Did you go on holiday last year? Did you mainly work from home? Were you hoping it would be all back to ‘normal’ by now?

If there’s one thing 2021 has taught us it’s to be flexible with whatever we have planned! But it’s also important to have hope, and plan holidays and get-togethers to look forward to.

While the Covid-19 pandemic has caused an increase in common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, our blog offered some good tips to help you to cope.

Read: How a Narrowboat Holiday Can Improve Your Mental Health

For those wanting to be well-prepared before setting off on a trip, we shared a few insider secrets that every new boater should know. These simple safety tips will ensure that your first cruise is a great success, and that everyone has the best holiday.

Read: Get Ready to Go Canal Boating (Even if You’ve Never Done It)

In February the UK government advised against booking a summer holiday abroad in 2021, and introduced quarantine hotels. On Valentine’s Day romantic restaurants and hotels were closed due to lockdown. So some couples opted for booking a romantic narrowboat break to look forward to later in the year, knowing that all bookings were covered by our Covid guarantee.

Read: Valentines: Why Narrowboats Are the Most Romantic Break

In March, you might have wondered whether it was even wise to book a canal boat holiday. This article explains why narrowboat staycations actually became a popular choice. (Early booking for 2022 is advisable.)

Read: Can I Book a Narrowboat Holiday for 2021?

Have you ever wondered if it is difficult to go around corners in a canal boat? What happens if you run aground? How do you turn a 70 foot narrowboat around? In this blog post we shared Zen and the art of narrowboat handling with you. Boat handling is such a fun skill and can be learned at any age, from childhood to retirement, which makes a narrowboat holiday such a great experience for family groups.

Read: 3 Skipper’s Tips to Start Steering a Holiday Narrowboat

As the Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in England in July, there were no longer limits on social contact, meaning that people could meet inside or outside with as many people as they wanted. This gave holiday makers far more choices of places to visit on the Fenland waterways. However, at Fox Narrowboats we kept all of our safety measures in place, including our triple clean boat procedures, as we do everything that we can to keep our staff and customers safe.

Read: 3 Waterside Pubs to Visit Now Restrictions Have Lifted

Does your boat have a distinctive bow? Do other boaters ask you, “What number is it?!” Are you proud to know the history of your boat? Then you may be the owner of a Charlie Fox narrowboat!

Read: Charlie Fox Narrowboats: Where are They in 2021?

Actors Gyles Brandreth and Sheila Hancock returned to our screens in 2021, and in case you missed it you can catch up with their ‘Great Canal Journey’ to Cambridge and the Fens by watching episode one of series 13 on All 4. They started their journey in the town of March, where Fox narrowboats are based, and visited Emneth, Ely Cathedral, and Cambridge.

Read: Great Canal Journeys visit Cambridgeshire Fens

And finally, are you intrigued by England’s legends and mysteries? Want to discover local folklore on your narrowboat holiday? Got any Harry Potter fans in your family? The Cambridgeshire Fens were one of the last places in England where people still believed in witchcraft. Discover the witchy history of Cambridgeshire’s Fens in our Halloween article.

Read: Finding Fenland Witches For the Curious Canal Boater

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed reading these highlights from last year’s blog. Never miss an article again. Just look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the sidebar on the right and enter your email address. We’ll send you occasional stories, tips and advice about narrowboating around the Fens. (We never share or sell email addresses – your details are safe with us.)

If you want to take a canal holiday this year check availability now. We have some great deals to look forward to.

You may also like: Why January is the Best Time to Book Your Hire Boat Holiday

Image credit:  Fox Narrowboats

The post 9 Unexpected Things We Learned About Narrowboating in 2021 appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

Alarmy MTDCKJ licence 10 Nov 2020

Do you dream of going on great canal journeys?

Are you stuck at home when you’d rather be boating?

Fancy living vicariously through the travels of others?

You may like to check out Channel 4’s new series of Great Canal Journeys.

After ten series of navigating the canals, lakes and river of the world, Prunella Scales and Timothy West’s televised canal journeys have sadly come to an end. Best known for playing Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, Pru’s struggle with Alzheimer’s became a poignant aspect of the programme, and has now forced the couple to stop filming. The beloved actors have a lifetime of canal boating experience behind them, and their passion for it made them the ideal presenters of this show.

However, Channel 4 has opted to continue the series with two new presenters, actor Sheila Hancock and author and presenter Gyles Brandreth. They’re not a couple, but they are friends who have previously appeared alongside each other on Celebrity Gogglebox. The charm of the original travel programme really lay in watching Tim and Pru’s wonderful marriage on screen, so I thought that changing the remit to two travelling friends might change the mood somewhat. To ease the transition Timothy West joined Gyles and Sheila in the first episode, which aired on 8^th November 2020.

“I don’t even know stern from aft!” says Gyles. The friends confess they know nothing about canal boating, but that Tim and Pru have told them anyone can do it. “We are throwing ourselves in at the deep end, and hoping we float!” says Gyles.

