Explore every episode of the podcast Nighttime on Still Waters
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shot through with wonder (First glimpse of the sea) | 25 Aug 2024 | 00:30:48 | |
Traditionally, August has been the time for Britons to head off to the seaside for their annual holiday. This week’s episode celebrates this custom and causes me to reconsider the momentous moment when I saw the sea for the first time. Journal entry: 23rd August, Friday “All night the winds blew; I stand on the bank
Episode Information: In this episode I read Mind Shamble’s poem ‘Over Steam (Spring 2021)’ and read excerpts from John Betjeman’s poems, ‘Seaside Golf’, ‘Trebetherick’, and ‘Greenaway.’ I also refer to the song ‘Morningtown Ride’ by M. Reynolds and sung by The Seekers.
With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast. Andrea Hansen General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Holiday Interlude (& the Cap'n's Dad) | 11 Aug 2024 | 00:31:06 | |
We’re on HOLIDAY! And so, a rather truncated and spur of the moment podcast tonight. However, join us as we enjoy a spot of tranquillity canal-style. We also hear a lovely story from one of our long-time listeners and lock-wheelers. Journal entry: 25th July, Thursday “The sun flashes off the canal Sweet fruit hang amid But for the bottle green beetle For the plum tree, My world must seem so Episode Information: In this episode I recommend Wes and Amy’s vlog: Boat Time. With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast. Andrea Hansen General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| On Surveys and Winter Warmth (Listeners' questions - 6) | 10 Mar 2024 | 00:34:02 | |
As the slow march of Spring travels along the canal and towpaths, tonight I answer two more questions: How do we keep the boat from freezing when we have to leave it unattended, and how long does it normally take to buy a narrowboat? Journal entry: 7th March, Thursday. “A grey wind blows Damson blossom Sweet smell of woodsmoke þæs ofereode, Episode Information: In this episode I refer to Miles Hadfield’s (1950) English Almanac and Eleanor Parker’s (2022) Winters in the World. I also read a verse from John Clare’s ‘Last of March written at Lolham Briggs.’ With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast. Chris and Alan on NB Land of Green Ginger General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| A Dark Alchemy of Words | 30 Jan 2022 | 00:41:02 | |
Living on a boat has meant that we have had to make some difficult decisions about which books come with us onboard. Tonight, I introduce to you one of my most favourite friends on our bookshelf – the collected poems of Dylan Thomas – and explore why he holds such an important place in my life. Journal entry: “26h January, Wednesday. A magpie on the top most branch rattles its greetings to the blurred dawn. Episode Information If you are on Twitter, you can follow and watch ‘A Minutes Peace’ by clicking on https://twitter.com/minutes_peace. You can also watch them on Colin’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/colsey2003ify/videos In this episode I read extracts from: Matt Gaw’s informative and touchingly evocative exploration of darkness and the night in his (2020) Under the Stars: A journey into light published by Elliott and Thompson. The following poems by Dylan Thomas: ‘The force that through green fuse drives the flower’ The episode concludes with a complete reading of his ‘In my craft or sullen art’. More information about Nighttime on Still Waters You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. It will also allow you to become more a part of the podcast and you can leave comments, offer suggestions, and reviews. You can even, if you want, leave me a voice mail by clicking on the microphone icon. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Winter on the Moorings | 23 Jan 2022 | 00:28:15 | |
As we begin to enter the depths of winter, this episode celebrates with a soundscape of winter at the moorings that tries to capture the life and energy of this season. Journal entry: “18h January, Tuesday. A rich winter moon hangs between the branches of the ash. Penny picks up the scent of rabbits
Episode Information All audio used for this soundscape was recorded on site. More information about Nighttime on Still Waters You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. It will also allow you to become more a part of the podcast and you can leave comments, offer suggestions, and reviews. You can even, if you want, leave me a voice mail by clicking on the microphone icon. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message using the voicemail facility by cli Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Echoes of Distant Memories | 16 Jan 2022 | 00:36:20 | |
