Year: 2016

I am pleased to announce the December release of my maps includes Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Maps and, like all my maps for restoration projects, these are FREE to download. The canal once ran from Salford (not Manchester!) to    Continue reading Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Maps→

Just in case you hadn’t spotted the advert on Daltons, Neil’s Canal Shop Mail Order Business is for sale. As a mail order business you could run this from anywhere, so if you would like a part-time occupation which you    Continue reading Canal Shop is for sale→

I’m pleased to announce the December 2016 updates to my cruising maps are now available. You can see a full list of the latest issue of the maps, but those with significant changes this month are:- England & Wales Canal    Continue reading Map Updates – December 2016 – Issue 57→

I am pleased to say our River Wey and Basingstoke Canal DVDs have just been released and they will make great Christmas presents. The River Wey and Basingstoke Canal DVDs are available in our usual three formats:- Popular – like a    Continue reading River Wey and Basingstoke Canal DVDs→

I’m pleased to announce the November 2016 updates to my cruising maps are now available. You can see a full list of the latest issue of the maps, but those with significant changes this month are:- England & Wales Canal    Continue reading Map Updates – November 2016 – Issue 56→

I’m pleased to announce the October 2016 updates to my cruising maps are now available. You can see a full list of the latest issue of the maps, but those with significant changes this month are:- England & Wales Canal    Continue reading Map Updates – October 2016 – Issue 55→

Our Cruising Maps (available on CD as well as by download) and our Canal DVDs make great ideas for Christmas Presents, but please remember to order in time. The Post Office publish latest recommended posting dates for Christmas and you    Continue reading Christmas Posting Dates – 2016→

I’m pleased to announce the September 2016 updates to my cruising maps are now available. You can see a full list of the latest issue of the maps, but those with significant changes this month are:- England & Wales Canal    Continue reading Map Updates – September 2016 – Issue 54→

The IWA Festival of Water 2016 takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend.  This year it’s at Pelsall at the junction of the Wyrley & Essington Canal and the Cannock Extension Canal, towards the northern edge of the Birmingham Canal    Continue reading IWA Festival of Water – Pelsall→

The Shrewsbury Canal once ran from Shrewsbury to Wappenshall Junction where it met the Newport Canal which ran to meet the Shropshire Union Canal at Norbury Junction. Branches included the Donnington Wood Canal and the Shropshire Canal ran south to    Continue reading Shrewsbury and Newport Canals→

I’m pleased to announce the August 2016 updates to my cruising maps are now available. You can see a full list of the latest issue of the maps, but those with significant changes this month are:- England & Wales Canal    Continue reading Map Updates – August 2016 – Issue 53→

We may be hoping it stays too hot to need the central heating on our boat for a while but, sooner or later, we will need it working. For the last two winters we have had free central heating on our    Continue reading Free Central Heating→

Our daughter and crew member, Susan’s graduation ceremony was this afternoon, in the Symphony Hall in Birmingham. Susan graduated as Bachelor of Science in Dimensions in Health Care (Paediatric Intensive Care) with First Class Honours. Watch Susan’s graduation moments. Well    Continue reading Susan’s Graduation→

I’m pleased to announce the July 2016 updates to my cruising maps are now available. You can see a full list of the latest issue of the maps, but those with significant changes this month are:- England & Wales Canal Map    Continue reading Map Updates – July 2016 – Issue 52→

I am always pleased to receive feedback, and lots of my customers sent lovely feedback during June. Here’s a few of their comments:- Thank you Paul. Much appreciated. From MS, Kent – after I organised an update for his England    Continue reading Happy customers→

We’re on the River Wey, filming for the planned River Wey and Basingstoke Canal DVDs.  With the recent wet weather it’s been a nightmare finding opportunities to film when the River Wey wasn’t in flood.  In the end, Monday and    Continue reading River Wey→

I’m pleased to announce the June 2016 updates to my cruising maps are now available. You can see a full list of the latest issue of the maps, but those with significant changes this month are:- England & Wales Canal Map    Continue reading Map Updates – June 2016 – Issue 51→

We’ve just finished a busy day setting up our stand at the Crick Boat Show. We’ve moved location, a little, to get a bigger stand this year to celebrate our anniversaries, but we are still on the back row of    Continue reading Crick Boat Show→

I am pleased to say our Grand Union Canal – Leicester Section DVDs have just been released. The Grand Union Canal – Leicester Section DVDs are available in our usual three formats:- Popular – like a television programme showing the highlights of the    Continue reading Grand Union Canal – Leicester Section DVDs→

In 2013 we passed through Standedge Tunnel as we were filming for our South Pennine Ring DVDs.  I was steering the boat and didn’t have much chance to appreciate the inside of the tunnel. Here we are queuing in the early morning    Continue reading Standedge Tunnel→

I’m pleased to announce the May 2016 updates to my cruising maps are now available. All of the maps have been updated this month, to include the latest Ordnance Survey (OS) background maps. Most have updates to the waterway features too. I    Continue reading Map Updates – May 2016 – Issue 50→

