Alice Elgie reports…
IT WAS a school narrowboat trip back in 1977 that first piqued cartoonist Ken Norman’s interest in living aboard.
He was then aged just 15, and along with his now wife, Kate, it turned out to be just the beginning of their adventures together on the water.
Fast-forward 44 years, and taking into account a 20-year banking career with a staff narrowboat that Ken and Kate made good use of, and the Normans finally – along with Buffy the boat cat – made their childhood dream come true. They officially moved aboard Dædalus, a 67ft 12-year-old narrowboat built by blacksmith Robert Kranenborg, as continuous cruisers in December 2021. Ken commented: “Our daughters both live in London so we head south for the winter months and in 2022 we moved 220 times, clocking up 1200 miles. We’ve slowed down since then!”
A Play on Birds
One particular time they slowed down was during an enforced stay in Liverpool last year, which in turn provided an opportunity for the rebirth of creativity.
“There was a breach in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal so for five weeks we stayed put in the city. I hadn’t drawn much since my teens, but after picking up some felt pens and pencils I found myself doodling birds and then alongside, a companion visual pun.” Ken shared these whimsical cartoons on his social media, which led to the suggestion of a book.
“To test the water I launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter and, to my surprise, in four weeks I’d raised £2000 in advance orders of a book that didn’t exist and so A Play on Birds was born!”
Just for laughs
It seems Ken has always needed a creative outlet, as when he worked in banking he was a member of a number of dramatic societies in Essex. But upon moving to Chipping Norton in 1997 a lack of drama clubs saw him turn to comedy.
“After leaving the bank in 2000 I put on a two-man comedy revue with a friend, Norman & Lyon Live at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London’s West End, and from there I formed a comedy club Flock Comedy, at which I would regularly MC.” It seems while he didn’t draw during this time, he still courted creativity and was partial to a pun.
Inspiration
As a continuous cruiser, those puns seem to flow thick and fast when passing through a constant stream of inspiration.
“I feel blessed to be inspired by nature, wildlife, the flora and fauna around me but I have a special love for the birds I see and meet. They are wonderful, fascinating and often very funny.” I agree with Ken when he says how on water we have the opportunity to experience wildlife eye to eye and he has plentiful opportunities for close encounters.
“I love that swans bring their family of cygnets in a flotilla to the boat and knock on the windows for food, and in London vast flocks of coots assemble at four in the morning and hoot and honk like clown car horns in a traffic jam.”
Being born and bred on a dairy farm in Essex, Ken’s always had an appreciation for wildlife but boating life has certainly ramped things up.
Birds of Play
Once moored, Ken draws at a table in the galley where he is graced with lots of natural light from both sides. “I’ll spend a couple of hours rough sketching, drawing, redrawing and then colouring in.”
Despite describing his work as basic, many find it endearing, as has been proved by those who purchased his first book of 54 cartoons, published in October 2023.
Ken is working on the ‘beakqual’ A Play on Birds II: Birds of Play, ready for print this October. You’ll be able to buy copies online, but since Ken bought a CRT Roving Trader’s license, you’ll also find him selling copies – along with postcards and prints – directly from the boat. “About once a week I just stick out an A-frame and a display and sell a few copies where I moor up.”
It might have taken 40+ years for Ken and Kate’s dream of living aboard to take shape, but it was worth the wait and interestingly, having stayed in touch with the teacher (Jerry Brayshaw) who used to organise those school trips – and just months after moving aboard Dædalus – Ken and Kate bumped into his son, Ben, a liveaboard on his own narrowboat, CurlyWurly. It seems life on the water has proved a ‘pheasant’ choice for all… boom, boom!
Find Ken on Instagram:
@normolddog
@play_on_birds
@buffytheboatcat
Books and postcards: flockcomedy.sumupstore.com