The remnants of two days of murk still cling to the hedgerows and trees as you join us tonight on the narrowboat Erica. A very slow thaw is polishing the dulled surface of the water making reflected lights once again dance with life. Curl up and let’s enjoy those little shards of distant memories that still colour out present and fill us with such powerful emotions. Journal entry: “12th January, Wednesday. This morning the canal looks sluggish and dark. Episode Information In this episode I refer to Dru Marland’s ‘Canal Ice Scale’ chart. You can buy it as a postcard at her etsy ‘shop’ here: Canal Ice Scale Chart. More of her terrific work (including her wonderful 2022 calendar – which is selling very fast!) can be seen here: Dru Marland. More information about Nighttime on Still Waters You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. It will also allow you to become more a part of the podcast and you can leave comments, offer suggestions, and reviews. You can even, if you want, leave me a voice mail by clicking on the microphone icon. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Into a New Year | 09 Jan 2022 | 00:25:42 | |
Join us on NB Erica on a blustery January night. The cold Wolf Moon is nearing its first quarter and the stars glitter like ice. After an unexpected delayed start to the New Year, we are back on air and with some exciting(-ish) news to tell you. Journal entry: “2nd January, Sunday. Hello New Year - this is me. You seem so big and dark and unknown, but I have known your brothers and sisters and I have learnt to revel in the days of their sunshine and find their special beauties under skies of steel and water. I have some very special friends - so please treat them gently. As for me, I stand here, as I always do, with my pockets full of fear, but also that flutter of hope and excitement which must be your special gift to me. It is raining now, but your sun will soon come, and larks will sweep the skies. Welcome."
Episode Information You can go to the brand new Nighttime on Still Waters website by going to: noswpod.com. Here you will find photographs and information relating to the podcast and individual episodes. Among other things, you can read and see photographs of our early life on the canal as well as see behind the scenes of the podcasts and an explanation of the terms used in the Weather Log. I finish with the poem ‘Invitation’ by Mary Oliver (2013) from her book A Thousand Mornings published by Penguin. More information about Nighttime on Still Waters You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. It will also allow you to become more a part of the podcast and you can leave comments, offer suggestions, and reviews. You can even, if you want, leave me a voice mail by clicking on the microphone icon. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| A Fireside Christmas Eve | 24 Dec 2021 | 00:30:53 | |
Curl up with us for this very special Christmas Eve edition of the podcast. Whether you are feeling on your own or just in need of a bit of a breathing space, why not join me tonight for this special Jólabókaflóð inspired edition of Nighttime on Still Water’s? Although the weather may be closer to Greg Lake’s “veil of tears for the virgin birth”, there will always the possibility for “eyes filled with tinsel and fire.” Journal entry: “24th December, Friday. Christmas Eve Yesterday All the haws were encased in perfect globes of water. Days wrapped in mist hold their own special beauty.” Episode Information In this episode I read excerpts from: Dylan Thomas (1954) ‘Memories of Christmas’ from Quite Early One Morning published by J.M. Dent. Everyman’s Library. Laurie Lee (2015) ‘Village Christmas’ from his Village Christmas and Other Notes on the English Year, published by Penguin. Modern Classics. Lucy M. Boston (2000) The Children of Green Knowe published by Faber. Susan Cooper (2019) The Dark is Rising published by Penguin. Puffin Books For the episode featuring Lucy M. Boston’s River at Green Knowe where you can find more information about her books and the actual house of Green Knowe (well worth a visit) – Episode 39: Summer Readings 3. For more information about the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóð – Jolabokaflod: Founding Story
General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and ava Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| The Hill | 19 Dec 2021 | 00:30:11 | |
As tonight’s full moon is shrouded by the fog that rolls down the hill and curls and drifts upon the water join us aboard the NB Erica as we fall once more in love with the commonplace and overlooked things. The hill may not be named, or even be awarded a contour of its own, but it nevertheless is the place of gentle and unremarkable miracles. Journal entry: “17th December, Friday It didn’t take long Penny sniffs the torn and broken stems.
