense of what unhealthy and inhumane inferno were the cotton mills at the time.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Wow, thank you. We will have a look for this

@cherylhmackie

8 ай бұрын

I wondered if they had, they looked very familiar. I love North and South. I think Fran and Rich were filming from a different angle.

It's great to see you cruising again and your content is as interesting as ever. Good luck on your travels.

Hi Fran & Rich, lovely relaxing video! The Mill was really interesting to see and hear about. Fran I love your smaller loom, it always looks so cozy and peaceful when seeing you working on it. Please give the dogs a cuddle for me. Thank you so much for sharing, take really good care. Have a wonderful week! Lots of love Kathy x 🌺🌸💖

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

It is peaceful, very different to those huge looms. There was nothing relaxing about them. It was all about time and money.

Hi Fran & Rich, great to see you back on the cut. I used to work in a woollen mill in nz in 1970, it was just like that. I only did it for a couple of months, I was very young,. My job was to go around each loom and collect the figures on how much was done on that loom every few hours. I didn’t like the noise to much. I’m not sure how I’d have been if I’d stayed there years. But it was certainly an experience. It bought back many memories seeing what you showed. 🩷🙋‍♀️

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for sharing that with us. At least you didn't have to stay there too long

All t'lasses darn t'mill were good lip readers. Yea, the respiritory diseases were commonplace in that there Lancs, but here in thee county, wool was worked, mainly, and that stuff is brutal. From coming in "caked up", to the finished product. No wonder all the lads ( and some lasses) ended up on the beer EVERY night. Thirsty work !!

You two have a wonderful way of weaving a story. The snapshot of the child in the mill caught my eye and stirred up memories of my grandmother who worked in a mill in northern France beginning at age 13. She was a "donneuse de fils" and lost an index finger thanks to a flying shuttle. The family emigrated to New England in 1906 and continued to work in mills there. My father was born in mill housing. With its many rivers as sources of power, southern New England was filled with mills built and owned by wealthy English men, who imported workers from Quebec and from France. Those same workers energized the early labor movement in the U.S. So much history carried in a single object or photo....

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

That is an amazing story, thank you for sharing it. It seems that these wealthy English mill owners spread their wings far. We have had stories from South Africa as well

Brilliant video xx

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Thank you!!

We enjoyed the video (as we normally do), but we noticed the almost total absence of people on the towpath, no walkers, no cyclists, not even any dog walkers. How strange. keep up the good work. Nice to see you on the move again.

Nice vid thanks

That was a really interesting historic mill, and pretty town. Unbelievable working conditions. They certainly built houses and every building to last out of stone. Thanks for filming, and showing the beautiful sky and views across the hills. My father's family was from Yorkshire, and then moved to Salford in Manchester...

Hope you are getting used to being mobile again and a lot happier than last time. I would be inclined to leave the shuttle as is because that has history on it's surface and the use has someone's life in it. I like to leave layout, side and face marks on anything that I make in wood to prove I was there. I also have some tools from a deceased friend and I think of him whenever I use them. Love seeing you two together.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Someone else did suggest this and I have decided you are right. I will just clean the dust off and wonder at how many people have handled it. Thank you

I’m so pleased you didn’t experience any issues or problems with “little oiks” cruising through the birth town of my grandfather in 1890 and father in 1920 what is Burnley, despite your earlier pre conceived negative observations. Far too many boaters condemn our cities and towns without ever having visited. My home town of Coventry is another place often castigated by people who have never set foot inside the city boundaries. I have for many years cruised in Burnley & Coventry without cause for concern. As regular You Tube bloggers with healthy viewing figures many potential visitors could quite easily be dissuaded from visiting after listening to misinformation.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

We loved Coventry when we visited. We never take a lot of notice of other peoples opinion of towns but prefer to use our own judgement. You would never go anywhere if you took to heart every bad news story.

My wife and I were recently in the village of Barrowford in Pendle District for the funeral of an old friend. He had been born in Burnley and we heard about his childhood from his childhood best mate, who lived across the road. My friend's dad was a grocer, selling his wares out of the back his van, and the boys used to help. They were both football mad, Burnley fans (of course), and themselves kicked a ball around in my friend's back yard.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Thank you Barney x

Good to see you back cruising. It's good to hear that you were misled about Burnley. Thanks for showing the beautiful scenery of the north of England.

Glad you are back cruising. It seems to suit you well, I enjoy it too Thanks!

Nice to see line shafts again. 1964 apprentice helping skilled fitter make and fit new brass bearings into the line! Sheffield. Oh, change or staple leather belts onto the drive wheels. The fitter dressed in a blue two-piece workwear with a flat Cap and smoking Park Drive. Steel ruler in the side leg pocket with hand wipe cloth not forgetting a white oily scarf around the neck. Memories!! Must pay a visit.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Lovely memories. Glad you enjoyed it

Thanks for taking us along on this lovely cruise through the "grim up north", lol. See it's not as bad as people say up here, (actually I'm in Bolton). My 'Nana' was a mill girl from the mills in Radcliffe and when I was a little lad she was quite deaf but we would always be careful about what we said because, if she could see us she'd know exactly what we'd said as they were all expert 'lip readers'. I hope that you are both (and the doggies) doing well. Take care and all the best. Stevie

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

There are so many lovely stories like this. Those ladies were a tough breed and still seemed to enjoy life. We could learn a lesson from them. Thank you

KZread reconnected us, great to see you guys again, Burnley > ok, but Stoke-on-Trent was the heart of the Canals, have you been there since ? Glad to see Burnley, but please come back to Stoke ! You too Captain Gary Phillips ! Where Chugabud borne.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

We have been through Stoke-on-Trent several times

@eamo106

8 ай бұрын

I am so sad with Stoke council and people. A Tourist center missed@@FloatingOurBoat

Nice to see you back.

