Hi Jay. It really is, unfortunately the government part of the funding has been significantly cut which may show a decline in our network 😔. Hope you have a lovely weekend ❤️
Hi guys, finally leaving a comment after watching Anthony say 'keep the comments coming" so many times. Me and my husband found your channel a couple of months ago and we are hooked. We are now watching the "old" videos as we have watched all the ones with the new boat. We watch your videos just before going to sleep - they are so soothing and seeing the amazing nature you come across in your travels is a great way to calm us down after a long day of work. Thank you ❤
Thank you Heloisa. Welcome to the channel and thanks for commenting 😊. Glad you are enjoying the content. We still have fond memories of the old boat. It was the nature of the canals that initially drew us to boat life. Hope you and your husband have a lovely weekend ❤️
This was so interesting, thank you. Just goes to show how important funding for the canals is and I really hope the government see the history and heritage and treat it the way it deserves 🙏🏻 Hope you boys are enjoying Boatlife and have a wonderful weekend. Gutted I can’t go but have to work 😢🥰
Hey Lesley. Thank you. It most definitely is sad that the government has cut funding. It is such an important part of our history and agree, this heritage needs preserving. We are loving boat life as always. Boat Life was quiet yesterday but guess most people were working. Have a lovely weekend ❤️
Loved this! Very interesting and informative. What a fantastic opportunity for you both. So glad so many people took advantage of the CRTs offer for people to come and see what they do. Anthony you are hanging onto your tan!! 😊 😊🤗❤️🐾 Kathy
Hey Kathy. Glad you enjoyed this. We had a great day and very lucky to have had the opportunity to film. Everyone keeps saying I am still tanned. Maybe because at this time of year, everyone is so pale 😂. Have a good weekend ❤️
Hey Jaqueline. We were really chuffed to be invited to showcase their work. Great day out. The costs of repairing just that one lock was eye watering. Bless Dexter. The staff fell in love with him. Have a good weekend and love to you both. How is the boat coming along? ❤️
@@NarrowboatLifeUnlocked the boat will be ready for Crick, it’s all happening so think they are putting it in the marina for us and then we will get it to Bedfordshire as we have the rental until August😀🥰
That was awesome so interesting and it’s great that you could go into the lock and check out the museum. It definitely would be a shame if they didn’t keep up on the work in the canals. Take care you two and Dexter ❤
Hi Judith. We were very fortunate to be able to have some time in the lock without the crowds so we could film. It was a really interesting day. It would be so sad if the funding got so bad that it all fell into disrepair. Have a great weekend ❤️
Hi, gentlemen! Such a great vlog about the locks and canals. I can always trust you to provide interesting and educational videos. You really put a lot of prep and thought into your work. Thank you! Happy cruising and safe travels. 💚💚💚
What an awesome show! It was very interesting to tour the museum, and it boggled my mind to hear the stones that lined the canal were so old! Thanks for bringing us along.
Hey MaryAnne. Glad you enjoyed. We were very humbled to have been invited to the museum and get to see some of the behind the scenes stuff. It is incredible to thing these were made during the Victorian era. Hope you have a lovely weekend and thanks for coming along with us. ❤️
Hi guys. . . . Very interesting and informative video and I totally agree that our history should be protected and enjoyed. . .it's our DNA. Good to see Dexter supervising the event. It's amazing to think that the bottom of the lock was laid all those years ago. . . such clever and hard working folk. Have a great week and see you next time.