I’m pleased to announce the April 2016 updates to my cruising maps are now available. You can see a full list of the latest issue of the maps, but those with significant changes this month are:- England & Wales Canal Map    Continue reading Map Updates – April 2016 – Issue 49→

We’ve just returned from our first cruise of the season over the past two days, from our home mooring at Sherborne Wharf to Wolverhampton and back.  It’s always nice to be cruising again, and we identified a few items that    Continue reading Dudley Canal & Tunnel Trust→

It was early yesterday morning when I arrived in Wigan by train.  I was on the way to help Geoff and Mags on Seyella come down the Wigan Flight. I paused to say hello to Jan on Waiouru as I    Continue reading Helping Seyella→

Ten years ago today I sold the first Waterway Routes DVD. After many hours of careful editing, I added the Leeds & Liverpool Canal DVD to my website and crossed my fingers to see how it would sell. The answer was very well and    Continue reading 10th Anniversary→

I recently blogged about the new stop gates being installed on the Leigh Arm of the Bridgewater Canal. Tom & Jan on Waiouru have cruised through the re-opened canal today and been kind enough let me have photos of the    Continue reading Bridgewater Canal Stop Gates – 2→

I’m pleased to announce the March 2016 updates to my cruising maps are now available. You can see a full list of the latest issue of the maps, but those with significant changes this month are:- England & Wales Canal    Continue reading Map Updates – March 2016 – Issue 48→

While cycling along the Leigh Branch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal recently to check my map data I encountered new signs, intended for cyclists. This was the first sign I found, at Leigh. I was intrigued by the precision    Continue reading Precision Timing→

My February map updates included an increase in the routes covered, with the addition of a map covering the Hollinwood Canal and the Stockport Canal. Some might consider these to be called the Hollinwood Branch Canal and the Stockport Branch    Continue reading Hollinwood and Stockport Canals Map→

The Bridgewater Canal has been closed since 2nd November 2015, just to the west of Worsley, for the installation of stop gates. Large warning signs at each end, like this one at Leigh, handily positioned on the stop planks for    Continue reading Bridgewater Canal Stop Gates→

The February 2016 monthly updates for my maps are now available on my website. You can see a full list of the issued maps and those with significant changes are: England & Wales Canal Map Ashton and Peak Forest Canal Map    Continue reading Map Updates – February 2016 – Issue 47→

In my previous post about the Mersey Gateway I described a new bridge being constructed across the Manchester Ship Canal near Runcorn. There’s another new bridge being constructed across the ship canal nearer Manchester.  It’s next to Barton High Level    Continue reading Barton Lift Bridge→

The Mersey Gateway project will provide a new road link to relive pressure on the existing road bridge at Runcorn. It’s being constructed to the east of the existing bridge, and scheduled for completion in late 2017. Can you identify the    Continue reading Mersey Gateway→

On the way back from seeing progress with repainting our boat in the autumn I took up an invitation to visit Willow Wren Training. They are excavating the arm at their training centre which had been filled in many years    Continue reading How Big Is Your Bridge?→

Runcorn Locks once linked the Bridgewater Canal to the Runcorn & Weston Canal, the Manchester Ship Canal and, previously, the River Mersey. History Opened in 1776, the Bridgewater Canal was linked to the River Mersey at Runcorn by a flight    Continue reading Runcorn Locks→

The Runcorn & Weston Canal ran parallel to the River Mersey, through the outskirts of Runcorn, for 2.4km (1.5 miles).  At the southern end it joined the Weston Canal of the River Weaver Navigation through one lock.  At the northern end    Continue reading Runcorn & Weston Canal→

I hadn’t heard of the Ravenhead Canal until recently.  I discovered it while researching the St Helens Canal. The St Helens Canal has a Ravenhead Branch and Googling for that threw up references to the Ravenhead Canal.  Initially I thought they were    Continue reading Ravenhead Canal→

History The St Helens Canal ran from the River Mersey near Warrington to reach the outskirts of St Helens.  It’s sometimes known as the Sankey Canal as it used the line of the Sankey Brook in places. The broad locks enabled the    Continue reading St Helens Canal→

The January 2016 monthly updates for my maps are now available on my website. You can see a full list of the issued maps and those with significant changes are: England & Wales Canal Map Bridgewater Canal Map Manchester Ship    Continue reading Map Updates – January 2016 – Issue 46→

The Lapal Canal is the name now associated with the restoration of the Dudley No 2 Canal using an alternative route in places. History The Dudley No 2 Canal once ran from Parkhead Junction , where it meets the Dudley    Continue reading Lapal Canal→

Select one of these starting points then keep clicking on the “Next” link to progress along the Bradley Arm.    Continue reading Virtual Cruise along the Bradley Arm (Wednesbury Oak Loop) of the Birmingham Canal Navigations→