Episode Information In this episode I read: Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem ‘Pied Beauty’ from Poems and Prose published by Penguin Classics (1985). Tim Hennen’s (2013) ‘What the Plants Say’ from his Darkness Sticks to Everything published by Copper Canyon Press. I also read a quotation from Arthur Machen’s (1924) The London Adventure: Or the art of wandering. Republished by Tartrus Press. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Winter Wisdom (Wintrum frod) | 12 Dec 2021 | 00:37:22 | |
Following the epic weather of the past few weeks, we go back in time to a period that best celebrated this type of weather. In this episode we explore why the enigmatic appeal of Anglo-Saxon poetry and its fascination (or even obsession) with winter casts such an enduring influence on our culture. It is the perfect type of literature for cold winter nights, but there are also other deeper traits that remain deeply rooted in our shared cultural memories that inform our attitudes to winter. Journal entry: “8th December, Wednesday Storm Barra is barrelling around the boat The darkness is flecked silver with rain
Episode Information In this episode I mention the following books: Michael Alexander’s (2006) The Earliest English Poems Penguin Classics series, published by Penguin Books. Alexandra Harris’ (2015) Weatherland: Writers and artists under English skies published by Thames and Hudson. I read excerpts from the following poems (Michael Alexander’s translations): The Ruin (alternative translation) Exeter riddle 73 (other texts count it as 74) For those wanting to explore the world of Anglo Saxon and Old English literature, you might find this website, created by Dr Aaron Hostetter from Rutgers University, very helpful: An Old English Poetry Project. A digital version of the Exeter Book produced c.970 (in which the above are featured) can be viewed here: Exeter Book I also mentioned Andy Grifee’s narrowboat-based crime series featuring Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| A Rhythm of Cycles | 05 Dec 2021 | 00:34:33 | |
You join us on (another)stormy night, but this one is moonless and black as tar. It is the night of the new moon – the Cold Moon or the Long Night Moon. The phases of the moon give us an opportunity to contemplate the intricate play of cycles all around us and how the mirror, challenge and provide direction for our lives. Journal entry: “3rd December, Friday The tops of the trees is Shakespeare’s wood have disappeared in cloud. A defrosted world, smothered in mist and pearled with beads of water. The canal looks opaque. A jackdaw hides in plain sight amongst the wind-left leaves of an oak Episode Information For more information about the phases of the moon and the names given to the moon each month, the Royal Museums Greenwich, have an excellent website: Why do we have special names for full moons? In this episode I read the following poems: RS Thomas ‘The Moon in Lleyn’ from his (1984) RS Thomas Later Poems: 1972-1982 published by Papermac. David Whyte ‘Faith’ from his (1990) Where Many Rivers Meet published by Many Rivers Press. Walter de la Mare (1922) ‘Silver’ multiple publishing. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| It was a dark and stormy night... | 28 Nov 2021 | 00:13:20 | |
The after-effects of the booster jab are just beginning to slam into me and so tonight’s episode is going to be fairly short. However, you join us on a very cold and stormy night as Storm Arwen with its ‘screaming northerlies’ batters the boat and brings with it our first snows of the winter, but the boat is warm, the hatches are battened and, as always, there is a very warm welcome awaiting you. Journal entry: “27th November, Saturday Mum, you would have loved days like this. But the leaf is now fallen from the tree of my life Somewhere on this howling wind rides your love Happy birthday.”
Episode Information In this episode I read Mum’s favourite poem ‘Nicholas Nye’ by Walter de la Mare. You can read the poem here: Nicholas Nye.
