“End of season, an era or just the END, full stop?”
The ever-popular musings of a narrowboat horse on the Montgomery Canal
WELL, we’ve come to the end of a short but, on the whole, satisfying season. We started late due to lockdown uncertainties and are finishing early due to crew commitments.
I’ve gone back to my winter quarters, horseshoes have been removed and I’ll spend the next few months getting fatter – I only hope I can still fit between the shafts come next spring.
We decided early on to restrict our horse-boating trips to just pre-booked charters containing bespoke family/friendship bubbles.
This proved to be popular with the customers and a very successful formula for our longer excursions.
In general, the weather smiled on us, as we only had one really wet trip. Normally, rain is only a nuisance rather than a hindrance as everyone can shelter inside the cabin, but as we’d removed all the boat side-windows to provide more fresh-air ventilation, we all got a bit damp, i.e. sodden. At least we gave the passengers the choice of suffering from Covid or pneumonia!
Highlights of the season included our annual apple juicing festival, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed, including me. I get to taste-test the fruit prior to pulping and pressing, but thankfully enough makes it past my stringent quality control to be turned into either fresh juice or ultimately some very quaffable craft cider.
The latest brew, called ‘Crackerjack’, is named after me!
For the first time, we ran the event over both days of the weekend, which, despite the inclement weather, was well supported throughout. As with our horse-boating activities, we encourage people to get involved and have a go. So, everything from apple picking, washing, pulping, pressing and drinking was enthusiastically engaged in.
Trunk fall
One of the most exciting occurrences was the felling of a gigantic ash tree that was brought down right next to my tie-rail, where I wait between trips. Luckily it was a planned felling, due to the tree’s age and decrepitude, so I wasn’t standing there at the time. It’s amazing how many ‘friends of Canal Central’ come out of the woodwork when there are 15 tons of good wood-burning logs going a-begging!
Our final trip of the summer personified the epitome of what we’re all about. Perfect weather, happy crew, full boat and exemplary customers, plus a wellbehaved horse (the latter goes without saying, but I thought I’d mention it).
The ladies from Belan Women’s Institute thoroughly enjoyed their excursion. Their feedback included the words tranquil, calming, peaceful, relaxing, informative, entertaining and cheeky! The last one was justified because the ladies, who all live alongside the Welsh section of the Monty, took exception to the tongue-in-cheek comment that the only good things to come out of Wales are footballers and ‘ladies of the night’.
When challenged, in response to several of the ladies saying that they came from the principality, our quickthinking tour guide immediately asked which team they played for!
So, crystal ball at the ready – will we be back next year? Who knows? If we’re spared, we all intend to try to be, as we still enjoy doing what we do. Not only is our heritage important, and deserves to be preserved, but the additional benefits such as the contributions to our well-being, mental health and work/ lifestyle balance are incalculable.
Although our boating operations are ceasing until 2022, I’ll still be writing these monthly missives for Towpath Talk, so I look forward to receiving your feedback to our little chats.
Until next time, may your bucket contain more carrots than mine currently does. Love Cracker