Nighttime On Still Waters – Society & Culture
This is the Narrowboat ‘Erica’ narrowcasting into the night from somewhere on Britain’s canals and waterways.
A podcast that gently explores life afloat (and on land), the elements, nature, and, most of all, the beauties of the night.
Perfect night-time listening.
A narrowboat-based audio journal on canal life, living aboard, the elements, and the night. Perfect late-night listening for dreamers, insomniacs, night owls, nocturnalists, drifters, and nomads. For lovers Fagen’s ‘Nightfly’, Auden’s ‘Night Mail’, Hopper’s ‘Nighthawks’ and the ‘drifting sea-dark streets’ of Dylan Thomas. For all those who used to listen to the transistor under your pillow, love the sound of distant trains and rain against the windowpanes, canals and drover’s tracks, lost music, splashed puddles, fireflies and bats, hares by moonlight, windsong among pines, owl-light, the shipping forecast, and all the wonderful, terrifying, grand and tawdry avenues of the night. Cosy listening for bedtimes.
This week is a very special episode as we celebrate Dad’s 95th birthday and we go back in time to hear about how a 1938 Hilman Minx was instrumental in how Mum met Dad.
Journal entry:
1st December, Friday
“Short sections of the canal
Are covered in a frosted skim of ice.
Wafer thin
But firm enough to bear a moorhen’s weight.
She walks parallel to the offside bank
Left foot raised in a high arc
Then place it flat upon the ice
Slide it forwards half an inch or so.
Pivot
Right foot raised in a high arc
Then place it flat upon the ice
Slide it forwards half an inch or so.
Pivot
And so on.
This is how to adapt
When your environment
Is suddenly changed
Beyond recognition.
Skating slowly
With an assured deliberation.
The canal is still
Your home.”
Episode Information:
Vanessa’s vlog can be viewed here: The Mindful Narrowboat.
For more information, photographs and readings from Mum’s book: The Start of it all.
With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast.
Allison on the narrowboat Mukka
Derek and Pauline Watts
Anna V.
Sean James Cameron
Orange Cookie
Donna Kelly
Mary Keane.
Tony Rutherford.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory with MJ and Kayla.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mark and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
All other audio recorded on site.
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
For pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:
- Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoswPod
- Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.