Hey Mark. I do hope the CRT manage to find alternative funding as it will be a real shame to lose this incredible heritage. Loved how Dexter was making sure we were in sight bless him. It is hard to believe how old those base bricks were. We often forget a lot of our modern conveniences come from those clever Victorians. Have a lovely week. Take care ❤️
Amazing videos from you guys. Your content is brilliant to watch. It’s educational, and interesting. When I was at secondary school we were taught about canals. And narrow boats. We were taught about horse pulled narrow boats, about how they got narrow boats through tunnels, using their legs. About how goods were distributed around the canal system. Then we got to stay on a narrow boat for a week. With and couple or three teachers. Best time ever. We didn’t want it to end. 👍❤️👍
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed. I wish we had been taught this in school. What an experience too going on a boat. I would have been hooked at an even earlier age. 😊. It is so important to keep this living museum going. Have a great weekend ❤️
Oh my goodness I just loved that “ice breaker” automaton.... thingy He mentioned that emptying out the lock (using pumps) took up a third of their time. I wonder how long it took for them to fully pump out that lock using the pumps that they had available? Thanks for sharing this adventure,and I hope that you’re having a good weekend. All the best to you both and Dexter too of course. 🙂🐿🌈❤️ Oh noooo, you’re becoming a petrol head (or a diesel head in your case) 🤣🤣
It really was. What a work out that would have been. I bet it would have taken months with a manual pump. We are so hoping the new generator uses less fuel. Hope you have a lovely weekend ❤️
Thank you for this video. I always loved the canal boats from the first time I saw them years ago and then RU-vid dropped narrowboat videos in front of me and they are most of what I watch now. The workings of the canal, gates, locks, and bridges are fascinating and the countryside, old bridges, houses, and villages (one reason why I love Midsomer Murders) are so beautiful I can and do binge-watch you, One Day More Aboard, and the Narrowboat Pirate, and I’m sure more coming. I was blown away by the Standedge Tunnel. Realizing that the tunnels and locks were constructed in the 1700s and early 1800s by men with shovels and pickaxes is stunning and an engineering marvel. I think the whole canal system should be the Eighth Wonder of the World. The narrowboat community are such lovely and interesting people, talented too, I bought Paul’s Kingfisher picture and am looking for more. Thank you again. Special love to Dexter and all the canal dogs.
We can totally see the fascination with the canal network. Hard to believe these were dug by hand all those years ago. We love how it affords us to be closer to nature and the beautiful English countryside. Standedge was incredible. We did this in our old boat. Took ages. The canal network is something we should treasure and not let go into disrepair. It is most definitely the community on the canals that is the biggest draw. Glad you like Paul’s work. I am biased but think he is really talented. Hope you have a lovely weekend ❤️
I’m replying to you cos the comments are closed (why does that happen?!) Great vlog as ever, that pulley was a kreel in my part of Yorkshire, but delighted someone else calls a maiden…a maiden. We had a small one too and my Dad called it the dainty maiden (his sense of humour 😂).
Hey Joy. Not sure why that has happened but good to hear from you. Never heard it called a kreel. Have heard of clothes rack and clothes horse and of course a maiden. Dainty maiden. Brilliant. Have a great weekend ❤️
Thanks guys for this very interesting view of the CRT replacing lock gates and visit to the museum. We used to have laundry drying racks when I was a kid and they were very practical when the weather was too cold or wet, with a pulley system to lower it and load the washed clothes then raise it up again to dry them. I hope that you three are doing well, have a lovely Sunday and great week to come. Take care and all the best. Stevie
We loved filming this one Stevie. The CRT were great for allowing us early access. I don’t remember the drying racks growing up but do remember it in Paul’s mum and dad’s house. Hope you have a fabulous week too. ❤️
Interesting vlog about the locks and construction. Considering when and how they were made years ago. Yes we had one of those clothes line . You can imagine it was always full of clothes with a family of 11! Have a good weekend xx
Hey Bill. It was a cracking day. It is amazing how old the canal network is and the work that must have gone into making it. Blimey, 11. Didn’t realise you had such a big family. Hope you 2 are ok. Have a lovely weekend too. ❤️
That was fascinating. The canal network is truly a marvel. Hats off to those who work so hard to keep the canals safe! Public interest in the canals appears to be high based on all the people that were there the day you filmed. Everyone should share in the legacy that has been built and pass that along to the next generations to preserve that incredible history. Really interesting stuff from this boy in Canada!