The episode begins with Tim welcoming them onto a day-boat at Broxbourne on the River Lee, for a bit of basic training in steering, operating a lock and mooring up. Then their first real journey beings at Pangbourne on the Thames, where they board a 70 foot wide beam. They investigate the bathroom and there is a comedy moment as Gyles accidentally pulls a handle off the toilet, showing viewers that anyone new to boating can make mistakes! During the episode they cruise towards London through Henley, Cliveden and Royal Windsor, and invite a historian on board to chat about the history of the Thames.

“The waterways teaches history that can’t be found in books. They show us how to go with the flow,” says Sheila. (If you like history you can visit Cambridge Universities, Ely Cathedral and Oliver Cromwell’s House on a Fox Boats holiday.)

Then Sheila, 87, joins a women’s rowing team, proving that it’s never too late to try something new. Gyles also is a likeable character. He jokes about doing a Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio impression, while standing on the bow as they enter London by boat.

I had my reservations about this show going forward without the loveable Tim and Pru, but actually it has the same life-affirming vibe, showing us that getting out on the water can make you feel alive! Although Tim and Pru had 40 years of boating experience to share with the viewers, these two are demonstrating that anyone can give boating a go, and learn new skills. Is it still heart-warming and funny? Absolutely. Are there stunning aerial views of waterways, and intriguing glimpses into life afloat? Of course.

If it’s some time since you’ve been boating, this new version of Great Canal Journeys will inspire you to get back out on the water. At Fox Narrowboats you can ease yourself in gently with day boat hire, or take a week’s long break on a comfortable holiday boat. We are now taking bookings for next year.

If you missed the first episode of Great Canal Journeys you can watch it on demand on All 4, Channel 4’s streaming service. (To watch Channel 4 on demand you simply have to sign up with an email address and view on your TV, tablet or computer.)

You may also like:

How to Experience Some Great Canal Journeys from Your Own Home

Cruise Like Tim and Pru from Great Canal Journeys: How to Reconnect With the Ones You Love

How to Holiday Like a Celebrity Without it Costing a Fortune

Keep in Touch: Subscribe on the right to receive more stories of British canal journeys, by email. (We never share or sell email addresses, we’ll only be sending you our local, insider knowledge, every two weeks.)

Photo: Licenced stock photo Alarmy MTDCKJ 10 Nov 2020 OY48986454

The post TVs Great Canal Journeys Has Two New Skippers appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

Are you staying at home at the moment?

Do you love the British waterways?

Want to explore the UK canals from the comfort of your armchair?

You may like to revisit Channel 4’s television series, Great Canal Journeys.

There is a large selection of episodes from the series available to view on demand on All 4, Channel 4’s streaming service. In this scenic and heart-warming TV series, actors Timothy West and Prunella Scales take some spectacular canal journeys across Britain and abroad. (To watch Channel 4 on demand you simply have to sign up with an email address and view on your TV, tablet or computer.)

Back in 1990 this couple were on the first narrowboat to travel the newly restored section of the Kennet and Avon between Bath and Devizes, and they have been advocates for canals and their restoration ever since. Although the programme originally focused on their life-long love of British canals, later episodes see them taking boat journeys in countries all around the world.

In England Tim and Pru have explored the Kennet and Avon, the Llangollen Canal, Oxford, and the Grand Union Canal. However, they have not yet featured our local Fenland Waterways in the programme, sometimes referred to as the “waterways best-kept secret”.  BBC Countryfile presenter, Adam Henson, described the Fenlands as “a hidden gem,” in the Ely Standard.

In one episode Tim and Pru explore the Norfolk Broads, discovering the area’s unique way of life, its ruins, fens, marshes and woodlands.

Watch: Series 8 Episode 1: The Norfolk Broads

This episode might give you a sense of what our own local area is like. From our hire boat base in March you can cruise the Middle Levels, River Nene, River Great Ouse and River Cam. The Fenlands are such a unique landscape, offering picturesque towns and villages, and stunning open skies.

It is evident watching these programmes that Timothy and Prunella now enjoy taking life at a gentle pace, and appreciating nature. There is also something very poignant about watching their relationship, and seeing them reminisce about past memories.

At the time of writing this article, UK residents have been advised to stay at home, to avoid the spread of the Corona Virus (COVID-19). It has forced many of us to take life at a gentler pace and appreciate the small things, such as nature, family connections and our relationships with our loved ones. Tim and Pru’s narrowboat adventures remind us that getting away from modern, busy distractions, and focussing on our human relationships is something that we all need from time to time.

During these challenging times let’s slow down, reconnect and create new memories.

Stay connected: Subscribe on the right to receive more stories of British canal journeys, by email. (We never share or sell email addresses, we’ll only be sending you our local, insider knowledge, every two weeks.)

You may also like: How to Holiday Like a Celebrity Without it Costing a Fortune.

The post How to Experience Some Great Canal Journeys from Your Own Home appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.