Are you looking for an unusual gift idea this Mothering Sunday?

Something more original than flowers or chocolates?

A present for a mother who loves the canals?

If your mum, wife, or gran is a lady who enjoys narrowboating, or dreams of getting afloat, then consider getting her a book revealing the quirks and charms of parenting on board.

#NarrowboatBooks #WaterGypsies #Annie Murray #NarrowMargins #MarieBrowne #RamlinRose #SheilaStewart

When my children were young we lived on board a narrowboat, so I loved seeking out stories about mothers on canal boats; and it was even better if they were true to life.

Water Gypsies by Annie Murray

The historical novel, ‘Water Gypsies’ by Annie Murray is a sequel to ‘The Narrowboat Girl’, but I was told that the canals do not actually feature that much in the first book, so I went straight for the sequel. Water Gypsies begins in 1942 and describes a series of tragedies that befall the heroine, who is tormented by a miserable past! The story follows Maryann, her husband and children as they live and work on their canal boat, the ‘Esther Jane’.\

Narrow Margins by Marie Browne

In contrast, Marie Browne’s ‘Narrow Margins’ is a modern tale of a family aboard, trying to make a new start after losing their IT company and large house when Rover went bust. They moved their children and dog onto a ramshackle narrowboat called ‘Happy Go Lucky’ and taught themselves about narrowboat life and boat refurbishment as they went along. She has since written several sequels about their family’s adventures afloat. This is a fun read that details the challenges of living aboard a ‘fixer upper’!

For Better For Worse, For Richer For Poorer

I also enjoyed reading ‘For Better For Worse, For Richer For Poorer’ by Damian and Siobhan Horner. This husband and wife team wrote a memoir about leaving their careers and lives ashore, to travel the French canals with their two young children. Told in two voices, this mid-life crisis story follows their journey on an old fishing boat.

Ramlin Rose by Sheila Stewart

However, my favourite book about mums on board is ‘Ramlin Rose’, by Sheila Stewart. Recommended to me by another live-aboard mum, this book reveals the details of day to day life for a hardworking family in the cargo-carrying canal age. Sheila Stewart had wanted to interview a Banbury boatwoman and write her biography, but ended up compiling a number of true stories into a fictional life story. As so many boaters were illiterate back then, there is no autobiography written by a boatwoman. So this is the closest thing you will get to a mother’s perspective of parenting on board, while working the boats. Although the days were long, and the work was hard, and sometimes dangerous, there was a good sense of community. When the men went to canal-side pubs, they’d be moored alongside other families, and while the women minded the children on board they could catch up with their temporary neighbours moored next door.

“’Spite of all you hears about ‘drunken boatwomen’ most of ‘em was content of ‘n evenin to loose their chaps orf to the pub while they stayed tied to their kiddies and the cabin. It was a chance for Mum to catch oop on her chores ready for mornin and catch oop with news of the Cut with the women moored alongside.”

• ‘Ramlin Rose’, Sheila Stewart

If reading narrowboat books gets your mother in the mood for boating, then a family boat trip on the Cambridgeshire Waterways could be just what you are looking for. Why not plan an unforgettable day-trip to our hire boat base in March? The whole family can have a go at steering the day boat, and spend some quality time together. Boating is an activity that suits all generations, and you can include a picnic, a pub lunch or some fish and chips in your day out.

In 2022 the Mother’s Day falls on Sunday March 27th, and the Fox boating season begins in April. If you book a day-trip now you could surprise your mum with this idea on Mothers Day. Read more: The Ultimate Mother’s Day Surprise

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Photo credit: Deposit photos

The post Five Surprising Mothers Day Gifts for the Narrowboat Mum appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

Want to discover new books without leaving your home?

Want to try before you buy, at no cost to you?

Heard about eBooks, but are unfamiliar with the technology?

This simple guide to using Google Books could be the answer you are looking for.

Following the coronavirus lockdown, my local library still has no plans to reopen, and many of us are not yet ready, or able, to go browsing in bookshops at the moment. So, as unfamiliar as I am with the latest technology, I decided to investigate Google Books; which is a vast online digital library.

This free service can search the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text, and stored in a digital database. More than 40 million titles have been made available by book and magazine publishers, and by Google’s library partners through the Library Project.

Offering unprecedented access to such a large body of knowledge can only be a good thing, as it promotes equal access to information for all, but the project has received a bit of criticism for potential copyright violations, and the number of mistakes that happen during the scanning process.

How to Read Books For Free

Books can be found by using the usual Google Search engine, or the dedicated Google Books search website (books.google.com).

Anyone with access to the internet can view full pages from any book, so long as the book is out of copyright, or if the copyright owner has given permission. If the book is still under copyright, a user sees “snippets” of text related to what the user searched for.

So, this is a great way to read large parts of a book before deciding if you want to buy the full eBook version. When you have bought the eBook you can then read it on your smartphone or tablet using the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. On a computer you can read eBooks using your computer’s web browser. On eReaders like the Sony eReader or Barnes & Noble Nook, you’ll need to download a file and transfer it to your device.

How to Find the Books You Like

I went to: https://books.google.com/advanced_book_search so that I could narrow my search down to just eBooks.

I then tried searching for results with all of the words, Fenland Waterways. Then I searched for Google eBooks Only, all content.

I quickly discovered ‘Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths In & Around The Fens,’ by Glenda Goulden, and was absorbed for half an hour by reading many of the grisly tales within! Using the same search terms I also found ‘The Story of the Fens’ by Frank Meeres. This is an entertaining and fascinating account of our local history.  Did you know, the Fens have more miles of navigable waterways than anywhere else in the UK?  The drainage schemes in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries changed our landscape forever, creating the beautiful waterways that we can explore today, with Fox narrowboats day trips and holidays.

By searching for narrowboat holiday east Anglia I found ‘The Canal Boat Café’ By Cressida McLaughlin, an uplifting, romantic read which is “like a lovely warm hug in a book.” Although, be warned that an Amazon reviewer asks, “How could Mason talk about going to the Norfolk Broads in his boat – that would be a bit of a feat from the Great Ouse near Ely, unless you went by sea!” So it’s possible that the author isn’t so familiar with the practicalities of boating in East Anglia. But most reviews are good, saying, “Very magical writing detailing the beauty of boat life wonderfully.”

If you want to plan your next canal boat holiday routes, you can search for waterways guides. For example, a good chunk of ‘The River Nene’ By Roger Green is available to read online. The full version includes thorough navigation notes alongside more detailed maps of the canal and river, showing the main features of the navigation. There are also details of facilities, walking and cycling routes, and local history accompanied by beautiful photographs.

Immerse Yourself

So, when you have some free time, why not immerse yourself in the book of your choice, and spend time daydreaming about the Fenland waterways, in anticipation of your next Fox Narrowboats holiday? You can also get free articles sent to you from this blog. (We never share or sell email addresses – your details are safe with us.) Just look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the sidebar on the right and we’ll send you free stories, tips and advice about narrowboating around the Fens.

You may also like to check availability now for your next narrowboat holiday. If your holiday cannot go ahead due to COVID-19 and government advice, full refunds will be given. 2021 holidays are also available to book. Check out our Coronavirus Guarantee.

The post How to Read Narrowboat Books Without Actually Buying Any appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.