The Steering Group is made up from elected members and volunteers, whose aim is to continually grow the RCTA from its very solid foundations, and to raise the profile of Roving Traders on the waterways.
The main aims of the RCTA are:
- To improve trading conditions and opportunities for all licensed traders through negotiations with CRT.
- To raise public awareness of traders and our waterways in general.
- To help and support potential and existing licensed traders throughout the waterways.
Steering Group Profiles
Below are the profiles of the current Steering Group. Please feel free to contact any of them to request further information, and they will respond as soon as they’re able to – in-between their trading and personal commitments, of course!
Lorraine Parker
Chair, Markets Coordinator
Hi I’m Lorraine and as some of us are not acquainted, I would like to let you know a bit about my background.
After working in Retail Finance and Project Management for many years, specialising in fraud and data integrity, I took early retirement and planned to craft and do a few craft fairs. Unintentionally, I turned my sewing hobby into a business. With my husband, Phil, we traded at large land events, a small shop and a Christmas pop-up shop in a National Trust property.
After trading on land at IWA Canal Cavalcade and Crick boat show for a couple of years, we decided to have another go at semi-retirement, but this time on a boat. I had never been on a boat before. but we moved onto a Widebeam boat with 2 cats, a dog and my sewing machines. We have been trading and learning on the canals ever since.
I love the buzz of retail. One of my strengths is enthusiasm, and one of my weakness is fabric. I love Bunting! I make lots and lots.
I have volunteered as I found the RCTA members were very helpful and supportive in our early years of towpath trading and thought that now is my opportunity to try and repay the favour. Integrity is very important to me, as is laughter, and I am looking forward to helping with chapter 2024 of the RCTA story.
Lisa Grainger
Acting Secretary, Artwork & Graphics Design
I’m Lisa Grainger and I own LDK Print & Embroidery. I formed my company in 1995 after I left my job as a coach driver.
In 1998, me, my husband Dave, and our eldest daughter Kim, went on our first narrowboat holiday. I was pregnant with our second child, so we only went for one week, but we enjoyed ourselves that much that we became hooked. So, for the next couple of years, we hired but instead of just having one week, we always went for 3 weeks.
In 2003, we sourced a boat builder, we sold our house and in December 2004 we moved onto our brand new bespoke 70ft narrowboat. We named our boat Caitlin Jayne after our second daughter, because LDK stands for Lisa, Dave & Kimberley.
I ran my land-based business from a small shop which was only a 5 min walk away from our mooring so, after being granted permission from British Waterways to have a small “A” Board on the roof of our boat so that I could advertise my business, my workload grew. At this point I never thought about trading from our boat, but after 4 years, I got a letter from BW, basically saying I had been reported for trading from our boat when I didn’t have a Roving Traders licence. This got us thinking, maybe we could trade from our boat. After we researched what was needed to legally trade, we applied for the Roving Traders’ licence and the extra business insurance, and we started to trade in 2017.
In 2018 we invested in our second Barudan 15 needle embroidery machine that was bespoke made to fit in our boat, so now our services include embroidery or printing to clothing and personalised gifts, 3D printed and engraved products.
I have a unit in Burton on Trent where my business is based, but take some of the equipment on board our narrowboat and trade from the canal at various floating markets and boat festivals in the summer.
This has proved to be a successful outlet especially for giftware where, back at our unit, there is minimal footfall. Also, floating markets/events is a way of advertising my business by trading on the canal and it has also proved to be successful in providing aftersales work after the event has finished and we have returned back to base.
Tim Clarke
Acting Treasurer, Website & Technology
Tim Clarke
I live aboard nb Sola Gratia with my wife, Tracey (aka “The Blind Boater”). Sadly, her Guide Dog (Oakley) had to retire in early 2019, but she is now partnered with Loki, a yellow labrador. We moved on board in March 2014 and are really enjoying life in the slow lane. We still haven’t cruised half what we’d hoped to by now!
When I first started work, it was in a discount electrical showroom in Bournemouth. From there, I moved to their head office in Shoreham-by-Sea (Sussex) into the accounts department, where Tracey & I met. After many years in accounts, I got more involved in computer work, eventually setting up my own computer business. This eventually led me into a full-time job with one of my customers – a bus company – where I achieved another ambition in passing my PSV test!
Life afloat was a long-term dream that came about somewhat miraculously. Circumstances changed and we were able to sell the house and buy a boat. In late 2019, having held a Traders’ Licence for almost year and not done anything about it, we were suddenly presented with the opportunity to take over the business of “The Doggie Boat”. We got to know some of the RCTA Steering Group at Floating Markets which resulted in me being “invited” to take on the website!