Fascinating visit to the mill. We're hoping the Wigan flight is accessible soon as we're hoping to be on the Leeds Liverpool for the winter 🙏 😀

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

I hope so too!

I have to say the canal didn't look too bad. I have been through and there were lots of supermarket trolleys, footballs and planks of wood plus the odd bed mattress. I think it could be a lovely stretch of canal with lots of old mills and factories if it was cleaned out more. Fran, the shuttle was interesting, because my son owns and lives in what used to be an old shuttle making factory in Oakworth, West Yorkshire. It used to be Burwin's Shuttle manufacturers. They were the last remaining shuttle manufacturers in the country. He has quite a few of their shuttles. There was also a water wheel in the basement that powered the corn milling grindstone when it was a corn mill, prior to a shuttle manufacturers. It would be interesting to know if there is a makers mark stamped into the wooden shuttle? Have a look and see if it says Burwins.

@happysporran

8 ай бұрын

Interesting comment 👍

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Thank you that is so interesting and it sounds like a wonderful place to live. I have had a good look at the shuttle and there is no makers mark on it.

Great to see you both out of hibernation and looking so smart and refreshed. Wow the mill was so great to see. I was amazed that they had been able to preserve such a piece of the past. Thanks

Thanks!

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Thank you so much, this is really appreciated. xx

Thank you for your videos. Love watching them and your interesting life you have chosen. Unfortunately its not for me or my hubby but love to see what its actually like living a different lifestyle. It all happens due to lovely people like yourselves and you make it so interesting. Best wishes and stay safe.🙋🎊🎉

Great to see you two again and another bit of your travels. :D

Fran you might enjoy reading North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. There is a BBC production of the book that is very good also.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Thank you. We will look into these. x

A great video, thanks. We have just come through Burnley and are moored almost exactly where you are and watched this. We weren't quite as lucky as you; we didn't have any trouble with the people but did get a whole disintegrating mattress stuck on the prop that took a while to release. It was really fun seeing you doing the journey that we did earlier today.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Oh No, that sounds like a lot of hard work to clear.

@willduckworth5535

8 ай бұрын

@@FloatingOurBoat yes it took about 20 minutes of my pushing from the weed hatch and Vicky pulling with the boat hook from the tow path after we had realised just how big it was.

Fascinating visit to the old mill and its glimpse into the past. We do sometimes moan about life changing far from the Good Old Days, but it’s good to reminded how hard working life could be. On a happier note, how wonderful to be venturing into Parts Unknown again! Nothing like it ☺️ Thanks so much for sharing the adventure!

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Life was very hard but it seems that people had more appreciation of what they had then. It certainly puts what we have into perspective

That mill looks interesting, i was a supervisor in a wool spinning mill in the 90s, we worked 5 x 12 hr shifts with an optional 8 hr shift on Saturdays. My work colleague comes from Burnley, I'll have to ask her if she's been for the tour, might look at doing it myself.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Wow, those were long shifts

I enjoyed your trip through Burnley. During our narrow boat years ending in 2017 we were through there at least twice and never had an issue. Not the prettiest place perhaps but no problems. I didn't know about that mill you visited so that was interesting. If you ever get the chance the Trencherfield mill near Wigan is well worth a visit as well....John L. Victoria BC Canada

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

Thank you

Fabulous vlog so interesting .Thanks for taking us along

Being a Auzzie, im guessing the sludge on top is a type of algae, does it happen because of farm runoff, lack of movement or chemicals from boats? I guess that's what clogs propeller. Nice to see you on the move again. Have fun.

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

You are absolutely right, all three things make the algae worse. Farm run off it quite a problem now. The propeller was also clogged with plastic bags and discarded clothing!!

Think this mill was on one of Fred Dibnah’s programmes

Wonderful to see you both on the canal again. And what a place the weaving factory was! The cacophony of noise those ladies endured😢. Fran, you looked right at home behind that gigantic loom. My favorite part, though, was sitting there on the couch listening to your adventures. It felt as if you had just stopped what you were working on to have a chat with us. 😊❤ Gee, I hope we called first🫢 Thank you. 🍁🍂🍁

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

That is a lovely comment thank you

So glad to see you both cruising again. Enjoy

I spent a very enjoyable evening in a pub in the town centre about 25 years ago. Didn't feel threatened or intimidated on the way back to the hotel, so that's a plus. Unfortunately, I was there for work, so no sightseeing for me.

Enjoyed the video , the mill was incredible and so much history .. travel safe 📚💞📚

So interesting seeing that shot of all the looms inside the mill and finding out that was only a third of the original total, then hearing about the hours they worked! 😯 I felt tired just mowing the lawns today... we don't know we're born, do we? 😬😅

@FloatingOurBoat

8 ай бұрын

The younger generation have no idea!