A working narrowboat near Wolverhampton

Image: © Roger D Kidd Taken: 26 May 2009

There are still working boats on our canals, often one man businesses performing services to other canal users, e.g. selling coal, wood, or diesel fuel; canal memorabilia souvenirs and painted canalware; boat painting and decoration and maintenance, or, as here fender making and sales. This is Mal Edwards, stopped by me on his way back from the fens, and grinding his boat "Becky" to a halt in a rather shallow section of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal at Pendeford - hence his angle! Mal Edwards was the last of the lengthsmen* to work the Newport and Shrewsbury canals into the 1960s. He can also be seen on some websites as lock-keeper at Grindley Brook Staircase. http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/audiovideo/sites/yourvideo/pages/mal_edwards_01.shtml Image] * lengthsman: In rural areas, a lengthsman was a man who took pride in keeping his district neat and tidy, well swept and free from litter. On the canals, a lengthsman was responsible for patrolling his length, looking for leaks, seeing to routine maintenance, cutting back vegetation etc. (information from http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/l.html )

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