Hi I'm Andrew and welcome aboard Narrowboat Reverie. Along with my partner Val we live a simple minimalistic off-grid lifestyle cruising some of the 2300 miles of the UK's inland waterways. We produce slow-TV : beautifully filmed and edited scenes of the peace and tranquillity this lifestyle provides, and we chat about everything from the social history of the canals, to the workings of narrowboat life. We don't do sensationalism, this channel is about simplicity, calm and beauty.
I hope you enjoy the content, and subscribe to keep up-to-date with our progress. And please, don't forget subscribe, to comment and share. Thank you.
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There's always something to learn. 😊 I didn't know about these bridges. Thanks for the video.
very clever..
Looks more like a rams horn.
I love that! Yes it does.
Beautiful engineering, but slippery in the rain!
Indeed, especially if you were wearing clogs or hobnail boots as many would have been in the late 19th century. I guess the cobbles were more for those with four legs rather than two, and also for durability.
In New Jersey USA I would call it a - crossover brick bridge. Or an overpass.
You're right, they are also known as crossover bridges although this isn't a commonly used term on the canals in the uk
Good to see you back even though it's only short one missed your videos
I think that is one of my favourite bridges on the network.
Hi Trev, how's it going? Yeah I agree it's fabulous and definitely the best one of its kind.
Thought you'd find this funny 😂😂 Just watched an old boy narrowboater on a hire boat coming past me too fast theirs a women in a wooden dinghy shouting at him to slowdown into tick over past moored boats he shouts back iv been boating for 25 years you stupid woman so she uses her paddle and soaks him with canal water I'm sat on the stern trying really hard not to laugh and she doesn't just soak him once 😆😆😆😆
Wow! I call that misty and beautiful 😊 Cheers from Norway
Thank you, well worth getting out of bed for. I'm sure morning mists a fairly common occurrence in Norway.
@@talesfromtheswansneck Yes, it is. But we don’t have canals. Morning mists and canals together, absolutly extraordinary beautiful.
I came through that lock this week the puddle now works up stream but the other one still has to be held open whilst filling the lock and it took two people to open the lower gate also to much over grown greenery over the canal making passing and viewing ahead more difficult, a fortnight before i came around the bends on the river Kennet just down from Fobnoy lock same thing lots of protruding over growth and a river cruiser came round the bend on the wrong side and i went into reverse hard loosing control and going into the bank, i hope he gets the hang of it soon before some writes off his plastic boat with ten tons of steel, nice video thanks for sharing it with us.
Cheers. Yeah there was quite a problem with overgrown vegetation in Oxford when I was last there, I can only imagine it's a lot worse now.
Really enjoyed your “gritty” vlog….You wanted suggestions ! You obviously have taste in your filming….why not a few culinary vlogs to exhibit even more taste…🍾 🥂 👨🍳
Thanks Stephen, yes a few people have requested some cooking vlogs, so it's certainly worth thinking about.
Very captivating, love the atmosphere and combination of music with the natural sounds, beautiful work my friend! ♥
Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed it.
Reminds me of the many hours I've spent circling overhead waiting for the early morning fog to lift at MAN , LGW and LHR just wanting to go to bed. Beautifully done again, Andrew.
Very ArtyFarty but nice and Chilled Well done and nice to see you again.
Thank you. And thanks for the coal, the last of which is on the fire tonight.
Outstanding!
Thank you
Lovely 👍
Cheers Del. Hope you're loving the Weaver. Devil's Garden got to be one of the best moorings ever
Superb, and calming! Thanks
Thanks
Lovely to meet you both on your 84 shopping trips to rugeley 🤣Stu on foxy doxy
I've told you a million times Stu, don't exaggerate 😂 Yeah good to meet you whilst bobbing up and down.
Simply breathtaking Andy ! Must get up earlier for sure I'm missing all this .
It's called 'the golden hour' for good reason 😉Can't say I could get up at that time every day though
Stunning!
What a nice surprise to see you pop up here again. very nice video.
Thank you. Just got inspired by the scene and popped a quick one out. There will still be the odd video here and there.
That was rather nice.
Beautiful. Thank you! If and when I meet you I want to buy you a pint!
Well thanks Will, I'm sure we'll cross paths at some point, but I did give up drinking 2 and a half years ago! So maybe a coffee or non alcoholic beer 😁
Good to here from you again. It's finally green here again. My little finger is becoming more active. I can do bar chords again. this video is quite stunning. Thank you!
Hi Skip, great to hear from you again. Funnily enough we were talking about you the other day as I'd been reading a book about a Scotsman who spent a year in the Alaskan wilderness. Sounded harsh, but I guess you grow used to it. Glad to hear your finger is up to doing bar chords again.
I enjoyed that. Thankyou
Great, thank you.
