Kevin Thomas reports…
SOMETIMES you know when winter announces its arrival before you have even stepped off your boat. Perhaps it’s an early morning dusting of frost or a gossamer curtain of fog over the water and, although barely discernible, the silhouettes of moored boats.
Out on the water, a lone black-headed gull floats patiently, only it knows what it’s waiting for… most likely, though, merely the warming rays of a late rising sun.
More noticeable, though, is the chill factor. As a boat dweller you quickly learn to dress accordingly, and wisely; layers are the key as you embrace the cold weather experience with positive language such as “Isn’t it invigorating” or “This is why I love winters so much.” Most narrowboaters are hardy folk and love nothing better than a bracing winter walk along the towpath.
As an amateur photographer I prefer winter to any other season except, possibly, the golden hues of autumn. Short days, and the biting cold aside, mean getting out along the towpath with camera in hand is energising. The sheer contrast in the canal’s constantly changing scenic panorama, following the avalanche of seasonal colour that spells autumn, gives me a deeper appreciation of nature’s ways.
I see beauty in tree silhouettes standing stark at the frozen water’s edge or in an iced-over pound between locks. A moored narrowboat covered in frost adds a silent statement to the bigger story.
By sharing these photos, I hope it will encourage more folk to get out along our beautiful waterways and canals. You don’t have to own a narrowboat to enjoy our waterways, the beauty of these sights and sounds are available for everyone.
