All aboard!
Meet the Brits living their dream lives on the UK’S waterways…
FNARROW ESCAPES Monday-friday, 4pm, C4 Factual
rom newly-weds and divorcees to retirees and families, new 20-part series Narrow Escapes follows a range of Brits who are passionate about life on Britain’s canals and waterways.
‘I’d always loved the idea, so two years ago, I took the plunge and bought my 30ft narrowboat, Dawn Piper,’ says 57year-old mum-of-three Emma Culshaw Bell, who combines life on the water with working as a decorative artist. ‘I had this romantic ideal of restoring it myself but ended up going 300% over my budget!’
The series sees Emma, who’s from Lancashire, navigate swing bridges and locks single-handedly as well as dealing with a broken engine and a leak as she embarks on an epic adventure from Manchester to the stunning Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Wales.
‘It’s definitely challenging being by myself. I’ve had to learn as I go along,’ continues Emma, who’s also seen making her way through the daunting Anderton Boat Lift, a 50ft lift in Cheshire that connects the River Weaver with the Trent
& Mersey Canal.
Shipshape
Other people featured include Derbyshire-based father and son Paul and Chris, who have transformed their narrowboat, The Waltzing Matilda, into a floating pizzeria, and 25-year-old Carrie from Doncaster, who sold her house to live on her narrowboat, Mabel. ‘I love the sense of freedom,’ says Emma. ‘For me, it’s the people. With boating, you become part of a wonderful community. You can choose to be as sociable or solitary as you like – that’s the beauty of it.’