Hey Mike. Glad you enjoyed. It really is something we should treasure and preserve. Many people lost their lives building this incredible network. It was a busy day and great to see public support. Hope you have a lovely weekend ❤️
very interesting. We would call the drying rails that are pulled up into the ceiling the clothes maid and the one around the fire the clothes horse. Grew up with a range like the black one built into the wall. Enjoyed that thank you.
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed. We had a lovely day of filming. I have definitely heard those terms too and reckon that’s what my Mum would call them too. The ranges look fabulous. Hope you have a good weekend ❤️
Thanks so much fellas! That was so interesting! As an Aussie, I have no idea about any of this. I’ve often wondered what the CRT’s point of view is. I can really feel the sense of camaraderie amongst the boating community. Loved the museum too. That icebreaker was amazing! Thanks again 🙏🇦🇺
Thanks Joanne. Glad you enjoyed this one. We loved seeing behind the scenes. There definitely is a strong boating community. My favourite was the ice breaker too. That must have been some workout. Have a lovely weekend ❤️
Loved seeing behind the scenes at Ellesmere Port! Thank you so much. Brought back the day we spent, pretty much the only visitors, and the volunteers were dying for something to do so started up some of those amazing old engines. Wonderful!
Hey Cherry. It was great to be able to film behind the scenes. Glad you have got to visit too. Would have loved to see some of those engines alive. Have a great weekend ❤️
A different but very interesting vlog. Was great to see so many people visiting and interested. The cost, wow, how on earth do the CRT prioritise and even get the monies, especially since their funds were cut. Luckily the system was very well built and its impressive how long things have lasted. The museum and cottages are intersting, and ofcourse a cafe was involved lol Thanks for sharing xxx
Hey Susan. It was nice to see all this people interested in the CRT event. I thing this is the only way funding is going to be maintained to get people involved. It really is sad that the funding has been cut. Very short sighted. The museum itself was a good day out and yep, even a cafe 😂. Have a good weekend ❤️
The locks are fascinating to me, so thanks for this. I guess back in the day they had to hand pump the locks out to fix them? Those folks were so clever. And I kept on wishing they would clean out the muck on the bottom, even though I know it doesn't matter🤣. I was wanting to grab a shovel and clean it out! I hope you three have a wonderful week.
Hey James. Glad you enjoyed. We loved seeing the museum. The staff were lovely too. Can’t believe that was the Victorian times. Really clever people. I felt the same about cleaning the bottom of the lock 😂. Have great weekend ❤️
That is pretty amazing - thanks for sharing this, it is amazing how deep that lock is. It’s an interesting perspective to be at the bottom looking up !
Hey Katherine. It was a brilliant day for us too. Not seen very often, the lock empty was brilliant to see. Glad you enjoyed too. Have a good weekend ❤️
That was interesting, thanks for sharing👍🏼😢. Nothing much new here, another snow storm dumped another foot of snow on us. 🌨️🥶🌨️ the daylight is longer now though and when it’s not storming you can smell spring in the air some days. Take care, be safe and well. 🙋🏼♀️🥰
Hey Dawn. Oh no! Hope that snow clears for you soon. We have a lovely sunny spring day today and we both feel like we are turning a corner with the weather. Can’t wait for the tow paths to dry up. Loving the longer days. Makes you feel so much better. Have a good weekend ❤️
Thank you for bringing this to us. I hope the public interest in the canal repair translates into valuable support for the important work of the CRT. Though, to be honest, draining a canal would be like a weed hatch on steroids for me. Yikes! 😂🙌😘🐶
Hey Michael. We had an educational day ourselves and it was an eye opener to realise how much a single lock repair is! I really hope public interest increases and the network is preserved for more generations to come. Like your weed hatch analogy 😂. Have a lovely weekend ❤️
Another lovely video lads ( as always), keep them coming. I used to live "up north" next to a canal, and empty locks can look very foreboding, like something out of a Dark Ages castle lol. A very interesting vlog.
