Britain Afloat

BBC TWO Continuing her series on boats that have shaped the nation’s history, MaryAnn Ochota learns about sailing on the Mersey. It’s a tale of how fishermen racing each other for sport developed into a way of life for many people. Many clubs in the region, we learn, designed their own wooden boat specifically designed for the Mersey’s waters, craft with names such as The Seabird and The Falcon. We also hear how women were frequently banned from clubhouses in the past. Ochota, you’d imagine, isn’t best pleased.

The series concludes with the story of how the rowing eight – the fastest rowing boat in the world – developed from working boats on the Thames. Again, sport is involved because river-taxi men would race their craft for a bit of fun and as an excuse for a spot of gambling too. The show is partly a tale of class war, and the way that a working-class sport was adopted by the upper classes. You can find earlier episodes on iPlayer at bbc.co.uk/iplayer/ episodes/b096s2s4.