General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Traveller's Joy | 21 Nov 2021 | 00:31:21 | |
The pace of autumn is gathering and a chill is creeping into the air tonight, but the stove is warm. In tonight’s episode we go off to encounter Traveller’s Joy, and explore the potency and importance of names. Journal entry: “19th November, Friday The ash tree held its breath as the moon grazed the darkness, A handful of stars, misplaced and constellation-less, And now the dawn rises ochre and mauve. Thank God for sunrise
Episode Information In this episode I refer to the following authors: W. Keble Martin (1965) The Concise British Flora in Colour published by Ebury Press. Roy Vickery (2019) Vickery’s Folk-Flora: An A-Z of the folklore and uses of British and Irish plants published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson. Niall Mac Coitir (2015) Ireland's Wild Plants: Myths, legends and folklore published by Collins Press. Richard Folkard (1884) Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyric: Embracing the myths, traditions, superstitions and folk-lore of the plant kingdom published by Sampson Low (multiple re-publishers). For more general information and photographs of Traveller’s Joy/Old Man’s Beard, some good sites are: Woodlands.co.uk: Traveller’s Joy General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Walking Home (In fading light) | 03 Mar 2024 | 00:34:14 | |
As a family, we gained a reputation for the way our 'short walks' often turned into marathon hikes which invariably meant staggering home long after dark (usually without a torch). In this week’s episode I reminisce on the lessons learnt, their prescient significance, and living in a culture that does growing old and dying so astonishingly badly. Journal entry: 24th February, Saturday. “Cloud cliffs, grey and climbing The hub of politicking and commerce An hour of gentle talk and laughter Later, vast flights of wild geese fly south Episode Information: This episode comprises largely of family recollections, but please note that it also touches on the themes on death and dying. With special thanks to our lock-wheelers for supporting this podcast. Chris and Alan on NB The Land of Green Ginger General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Episode Out of Time | 14 Nov 2021 | 00:22:48 | |
Against all odds, this episode comes a little out of time! Events have conspired resulting in a slightly truncated episode recorded in the afternoon!! Nevertheless, duck chatter and babies (with a little help from John Moriarty) help us to find a path through the tangled thickets that many of us are possibly facing. Journal entry: “10th November, Wednesday A light mist, like smoke, has begun to sweep down the hill turning fields and woods to smudgy greys. Scattered across the gentle curve of the hills blurred sheep graze, like clumsily erased pencilled mistakes. Dry leaves rattle. Episode Information In this episode I refer to the Jo and Vic’s vlog Holly – The Café Boat. The episode featuring the arrival of baby William is ‘The Next Episode.’ I also read several passages from John Moriarty’s (2007) What the Curlew Said: Nostos continued published by Lilliput Press. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| A Dance of Firelight (and After the Fireworks) | 07 Nov 2021 | 00:29:54 | |
What is it about fire that holds our fascination? Last weekend the clocks went back and in the span of one night darkness began to lap at the edges of our late afternoons. The encroachment of night leading the tide of winter into our daytimes can no longer be ignored and it is understandable that at this time of year we are so drawn to the image of an open fire. In this episode, with the help of the poet Robert Service, we explore the ways that fire can touch us so deeply emotionally, reawakening old memories and feelings. Journal entry: “5th November, Friday A chill greyness has seeped into the landscape COP26 started this week. So I stand by the big oak Above me contrails flower the cobalt sky Episode Information In this episode I read extracts from a number of poems by Robert W Service (1874-1958). These are: ‘The Ballad of One-Eyed Mike’ There are a number of collections of his works. The one I have been using is Dan McGrew, Sam McGee and Other Great Service Poems published by Taylor (1987). For more information about Service’s life and work, see: Robert W. Service. For more information on research relating to the psychological and physiological effects of sitting by an open fire: C.D. Lynn. (2014) ‘Hearth and Campfire Influences on Arterial Blood Pressure: Defraying the Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| By Swede-Lantern Light (Halloween) | 31 Oct 2021 | 00:29:26 | |