Hey James. Glad you enjoyed. They can look foreboding. When we looked back at the footage, it almost looked like we were going on an archaeological dig. Hope you have a lovely weekend ❤️
Hi Mel. I totally understand their struggles with limited funding and costs. Let’s hope the canal network continues for many years to come. Have a lovely weekend ❤️
Hey Trevor. Thank you. We had a great day filming. It is eye watering heading the cost involved in the repair of just that one lock. Hope you have a good weekend ❤️
How cool to be able to have such an experience. I was wondering the same thing about the silt, I get that it's not a problem, but if you are there already. Thank you for sharing your adventures.
Hey Sheryl. It was a fantastic opportunity to film something we don’t usually get to see. We were thinking the same about the silt, but I wonder if removing it may cause the bricks at the bottom to dislodge? Thank you as always for watching and have a lovely weekend ❤️
That was really interesting. You were in the lock with another famous vlogger and team Martin Zero, James and Roy. I'll be able to see you on their channel. Thanks. Janet
Hey Janet. Martin is a lovely guy. First time we have got to see him in the flesh. Loved the day and it was really interesting seeing the drained lock. Hope you have a lovely weekend ❤️
Hey Glen. It was an interesting day out. I know exactly where you mean, sadly, when we passed through Stanley Ferry, we didn’t have time to visit the workshop. Hope you have a good weekend ❤️
Hey Timothy. Glad you enjoyed. It was a great opportunity for us too. We loved seeing all the works first hand. It hasn’t been too stressful going to work. I think the van helps where I can stay in it to reduce travel. Hope you have a lovely weekend too ❤️
Interesting one this week. But have to admit I suffer from claustrophobia so there is no way I could stand at the bottom of the empty lock. We are losing so much of our industrial heritage to greedy property developers, it's good to see museums preserving things for future generations. Thank you both for sharing. All the best ❤️Stephen
It really was worth the visit. I agree, a lot of our traditional, old woodlands have been cut down in place of housing estates. So sad. It is important, as you say, to show future generations the past and preserve our heritage. Hope you have a lovely weekend ❤️
Thanks Bruce. It really was an interesting day. We were very privileged to have been able to film before the public arrived. Definitely worth a visit. We are all good thank you. Hope you are keeping well. Have a lovely weekend ❤️
Hey. Hope you are good. I know right, imagine what that water would do to my hair 😂. We had a fab day though and the staff were so friendly. Hope you have a lovely weekend ❤️
Hi Anthony and Paul. That was a really interesting explanation about how they repaired lock gates and a really good look around the museum. That’s close to where I work. I really should make the time to visit it again. Have a great weekend 🥰 Take care. Nick
Hi Anthony and Paul wow, what an amazing thing putting on new gates keep everything operation. It was amazing to me how deep they are. Unfortunately we do not have canals over here in Australia only out west for the farmers which are not deep enough to put on a narrow boat. Anyway, really appreciate you both. Keep up the wonderful work Cliff from Logan City Queensland, Australia
Hey Cliff. It was great to see behind the scenes. We didn’t realise how deep those locks were. Aww, what a shame they don’t have locks in Australia. We did a river cruise in Prague when we went, and the lock there was huge! Have a great weekend ❤️
Aww thank you guys. Means a lot. We had a brilliant day and learnt loads ourselves too. Not sure if you have just had or currently have half term. Love to you both ❤️
Hi guys ❤ It's called a clotheshorse. It's great to see you inside the lock very interesting vlog👍. It is a shame that the network is falling to pieces around us😢. Love to you both and Dexter xxx
Hey Mark. I have called it a clothes horse before. Reading the comments, looks like there are loads of names for it depending on what region you come from. 😊. Was great to see the work the CRT are doing. It is a shame the government funding has been cut. Our license fee is a drop in the ocean of the cost of maintaining our canal network. Hope you guys are keeping well. Take care ❤️
We’ve just started watching your videos here and are really impressed. The work you’ve put into your boat, embracing life on the canals while still maintaining a life outside keeps us coming back. All the best, the Murphys in Chicago. PS Give Dexter a snuzzle from us! 🐕🦺
Hey guys. Welcome to the channel. Glad you are enjoying the content we produce, it means a lot. We love the canal life and love sharing our journey. Best wishes to you. ❤️
Hey Liz. It was a fabulous day out. So interesting to see the history of the canals. We haven’t done the basin at Ellesmere Port in our boat yet. Definitely something we need to do. Have a good weekend ❤️
