Bruce
The Wonder Dog and I can often be found, early on a Saturday morning, strolling
beside the Kennet and Avon canal. He’s
definitely a dry-land dog; the drier the better! But that doesn’t mean to say
he doesn’t enjoy a good snuffle along the towpath with a brief pause now and
then to gawp at the waterbirds. He has
an abiding fascination with ducks! He
will watch coots, moorhens, mallards and swans for as long as I’ll let him;
sitting with his ears pricked forward and his tail gently wagging.
This all changes when confronted by a Muscovy duck (those large black and white ducks with red wattles and beak). He will do all in his power to place me between himself and his nemesis. He’s a gentle, placid old mutt but there’s something about those ducks that he really doesn’t like.
Another
of his fascinations is with barges and narrowboats. He looks at them wistfully as they glide past
and, if we happen to encounter one moored at the bank he’s all for making a
break for it and trying to get aboard.
Usually he’s seen off by a resident Jack Russell.
I
sometimes daydream about the two of us floating through the English countryside
on a narrowboat with ne’er a care in the world.
However, my common sense usually kicks in quite quickly as the daydream
takes on nightmare qualities; with visions of a large Rhodesian Ridgeback and
myself sharing a tiny cabin, or constantly fishing said weighty animal out of
the canal because he absent-mindedly forgot he was on a boat and fell off it.
Bruce
is always ready to make new friends and seems irresistibly drawn to people of a
nautical nature. I’ve gleaned quite a
bit of information about the practicalities and history of narrowboats from
chatting to friendly boat owners who have been ambushed by Bruce. But they always seem happy to share their
knowledge and enthusiasm with a passing Gongoozler like myself (someone who
isn’t a narrowboater; i.e. most of the population).
I’m
still fascinated by the whole subject.
Not just the history but the practicalities of the whole thing. I’ve obtained a copy of NARROWBOATS EXPLAINED
by Trevor Yorke (£7.99) and it’s packed with all the things I wanted to find
out. How they are actually constructed,
why they are decorated as they are, and the traditions associated with them.
Not
only that, Trevor has also included practical information about how to hire and
buy them, how to operate them and the practicalities involved in living on one
(although, sadly, he appears silent on the subject of accommodating a large dog
on one).
You
know, it’s really not as impossible a dream as I once thought. Trevor really does know his stuff and gives
you a realistic idea of what is involved.
I may yet realise my dream!
For a full list of all our titles please visit our website www.countrysidebooks.co.uk and you will receive a 20% discount on any books you order from there.
Happy
waterside walking to all you Gongoozlers
Deb