Contact Tim at canaltraders@outlook.com
Teresa Tunnicliffe *
Membership & New Trader Liaison
Teresa Tunnicliffe
Hi, I’m Teresa Tunnicliffe on board nb Rainbow Chaser.
My background is originally nursing, my speciality being road traffic accidents and head injuries, then, via a pikelet and a treacle mine, I’ve done sex education in schools, counselling, care of the elderly, telephone answering both commercial and medical, running nursing homes and managing them.
I’ve represented the private nursing sector at NHS meetings both planning and policy making, been a member of The Institute of Management, and membership secretary for Women in Business, Birmingham, from its inception. I’ve also been successful in various party plan home sales ventures (when they were the thing!)
So when deciding I needed to DO something as we continually cruise, in my wisdom I thought 3D cards would be a great idea, saw some displayed and they caught my eye, never thinking about the sun, the wind, the rain! In retrospect I should’ve contacted RCTA before I contacted CRT to get my trading licence 😀
So diversification was in order … ‘Unicornucopia’ sells a variety of miscellany: books, cards, home crafted items, etc. Our lives do not make it easy to plan … Children and grandchildren living in various countries, a house in Spain (trying to get rid of), etc, etc. The other half continues to cruise, or we pay for a mooring until I get back, and we join-up again. So markets are not actually our ‘thing’ at the moment, we just wanted to be legal whilst selling on the towpath.
I think independent businesses prosper from joining together to have a ‘mouth’ to speak to those who matter, those who will ultimately affect how we live our lives. The big boys do acknowledge and communicate with RCTA, and recognise them as an association run by, and for, its individual members.
The call went out for more help from the members, so I responded and hopefully, as a group, we will raise the profile even more and encourage folk to join and reap the advantages of membership.
Contact Teresa at: membership.rcta@outlook.com
Nicola Currell
Markets Admin Assistant
Nicola Currell
I’m Nikki. I have lived on the canals for 2 years on Narrowboat West Riding. I have been trading for 1 year, so still a lots to learn!
We sell needle-felt animals (we make these), eco body care (soaps, men’s grooming), hand-thrown ceramic and kids accessories. Most of our products are hand made in the UK – small batch runs from small businesses.
I have always been a creative person – I work in fashion and am always crafting! I also had a small business selling life-like needle felt dog commissions before we set up the boat shop. I like that I don’t have to walk 5 miles to a Post Office, and get to meet so many people – boaters and customers
I volunteered for the RCTA to try and give back a little. The RCTA helps my business a lot and whatever spare time I can give to support I do.
You can contact Nikki at canaltraders@outlook.com
Julie Tonkin
Events PR – Radio/TV/Press
Julie Tonkin
I’m Julie Tonkin, running a business decorating boats and items with painted canal ware and canalia. After trading from my gazebo for years I decided to try trading off my boat and joined the RCTA. I’m having a fabulous time.
I believe this Association is a positive way forward for traders and use of our canals and I wish to contribute to its running and I feel I can make a positive impact. I volunteered for the role as PR for radio, TV and press, as this is a committee position I have held in the past for another organisation.
You can contact Julie at canaltraders@outlook.com
Chris Downs
Markets Coordinator Northern Support
Hi my name is Chris Downs. Along with my wife, Pauline, we have lived on the canals for three years and have been traders for half that time.
My background for the last few years of my working career has been working both in Canada and the UK in various workplace safety programmes, and child protection. I have volunteered with many charities and associations trying simply to give back, which is why I have joined the volunteers at RCTA. Hopefully my experiences will aid me to pay back some of the invaluable advice and assistance given to us on our trading journey.
Kaye Angus
Marketing & Development
I began trading after Covid, I make herbal teas, remedies, massage products, foraged preserves and dried seaweed. I’m also an experienced beekeeper and I keep my hives next to the Leicester line. I sell honey and beeswax products and I’m a qualified herbalist.
I can offer massage, reflexology and Acupuncture on board in my purpose built therapy room.
I have first hand experience and understand the challenges of living a nomadic lifestyle not just from my continuous cruising, but also from my collaborative work helping marginalised groups from the Traveller communities. I bring experience in fundraising and project work along with a good measure of enthusiasm, commitment and determination.
Sharon McMullan
Complaints/Dispute Liaison
Details to follow soon.