Great vlog guys a lot more beaters need to go to these open days may be it will stop them from moan at price increases this year to help pay for this have a good week stay safe
Couldn’t agree more Nicholas. I don’t think people understand the scale of the cost of maintaining the network and our license fee is a drop in the ocean. Hope you have a good weekend ❤️
Great video! How interesting seeing inside the empty canal and the museum, funny to see things we remember in our homes! Thanks so much for sharing. Have a great weekend.❤
Thanks Jules. It was great to see the floor of the lock. Not something you get to see often. Definitely funny seeing those cottages and recognising stuff from childhood. Have a lovely weekend too ❤️
That was a treat, thank you! What a wonderful museum, as well! Do you know why wood is still used for the lock gate replacements? I was wondering if it was possible to shift to metal, or why not? Probably just as expensive, if not more! It was nice to see the bottom construction of that lock. What a feat it was to construct all these canals, all over the place!
Glad you enjoyed. I have often wondered this myself but I reckon metal rusts quicker than oak rots, plus they would be really heavy I guess. Love seeing the locks without the water. Have a lovely weekend ❤️
Amazing vlog. Wow! That lock looked soooooo deep from the bottom! Great interview. Loved the museum too. All those old working boats waiting to be restored 😢, I do hope they can raise the money some day to save them❤. Hey hey Martin Zero and James! I love their channel, been watching a couple of years. Martin’s Mancunian accent is a bit stronger than yours Paul and Anthony 🤣🤣.
Thank you Dawn. It was brilliant to have early access for filming. Such an interesting day. It is a shame the government has cut the CRT funding. I do hope they find alternative sources. Love Martin and James too. He definitely has a stronger accent than me 😂. Paul is more Wigan than Manchester. Hope you guys are keeping well. Love to you and Rachel. ❤️
Hi Paul, Anthony and Dexter-Dog. Loving this week’s vlog. Really interesting to see CRT involved in draining and changing lock gates. How Kool was that, that you were able to go into an empty (of water) lock? Dexter looked interested in what was happening also. Simon gave a great explanation of what was happening. Paul mentioned that the base of the lock was concave and not flat. I was waiting for the reason? Is there any special reason for this? The Museum was really interesting. Anthony mentioned an overhead clothes rack. When I was a child at home, we had one of those hoist clothes racks in the kitchen. I also remember the outside toilet in 2 friend's houses. Creeping out in the middle of the night to use it was a nightmare, navigating around snails on the ground on a damp night. The finances involved in just changing a lock were eye-opening. A really great and interesting Vlog. Thank you. Take care. Spoolbox
Hey Spoolbox. We had a great day. The staff were really accommodating. Dexter definitely made sure he could see his Dad’s, bless him. I assume the lock is concave to increase the water volume and a concaved structure would be more robust than flat, but just a guess. Those clothes racks. I don’t remember us ever having one but Paul’s parents did when I met Paul. I wouldn’t relish an outdoor loo. All those creepies! The cost of repairs is eye watering. Hope you have a lovely week ❤️
Hi Paul and Anthony my parents bought a house in warrington that had one of those herdie gerdies, a pan rack that operated in the same way and a massive aga which not only did the cooking it heated the house up as there was no radiators back then and this was in 1967 when i was 5 but we also lived in a smaller house which had the same things in 1962, plus we had the old tin bath in front of the fire in the back room and the house had a parlour which was hardly used, you don't get that type of quality in houses these days
Hey Anthony. Some of the stuff from back in the day was ingenious. The old argas are making a comeback and are a fortune now. I don’t think I would like a tin bath though. 😂. Warrington wasn’t a million miles from where I grew up. Definitely don’t make quality housing anymore. Have a good weekend ❤️
Well wasn't that interesting boys. I always think of the poor horses that use to pull the barges. Icy ground, how many fell into the canal. Happy we have moved forward. Thanks for sharing this wonderful journey ❤️
Thanks Jan. I know. Bless them, although I do believe they were well looked after as they were too important not to. I wonder how many fell in too. I know thousands lost their lives during the building of the canals. We are a far cry away from that now and it is good we have moved forward. Have a good weekend ❤️
Really interesting. Thanks. Oh, at around @12:15 it looks like a lady in the background is taking a picture of you two. I guess you are becoming celebrities in the narrowboat world.... 👍😁. Also, right before that, there is a really pretty black dog with what looks like a white mane behind you guys. Do you have any idea what kind of dog it was? Thanks again.
