Your Floating Hotel on the Canals and Rivers of the UK

News about Reed Boats in 2007.

September 2007.

We had a very good break at Warwick instead of being at Saul Canal Festival and then at Gloucester. Our sympathy went out to all the hard working people at the Saul Canal festival which had been closed down by the flooding.

We had to change the first route of the next set of routes because we were now at Warwick instead of Gloucester. So this cruise instead of going up the River Avon was on the Grand Union up to Knowle and then down the Stratford upon Avon canal. It was still a very enjoyable, if unexpected cruise.

As we left Stratford to go up to Birmingham, as planned, we had a very pleasant lunch hour with Narrow Boat Rose, new owners to Hotel Boating on a famous boat. Then we had a very pleasant couple of days going back up the Stratford canal. However as we started up the Lapworth locks, the third and heaviest of the summer floods arrived. We had 36 hours of continuous 'monsoon' style rain as you can see in the picture on the right. It was not only heavy but it went on and on. The guests now really appreciated being on a Hotel Boat. If they had hired they would have had first to move during this heavy rain. Then after it had finished they would have had to try to make sense of the often confusing messages circulating. However being on a Hotel Boat they could just watch and leave it all to us. There is a certain magic sitting listening to the rain bounce down on the waterproof cratch cover with the heat of the nearby coal stove to keep you warm and watching others working!

Despite the flooding we did manage to keep our schedule this summer virtually intact. We just had to make three changes all told

• In June we had to come up the Worcester & Birmingham Canal instead of going down the River Severn.
• In mid July we had to go on the Grand Union and Stratford canal instead of the River Avon.
• In late July we had to spend an extra day in the Burton area and leave a day on the River Trent south of Nottingham till next year.

Urban canals can often have an unjustified reputation.We had a fascinating trip up the Erewash Canal which has quite a few country sections, like those on the left. We moored right in the heart of Nottingham twice, in Leicester and Coventry without any problem, several times in the middle of the school holidays. No problems that is if you do not count a crew member walking backwards towing the boats as we turned in a confined space and stepping into the Great Northern Basin which we now know is at least six foot deep!

In August we had a fascinating run up the River Soar and the Leicester navigation, the last time I had been there was on a hire boat over ten years ago. My memory was correct it is still a lovely navigation. We then finished this section off with a trip over the Leicester summit to Coventry and a run on the Ashby before going back to Warwick for our third break this year.

As we came back on the Northern Oxford from Coventry we came across two other motor and butty pairs. First just as we left Hawkesbury stop lock there is a long bend with boats moored on both side and only just enough room for two boats to pass in it. As we started into this congressed stretch of canal from one end Nuneaton and Brighton, a historic working pair, now operated by the Historic Boats Trust, came in from the other end. We passed in the middle. I'm afraid I was to busy steering to get any pictures!

Then when we arrived at the bottom of Hilmorton locks, warned by other canal users we just managed to tie up before the Steam Boat President towing her butty Kildare came around the bend having just worked down the locks. A picture of then passing us is on the right.

It is lovely seeing all these pairs operating as this keeps the historical way that the canals were worked still alive.

Our routes for next year, 2008, have now been finalised. Fuller details will be on this web site in September and also sent by post to all mailing list. However there are still a couple of cabins left over the summer and space in the Autumn. Remember you can book just a few days as a short break.

Newsletter for February / Newsletter for March / Newsletter for May / Newsletter for July

Newsletters for 2004 / Newsletters for 2005 / Newsletters for 2006

If you have any questions then do ring us on 07977 229103
or email us at martinreed@reedboats.co.uk