You certainly captured the atmosphere there. I don't usually favour overlaid music (some You Tubers ruin an otherwise excellent production by doing this), preferring to hear the natural sounds of daily life, but here it seems to fit perfectly no doubt down to skilful editing. Thank you for the upload.
Thanks David.
stunning pictures and filming
Cheers. You got to love those atmospheric mornings.
Lovely photography Andrew , this sums up why sunrise is my favourite time of day to sit out on the stern with a cup of coffee and enjoy the early misty morning and bird songs ❤❤❤
Hi Nathan, good to hear from you, we were wondering the other day how you were getting on. Clearly from your message you're enjoying boat-life. Still on the K&A? Where's your favourite mooring?
@@talesfromtheswansneck hi Andrew I was also wondering how you both were yesterday ? I know in your last vlog you were busy planning and arranging so I hope everything is going well ? I'm fine thank you and still on the K&A waiting for my house to sell as I had a time waster so I'm going to auction it and yes I absolutely love boat life my dogs have settled in really well and even managed to get a part time job within walking distance of the canal to help keep me occupied and my favourite mooring spot is ladies bridge down by widbrook it's the bridge further on from where we met it's just after the bridge at airsprung but the down side is i only moore there over winter as its far too busy during the summer i also like mooring in bradford on avon by the winding hole just before the lock and i recently helped tow somones sunken boat though i didnt charge them as it felt wrong to profit from their misery
@@nathanberry4339 glad to hear it's all going well. Yes I remember ladies bridge, I took some photos there when it iced over. Yes we're fine thanks. Val has a new part time job which is completely remote so she can work from the boat and we can travel. Be wary of towing other boats, you need insurance to cover it, and if the CRT 🤬find out they can revoke your licence. You'd probably get a warning email first though like I did.
@@talesfromtheswansneck thank you and I'm not going to be towing any more boats as it can be a bit stressful though it was only a 24ft otter with an aluminium hull so it didn't weigh anything and I did actually tell the CRT I towed it to the marina and they were happy it cleared the blockage as widebeams couldn't get through but it would be interesting if the CRT did moan at me for towing as they flat out refused to do anything to help the situation even though their supposed to keep navigation clear , and glad Val has a part time job I think it definitely works out well with narrowboating especially as my job is agency so i can pick and chose my hours which is a luxury these days and my other favourite place to Moore is by the winding hole at semington i like to Moore in the middle of nowhere own my own away from everyone 😊😊😊
@@talesfromtheswansneckI have to say moving onto the canal was the best thing I've done , I can spend more time with my dogs I work hours I chose my life is very quiet and my anxiety levels are almost zero
Beautiful well done
Thanks Phil
Beautiful Skip.
Hi Derek, I hope you and Pat are keeping well. I guess you'll be spending much time gardening at the moment, but I bet the flowers will be flourishing with all this rain. Our little well-deck and roof gardens are thriving, but they get a lot of Val's tlc!
Good to hear are both well and happy. You’re right about garden, it is going ballistic! Ambushed by former pupils of yours today in the co-op namely, Andrew, Andrew, James! From the farm? Take care x
Good evening, Andrew. I wonder if you are still cruising, and enjoying your narrow boat life? I started watching your channel in the beginning and wondering recently if you are still pleased with your choice of boat? I too have been looking at one from shire cruisers, in yorkshire. Would you recommend them? I'd appreciate your feedback. Bless you and Val
Hi Kevin, yes I am delighted with the lifestyle and can't possibly think of a better way of life. It suits us both more than either of us could have imagined. We had our boat blacked a few weeks ago and had another hull survey done. For a 30 year old boat she's in top condition, so if you're wishing to buy one of their ex-hire boats I would say definitely go for it. They were also extremely honest and fair throughout the buying process especially as I had no idea at the time about boats. I fully recommend them. I saw an ex Anglo Welsh boat for sale recently, the same year as mine, it was a wreck, a rust bucket, and needed a new base plate. I think Shire boats may be slightly pricey, but then they've been well built by Colecraft and well maintained. Good luck with it Kevin.
this is absolutely beautiful
Thank you Nicholas. Sorry, I've only just seen this message. As a follow up you might enjoy my latest video, 5:15
I'm the actress of the actress and the poet working with Tench on tour in 2017 sharing the stories of the wartime women trainees. At the time Tench was owned by a modern boatwoman, the late great utterly incorrigible Alex Bennett! There is a tribute to her on our (Alarum Productions) channel, as well as a film about the tour celebrating 75 years since the training scheme began. I don't think Tench was worked by the trainees during the war as they mostly worked for the GUCCC and Tench is a Fellows, Morton & Clayton boat, but I believe several did get seconded off to other companies so might have worked for FMC. One of our missions for the show was to dispel the myths around the nickname 'Idle Women' - it did come from the IW on the national service badge, but wasn't invented by misogynistic boatmen, and was never used during the war. They were only ever known and referred to as trainees, even after passing their training and taking on a pair of boats! After the war, in 1947, one of them, Susan Woolfitt was writing a book about her experiences and needed a title - her daughter Harriet suggested Idle Women and it stuck. If you ever come across a first edition of the book it contains an acknowledgement to Harriet, but sadly, seems to have been left out of every edition every since! For anyone interested to learn more about them, there is more on our website alarumproductions.org.uk/portfolios/idle-women-of-the-wartime-waterways/
I am not sure if you got the trip out of sync, there is a lock, sluice gate and weir at Abbey Meadow pumping station very near the space centre. The river and the canal meet at this point. I remember that there was a stink of untreated chemicals being discharged into the river around the chemical dyes being applied to the yarns.