Morning Roger. Glad you enjoyed this as much as we did filming it. I hadn’t noticed that lady 😂. I did notice the dog though 😊. Not sure of the breed. It almost looks like it may be part collie though because of the colourings. Hope you have a lovely weekend ❤️
Happy Friday evening. 😊 I guess it's starting to wind down for you. The vlog is very interesting. Those gates are incredibly massive and the lock is very deep. I'm sure they found all kinds of "stuff" when they drained it. 😯 Well, I got my 'new to me' car this week and it is exactly like the one I missed last week. Same make, model and color plus a whole lot cheaper. I think I saved around $5500.00. It's a 2021 and the color is Mystic Blue, but I'd call it aqua. 🚙 She is so pretty. The dashboard is essentially a computer so I have a bit of a learning curve. My old car (2009) was pretty much analog! ☺ It's cold here today and snowing a little. 🌨 Sunday is showing a warm up so not too bad. ❤ Have a great weekend. ❤
Hey Dorothy. Happy Saturday to you. We were at a camping and caravan show yesterday and also popped into Boat Life. It was a fab day out. Loved the CRT event. So interesting. Congrats on the new car and the savings. Things happen for a reason. 😊. Glad you like her: the colour sounds amazing. Glad the weather will be improving for you over the weekend. Lovely and sunny here today. Have a great weekend ❤️
@@NarrowboatLifeUnlocked Sometimes it seems like fate blocks one thing you wanted only too replace it with something better. I know it's just coincidence but sometimes it just works! Can't see much of the color right now. We got a couple of inches of snow last night! It's the 2nd "real" snow of the winter. 🌨 Have a great weekend.
Really informative video. Do you know if the CRT recycle any of their lock gate components? Or, have they considered replacing/redesigning some of the lock gates with longer lasting modern components? ❤️:)
Hey Deb. Oh, they never mentioned recycling of the gates to be honest. There are some gates made out of other material but they tend to be more heavy and cumbersome to operate. Hope you have a lovely weekend ❤️
I have a lot of industrial woodworking machinery in my 3 car garage and basement and am set up to do this type of work in a side company I have. The costs that you are mentioning here in the video is outrageous. White (as opposed to red) oak has to be used and it is more expensive but bloody hell, these numbers, I could build em here and ship em over in a 20 ft container for less, way less. American has an abundance of wood. They didn't rape the virgin forest supply hundreds of years ago like the UK did.
Hey Phil. I totally agree re the stripping of the forests here. Such a shame we have to rely on bringing the wood from elsewhere. The cost of manufacturing in the U.K. has also increased dramatically since a lot of our own industries have been slowly closed. Hope you have a good weekend. 😊
I have do idea. I have heard of a Lazy Susan, but this is a thing put on a table that can be spun to allow dishes to be moved from one person to another.
Hey Glenn. I felt the same. I guess a lot of our traditional woodlands have been cut down to make way for houses etc 😔. Hope you have a good weekend ❤️
