A TASTE OF LANCASHIRE BY STEVE & GILL COOKSON posted 20 Aug 2016, 12:17 by canal traders Periwinkle is a 60’ narrowboat, built to our specification at Lower Park Marina on the Leeds and Liverpool canal. She was designed by us as a hotel boat and for the past 14 summers we have cruised almost the whole . . . read more

ALCHEMY PLANTS BY SUE COTTON posted 20 Aug 2016, 12:21 by canal traders Some of you know that I ran a gardening business for many years, and a small herb nursery. About the only thing I miss on the boat is working the land and growing plants. So I will soon be launching a sister business to . . . read more

SEWING BOAT BY MILITZA MCCARTHY posted 20 Aug 2016, 12:13 by canal traders I started sewing roughly 3 years ago, my trade before was as a chef, I took a city and guilds course in tailoring 2014. I love using quality wools and tweeds for my work and source wools made in Great Britain. With fabrics stashed . . . read more

RONA’S BEADS AFLOAT BY RONA HAWES posted 20 Aug 2016, 12:15 by canal traders My name is Rona Hawes. My dream was to come back to living on boats. I was born on a 40ft boat on the Lea and spent about 8 years of my childhood living on narrow boats. After moving onto our 10ft wide . . . read more

NEW VENTURE BY LESLEY PEARSON posted 20 Aug 2016, 12:23 by canal traders Lesley Pearson, artist is launching a new series of works illuminating the Lockmaster series of maps with scenes encountered in their travels cruising the canals and rivers on NB Hekla. Working with the agreement and licence from Lockmaster, the series will be developed over the . . . read more

FERN PHOTOGRAPHIC BY SHIAM WILSON posted 20 Aug 2016, 12:20 by canal traders I am an artist originally from Coventry and John Starkey my partner is a writer/ performer from Wales, we continually cruise on our little boat Fern and are now trading photography and books wherever we go. We converted part of the boat into a . . . read more

FELAFEL AFLOAT BY HILARY GREENMAN posted 20 Aug 2016, 12:19 by canal traders We have only just started trading so it is all new and exciting and sleep depriving! We are Felafel Afloat, selling middle eastern style felafels, with tea, coffee, hot chocolate and water – sometimes with some homemade cakes. We are doing this as something . . . read more

CONGRATULATIONS TO EMMA PURSHOUSE posted 20 Aug 2016, 12:25 by canal traders A West Midlands children’s poetry book written by Emma Purshouse has beaten off all the adult poetry opposition to scoop up this year’s Rubery Book Awards 2016 Poetry Category. Emma lives aboard nb. Shelby with her partner Dave Lovell who runs Crocs Vinyl Cuts. Her . . . read more