You know, this must of meant so much to Marie. Raymond got a lot out of this too. Time with his mother that he probably didn't think would ever feel so warm and needed. Such a wholesome moment.
Wadworth, not Wadsworth
Come on Andrew when will you come back with your brilliant work we are missing you. Don’t be long before you come back 😢
Hi Andrew update , I went through Bradford on Avon lock and I'moored up a couple of mile away from the lock next to the turning point and my tutor drove the boat into the lock while I operated the lock and it seemed fairly simple but very heavy work also in regards to the Bradford on Avon lock it really doesn't help that I do not like heights but other than that it was fine
One would think the CRT would have some plan for access to medical services for their members 🤷🏻♂️
Nice handling! By the way it’s a 180 not a 360. Thanks for showing how it’s done.
Yes, I must admit I realised that whilst rendering the video but couldn't be bothered to go through several hours of work to rectify it.
Loved this ,i was born on the k and A in reading ,and grew up in Newbury, always loved the canal ,you are living my dream !
So pleased you enjoyed it Sallie, and it's always good to see places you're familiar with from a different perspective. In truth, I'm living my own dream too. I took the plunge nearly five years ago (metaphorically speaking that is) and have never looked back. The improvement in my physical and mental health has been immense, I recommend the lifestyle 😁
Hi Andrew iv bought my boat she's 56ft called serenity and spent our first Christmas aboard in the marina and I've been out on the cut for three days now and absolutely love it and I'm heading to bath tomorrow I also have an experienced crew member for the day tomorrow who will be giving me a lot of tuition
Hi Nathan, that's fantastic, well done from us both! So you'll have done Bradford lock then? How did that go? Enjoy your trip to Bath, I hope you aren't going down the whole lock flight onto the river 😯 Let us know how it goes.
@@talesfromtheswansneck hi Andrew I'm doing Bradford lock today as I got some expert tuition arriving to help me for the day because I went the other way up to the boat yard at hilperton topped up with diesel and got a gas bottle then moored just past the boat yard and i wont be going onto any rivers until i get some experience behind me but the dogs and i have fully settled into canal life
@@talesfromtheswansneck kzread.info/dash/bejne/opqfvLp9g86emJc.htmlfeature=shared my new boat home
@@talesfromtheswansneck oh and I paid 55k for serenity she's 56ft only work she really needs is solar and a log burner and she has central heating powered by the engine I couldn't be happier with her
@@talesfromtheswansneckso I moved the boat today and it was only the second time I'd ever moved the boat and so I had an experienced tutor with me which was really lucky as we broke down reversing in the middle of the canal and had no steering fortunately it was just the gearbox needing an oil top up then when we un moored for the second time after the break down I pushed the boat out to hard and ended up only just holding onto the bow while my feet were just touching the tow path and half fell into the canal soaking my left leg it was just like an old looney tunes sketch 😂😂😂 but we still managed to get down to widbrook just a bit ahead of where i met you when you were moored up on the K&A
Years of experience, bravo!
Update iv had the survey done today and finally boight my own narrowboat , i thought uou might like to see a quick tour kzread.info/dash/bejne/opqfvLp9g86emJc.htmlfeature=shared kzread.info/dash/bejne/opqfvLp9g86emJc.htmlfeature=shared
Great camera angles and narration. It was amazing to see those two long boats make that turn without bow thrusters. Experts all around!
Thanks Willa, and seeing them make the turn really gives you a sense of just how long they are. Agreed, fantastic job by them both, and a happy new year to you Willa.
What an absolute scene of beauty, truly amazing I thought that they would shunt, I think I need to lie down ❤👍👍
Hi Andrew. We've always enjoyed your wonderful photography, reflecting, both litterally and figuratively, life on and around the canal. So, for us, whatever you deem good enough to present will certainly be appreciated by us. Thank you for your hard work which is always much enjoyed.
Many thanks David.
Just a quick up date , i'v got the survey on the 21st so all going well I shall have purchased my boat on the 22nd just in time for my first Christmas day aboard
Been there, done that. Back in the late 70s with my own boat "Beech", don't remember what the butty was. It was normally paired with another motor. Worked as camping boats at the time. I'm sure the first shots showed the pair working in the opposite direction.
Impressive stuff.