Narrowboats - Life On The Waterways

Disc One - Working On The CanalsFor a brief spell in history canal mania swept the land but when the railways came steaming over the horizon the canals were abandoned in favour of speed. Yet the canals survived on a reduced scale and necessity proved to be the mother of invention. With reduced wages the boatmen were forced to take their families with them to live aboard the narrowboats and a community of working canal folk took to the water. Follow this fascinating journey to discover what it was really like to work on the waterways of Britain. From the men who dug the canals and the great engineers responsible for their construction through to the strong and resourceful boatmen find out how they all played their part in keeping the wheels of the Industrial Revolution turning. In more recent years the canals have regained their popularity but this time with holidays afloat. An entire leisure and tourism industry has developed that has ensured the restoration and conservation of the waterways for everyone to enjoy bringing a whole new meaning to the term Working on the Canals.Disc Two - Living On The CanalsWhen it comes to the old traditional ways of life there are few examples that are compatible with the day-to-day living of the 21st Century. However there is an exception where ancient practices go hand-in-hand with all the advantages of modern technology and for the thousands of people in Britain today who live aboard narrowboats on the nation's inland waterways there is nothing to compare with the delights of a life afloat. Join this journey of discovery on the canals and rivers of Great Britain to enter an almost secret world that despite being so firmly rooted in the past is definitely set fair for the future. Packed with information for would-be Liveaboards covering everything from costs and legal requirements through to the type of craft available there's also plenty of opportunity to take to the water and enjoy the unspoiled beauty of t