The weather has been cold and yet after a short but bracing cruise this afternoon as I write, the most beautiful bands of sunlight are pouring themselves in through my windows, dancing tantalising reflections across my ceiling—a sight unseen when blocked in by other boats. I am in awe. I am content. I am lost in the simple pleasures of boating, of movement, and of changing seasons.

There are also sounds that cannot be expressed through pictures: the haunting lone call of a moorhen, the delightful tumbling song of hedgerow birds, the nasally honking of geese, the gentle slow wingbeats that belie a swan’s size. And then there is my thudding heart; bursting with happiness for the springtime that I know will now unfold at double speed before me.

I am here. I am within it. I am glad.

Fox Blog: Why an April Narrowboat Holiday is the Perfect Spring Getaway

Skies seem endless and filled with promise and I ponder the joy of keeping moving, along these watery roads, never returning to where I started. But alas, this year personal commitments mean we can’t venture too far and that’s okay because after many spells afloat throughout these past 16 years, and having travelled much of the network, I know that whatever stretch we find ourselves on, there will still be magic:

Delightful dawn choruses to wake me in the morning, ducklings darting around after mum in a cacophony of continual yet endearing quacking, grasses and wildflowers billowing along the towpath and finally—a feeling of warmth penetrating the windows. As the season progresses I know I will feel myself steadily thawing, my mind drifting to the promise of local cruises in dappled sunlight, working locks in the still silence of lighter evenings.

Fox Blog: Fearful of Locks? How to work one even if you’ve never done it

Winter has felt long this year, but getting back to my narrowboat and clearing out the debris of this coldest season before untying the ropes and flinging the doors open to spring, has felt as magical as it always does. Because wherever I wander, there is nothing quite like the sights and sounds of England’s waterways in springtime.

Alice Elgie is a nature-loving writer who shares words about her wandering lifestyle through hold-in-the-hand letters and recorded reflections. aliceelgie.com

The post First Cruise of the Year appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

From my narrowboat living room on this early evening of early autumn, I look out through my open door to a sky that merges seamlessly from cobalt blue at the top through to lighter blues, pale creams, yellows, oranges and finally deep red just above the darkened tree line. Geese fly in formation across the scene, their honking therapeutic in the otherwise still, drawing in of night. The long narrow strip of water stretches out ahead of the bow and its quiet inky ripples reflect on my ceiling… wavering, wandering lights.

autumn on the water – alice elgie

I wonder how many more evenings there will be like this, how much longer before we descend into the full darkness of winter. Already as I walk along the towpath to collect drinking water I catch the occasional drift of a wood-burner coughing and spluttering its way out of hibernation, forming streams of grey black smoke across the canal. There is something comforting about this departure from those afternoons spent lounging on the roof of the boat as we drifted along the cut during the long hazy summer. Perhaps it is the realisation that we can now begin to retreat inside — without question or explanation — to rest and recharge our jittery souls.

Looking for tips on how to capture these beautiful autumnal fenland sunsets near Fox Boats?

And yet there is too, a sense of melancholy in the air.

Some days I catch my heart as it mourns sorrowfully for the beginning of summer when we wandered along untouched towpaths where wild flowers and grasses grew in abundance, where we were able to crouch down within them and become better acquainted, ‘why, pleased to meet you Meadowsweet and Timothy’…

riverside cottage – tanya barrow

Times where we would rest in the cool shade of dappled woodlands listening to woodpeckers, feeling spongy moss beneath our fingertips and feet.

I think of the ‘Country Wines’ boat, their hedgerow creations crowding the deck, the chat we shared, the wine we bought – and then drank on a peaceful still evening as swallows swooped ahead, back when my heart wavered with joy knowing they were only just arriving.

This evening I watch them swoop low to the water and somehow my heart sinks with the knowledge that soon they will leave.

Fancy trying your hand at some birdwatching with the RSPB?

RSPB bird watching – jonny gios

Yet on another autumnal day I stare out of my writing room window and am immediately buoyed by this new season. Reeds shoot up ahead of me, swaying in the fresh breeze, interlaced with the ever-disappearing pink blooms of Great Willowherb. Tufts of grasses offer a brown hue and the first orange-tinged leaves are twirling gently toward the water’s surface like ballerinas pirouetting.

Suddenly I feel overcome with joy and wish I could bottle it: this feeling, this appreciation, this ‘in the moment’ of life, and I realise I am thankful that in this wandering floating home there are so many windows and (still) open doors that I am unable to ignore the ever-changing nature that spills in and — albeit sometimes reluctantly — brings me joyfully into the heart of each season.

Alice Elgie is a nature-loving writer who shares words about her wandering lifestyle through hold-in-the-hand letters and recorded reflections. aliceelgie.com

Photo credits: House on the river Tanya Barrow on Unsplash Bird watching RSPB UK Jonny Gios on Unsplash

The post Autumn On The Water – Diary Of Living On A Narrowboat appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

Sitting on the roof of a narrowboat soaking up the sunset after a day of locks, camaraderie and laughter, felt like the perfect end to day one of a family holiday.

I was 16 years old and there were 7 of us on board. To be fair, when the idea of a family narrowboat holiday was floated I thought it sounded like it might be a rather torturous experience, but instead it ended up becoming one of the more memorable holidays of my life. 

Despite growing up alongside the canal and always having a fascination with the sense of calm it brought — along with endless opportunities for adventures in nature such as ‘going exploring’ with friends in the summer holidays, climbing trees and picnicking — I didn’t actually step aboard a narrowboat until that holiday but very quickly, I was hooked.

Leisurely mornings sharing breakfast whilst watching the ducks and swans gliding around outside the window, hiding out in our ‘bunk bedrooms’ playing cards and chatting, taking long walks along the towpath, the buzz of dragonflies and bees filling my ears; it felt like we had discovered a world within a world. Up above was the rush of traffic and busyness, but down on the water we had found a magical space stopped in time where we were able to relax and absorb the moment.

There was also a strong sense of teamwork as we all helped with the new and rather exciting experience of working our boat through locks and evenings were enjoyed all together, either eating at a pub we managed to moor up next to, or setting up the bbq and eating dinner in the middle of nature. I hadn’t experienced anything quite like it and despite being a teenager who might ordinarily have been seeking out bright lights and parties, I found the experience to be incredibly adventurous.

If you’ve got younger children read our blog 4 Things Every Parent Should Know About Narrowboat Holidays and alleviate your worries that they will be bored!

Even 30+ years ago this holiday provided me with an opportunity to step away from the routine and have my eyes opened to something different and in our increasingly always-on world, an escape to something different is perhaps more needed now than ever. Not to mention that on a narrowboat travelling at 4mph along the beautiful Fenland Waterways, parents won’t be able to do anything but slow down and hit the reset button.

All these years later I still reminisce fondly about the joy experienced on this family holiday that not only exposed a different way of life to me, but also nurtured a sense of camaraderie, encouraged quality time together, and strengthened bonds—the memories are firmly imprinted on my mind’s eyes. Plus these days I still enjoy sitting on the roof of my own narrowboat admiring the sunset after a long day of locks!

Are you ready to make some family memories? Then let Fox narrowboats take the strain and curate your perfect adventure: www.foxboats.co.uk/holidays

Not convinced by my memories alone, then enjoy this post: Why Narrowboating is the Perfect Family Holiday.

Alice Elgie is a nature-loving writer who shares words about her wandering lifestyle through hold-in-the-hand letters and recorded reflections. aliceelgie.com

The post A Writers Experience Of A Family Narrowboat Adventure appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.