Tonight, you join me on a wild October night with the rain rattling against the cabin roof - so there is a little background noise in some places. But it’s warm and dry inside. Penny is snoring in front of the stove. Settle back as we look at life and Halloweens through the flickering light of a swede-head lantern of my childhood. Journal entry: “26th October, Tuesday Gloaming. Westerly wind. Episode Information There is a lovely article about swede and turnip head lanterns on the BBC News website: Do turnip lanterns still haunt Halloween? For those interested in the history behind them, this is an interesting blog post: Jack o’ lantern and Will o’ the wisp. In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| The Elf of Plants | 24 Oct 2021 | 00:38:23 | |
This week Vanessa from ‘The Mindful Narrowboat’ vlog got me thinking and so this week we begin to explore how our knowledge and (perhaps) attitudes to fungi are changing and leading us back to older ways of thinking about the environment and our place within it. Journal entry: “21st October, Thursday A Hunter’s Moon swinging high The streets of Birmingham run wet Later, Later still, Episode Information In this episode I read the following poems: I also read excerpts from: I also refer to the works of: Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Worlds Turning Gold | 17 Oct 2021 | 00:33:15 | |
Although the trees and hedgerows here are still holding on to their greens, further afield their transformation into golds and yellows and reds is unmistakable. This time of year never fails to trigger a memory of a young couple I once saw in a park in the middle of England who were entering a world that was turning to gold. Journal entry: “16th October, Saturday 7 degrees and the dawn is still an hour away. Closer by, nothing stirs. Silence. 7 degrees and the sky is washed with 50 shades of mauve. Clouds, like bruises, swim across an alien sky. The hedges chink with blackbirds’ alarms. Our shadows grow black as the sun climbs. Episode Information In this episode I mention the work of the artist Pete Tuffrey. You can see his work, and his painting ‘Gales in Viking’ (and his newer painting ‘Lessening’ which came out after this recording) by going to his Facebook page or Twitter account. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Shipping Forecasts and Weather Logs | 10 Oct 2021 | 00:31:28 | |
When I meet people who listen to this podcast, one of the most frequently mentioned features is the inclusion of the weather log with which I end each episode. This week I talk about what inspired it, one of which is my childhood love of the BBC’s Shipping Forecast. What makes these stark lists of climatic data ring so powerfully in our minds? Journal entry: “8th October, Friday Laundry-water coloured skies The sock on my right foot keeps balling Penny contentedly sniffs out the worlds But my mind is filled with childhood snow scenes Episode Information For lovers of the Shipping Forecast and, particularly for those outside the UK who might now have heard it, the 99% Visible Blog and podcast has a wonderfully informative online article by Roman Mars, ‘The Shipping Forecast’, that sketches out its history and characteristics, as well as featuring links to recordings of it. You can listen and watch Laurie Macmillan read the Shipping Forecast accompanied with ‘Sailing By’ on: Radio 4 Shipping Forecast (Youtube). Vangelis’ track ‘Albedo 0.39’ can be found on his album Albedo 0.39 (1976) released by RCA. To listen to it: Albedo 0.39 (Youtube). In this episode I quote excerpts from: Charlie Connelly (2019) Last Train to Hilversum published by Bloomsbury Peter Jefferson (2011) And Now the Shipping Forecast: A tide of history around our shores. published by UIT Cambridge. Nic Compton (2016) The Shipping Forecast: A miscellany. Publi Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Rook Ravaged Skies | 03 Oct 2021 | 00:30:12 | |
This has been a week of blustery winds and storms. Perfect weather for the wild choreographies of the rooks jousting on the wind. The devil has spat upon the blackberries and we (rather hurriedly) mark our first birthday – this podcast is one year old! Journal entry: “2nd October, Saturday Below a thrown scatter of rooks Rains seeps into the cuffs of my coat Autumn glory.” Episode Information In this episode I refer to: John Mazluff and Tony Angell’s (2005) In the Company of Crows and Ravens published by Yale University Press. Jennifer Ackerman’s (2020) The Bird Way: A new look at how birds talk, work, play, parent and eat. Penguin Press. To hear Amada and Wayne (NB Aecern aka NB Wanabees) interview on great ‘The Silver Fox Sessions’ podcast: 5. You Know What? Anything Can Happen! Newbie Narrowboaters Wayne and Amanda General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Call of Wild Geese | 26 Sep 2021 | 00:32:39 | |
