Female boat trainees of WWII: Mike Constable

Ian Parrott is the general manager of the New & Used Boat Company’s office at Mercia Marina, and he has spent 15 years in the boat-brokerage business. He is also a keen waterways enthusiast with his own heritage craft. In conversation with WW editor Bobby Cowling, he provides a fascinating insight into his industry.

Mike Constable is an authority on the female trainees of World War II who volunteered to work cargo-carrying boats and, in so doing, experienced a completely new way of life. In conversation with editor Bobby Cowling, Mike provides insights into the role of the trainees and dispels the myth that they were ever disparagingly referred to as the ‘Idle Women’.

WW features writer Tony Jones has a keen interest in animals and has previously worked as a zoo-keeper. In conversation with Bobby Cowling, he discusses the practicalities and considerations of keeping pets on boats, plus some of the more exotic species you might find living afloat.

Richard MacKenzie is the owner of a narrowboat-based business selling handmade jewellery. But he also lives aboard his boat with his wife and two children – and, as the kids are home-educated, the family are free to continuously cruise the network. In conversation with WW editor Bobby Cowling, Richard provides an insight into family life afloat.

There are over 50 waterway restoration schemes active in England and Wales – some making rapid headway, others facing significant difficulties. In conversation with Bobby Cowling, WW news editor Andrew Denny provides an overview of the contemporary restoration scene, with a focus on the projects that have recently been in the headlines.

Popular boat vlogger and TV star Robbie Cumming recently completed filming of the third series of BBC Four’s ‘Canal Boat Diaries’, which sees him cruise from Wigan in Greater Manchester to Ripon in North Yorkshire. In conversation with WW editor Bobby Cowling, he discusses the highlights of his trip and his passion for the waterways of north England.

Mark Langley has been Waterways World’s technical expert for 15 years. In conversation with editor Bobby Cowling, he discusses the advancements of inland boat design, from very basic post-World War II craft through to today’s highly sophisticated narrowboats.

In this episode we discuss the green future of inland boating with the Canal & River Trust’s national boating manager, Matthew Symonds. At the Crick Boat Show in August, Matthew participated in a seminar on moving the waterways away from fossil fuel-burning boats. But what are the alternatives to diesel and petrol, are they viable and how much do they cost?

John Liley has devoted much of his adult life to boating and the inland waterways. As a teenager, he became involved in early IWA campaigns and he even met its founding members, Robert Aickman and Tom Rolt. In conversation with WW editor Bobby Cowling, he describes the fledging years of the leisure-boating era, and his journey to owning a luxury hotel-barge on France’s Canal du Nivernais. 

Canal boat families historian Lorna York is descended from a long line of working boaters - indeed, she was the first in her family to be born on land. In conversation with WW editor Bobby Cowling, she discusses both the social history of the waterways community and researching boating ancestry.