Journeys of the Swan
£12.95
This book is out of print. The copies available are second hand, in near-as-new or very good condition.
By general consent, Journeys of the Swan is a waterway classic. Certainly, nothing quite like it has been written since the book was first published in 1971. At the time a reviewer in IWA’s Bulletin (now Waterways magazine) said “The author’s narrative has a sort of contemporary ‘Three Men in a Boat’ atmosphere about it and like that famous volume, Journeys of the Swan is often amusing and witty, especially to those who know their canals, their narrow boats and their locks. Numerous books on canal voyages have been published in the last decade. None of them are quite like this one.” The same could be said today.
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Journeys of the Swan is a punchy account of a series of voyages made by the author aboard Swan around the inland waterways in the mid 1960s. The book describes Swan’s voyages, the canals she traverses, what has happened (and what has not happened) on them and the author’s views on these topics. We follow Swan’s course around the waterway system after her revival from the depths of the Braunston Reservoir, from which he was raised, and her first trip in pink primer to IWA’s 1964 festival at Stratford on Avon celebrating the restoration of the Stratford on Avon Canal, then from the Henley Regatta to the grime of the Potteries. Journeys of the Swan presents a lively and amusing account of adventures on the canals and rivers of England. Drawing on the great fund of myth, anecdote and history, not to mention ghosts, in which the inland waterways are rich, the narrative is complemented by many photographs illustrating the pleasures and hazards of canal life.
More than this, however, the author also discusses his 1971 views of why Britain’s canals, almost alone in Europe, were neglected, shallow and in some cases, scarcely possible, and argues that the work of reconstruction should be undertaken with more stress on the trade and commercial potential which, in 1971 were (and still are) largely ignored on many waterways.
Thus, whilst there is little in the book about the history of the parish churches to be seen en route, there is a considerable campaign theme throughout the pages. Written at a time when the fleets of working narrowboats were in their last years, Journeys of the Swan also includes a tribute to the late Leslie Morton of the Willow Wren Canal Carrying Company, who did so much to maintain the commercial and functional aspects of the canals of the Midlands.
Inevitably some waterways have changed in the intervening years; But much stays unaltered and much of what John Lilly had to say remains relevant today. Journeys of the Swan will be enjoyed by all who love the canals of England and have their well-being at heart.
Author: John Liley
Binding: Softback
Published: February 1983 (originally published in 1971)
Pages: 192
Size: 248 x 190 mm
ISBN: 0043860052
Publisher’s Price (in 1983): not known