These are the mornings of mist that ring with the call of geese. What is it about catching sight of the flight of geese and hearing their wind-borne calls that evokes such feelings restless longing and yearning within us? And yearning for what? We listen to the words of Wendell Berry, BB, David Whyte and Mary Oliver to find ways to capture those powerful emotions. Journal entry: “24th September, Friday A tangle of Victorian girders Anti-pigeon spikes The sharp-edged wings of a gull, Episode Information In this episode I discuss some of the ‘Little Grey Men’ books of the author BB (Denys Watkins-Pitchford). They are: BB (1942) Little Grey Men reissued (2012) by Oxford University Press. BB (1948) Down the Bright Stream (later published as The Little Grey Men go Down the Bright Stream) also reissued (2001) by Oxford University Press. Wendell Berry’s poem ‘Listen!’ can be found in his (2018) volume, The Peace of Wild Things published by Penguin Books. David Whyte’s poem ‘The Journey’ has a number of publications but can be read in his (2018) David Whyte: Essentials published by Many Rivers Press. You can watch him talk about it and recite it here: The Journey. The two poems by Mary Oliver ‘Snow Geese’ and ‘Wild Geese’ are collected in her (200 Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| The Gongoozler and the Nomad | 19 Sep 2021 | 00:34:00 | |
This week we catch up with news of our little swan family and explore the strange word ‘gongoozler’. What does it mean? Where does it come from? In some ways it functions as a shibboleth. Its use identifying the ‘true’ canal people from those outside the community. However, it also shines a light on tensions of modern day living. Journal entry: “15th September, Wednesday Dawn filled with the scent of autumn notes. Episode Information The website to which I refer in this episode is ‘Word Histories’ and the entry for ‘gongoozler’ is here: ‘Meaning and origin of ‘Gongoozler’’. I also refer to the following: HR De Salis (1904/2012) Bradshaw's Canals and Navigable Rivers of England and Wales republished by Old House Books (among others) L.T.C. Rolt (1944) Narrow Boat first published by Eire and Spottiswoode General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeo Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Shrewley Tunnel: Sailing dark waters | 12 Sep 2021 | 00:37:37 | |
Join me tonight on a journey on the dark waters of Shrewley Tunnel. In this episode we travel not just through the tunnel but also through history and try to capture the life of those who worked the canals by physically 'legging' boats through. Journal entry: “12th September, Friday Having Brunch at the Gongoozler’s Rest Café. A sleepy wasp crawls over my hand. Later we watch a duck asleep in the rain. Episode Information Audio recorded at Shrewley Tunnel on 27th August 2021. In this episode I read extracts from the following books: J.M. Pearson (2017) Pearson’s Canal Companions: South Midlands. 10th edn. Published by Wayzgoose. L.T.C. Rolt (1944) Narrow Boat first published by Eire and Spottiswoode Sue Wilkes (2011) Tracing Your Canal Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians. Published by Casemate. John Hollingshead (1860) Odd Journeys In and out of London. Published by Goombridge and Sons. I also refer to Allan Scott-Davies (2010) Shadows on the Water: The haunted canals and waterways of Britain. Published by The History Press. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and perform Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Rough Crossings | 18 Feb 2024 | 00:34:57 | |
Welcome aboard the NB Erica on a wet winter’s night. It is a perfect night to snuggle down and listen to JM Synge’s turn of the 20th century accounts of his travels to the Aran Islands in a small currach on stormy seas. Journal entry: 14th February, Wednesday (St. Valentine’s Day) “Outside, Warm sun, fleeting, Maggie sits, watching, I too watch, Episode Information: In this episode I read passages from JM Synge’s (1907) book The Aran Islands republished by Penguin Classics (1992). For more information go to the episode page at noswpod.com With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast. Chris and Alan on NB Land of Green Ginger General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| (Un)Naming of Parts | 05 Sep 2021 | 00:28:14 | |
How did the willow threaten a powerful king? What has bloody fingers to do with St Withburga? How much does our knowledge of the world dictate the way you see it? The names we give things are useful (vital even), but they are not passive. Names frame the way we view the world. In this week’s episode (with apologies to Henry Reed) we ‘unname the parts’ to find how rediscovering local names and stories can connect us in new (or older) ways with our environment. Journal entry: “3rd September, Friday The night’s tide is flowing back into the mornings Penny and I will soon be needing bat’s eyes. Episode Information In this episode I read a short extract from E Temple Thurston’s (1911) The Flower of Gloster. For more details see Episode 38: Temple Thurston’s ‘Flower of Gloster’ (Summer readings 2). The lock keeper’s cottage at Lowsonford, mentioned in the extract, is now owned by the Landmark Trust and can be hired out for holidays. Details and booking can be found here: ‘Lengthman’s Cottage’ at Lowsonford. You can read the story of King Labhraidh Loingseach and his horses ears in (among many other places) Niall Mac Coitir’s (2016) Ireland’s Trees: Myths, legends and folklore published by The Collins Press. I also refer to Roy Vickery’s (2019) magnificent Vickery’s Folk Flora: An A-Z of the folklore and uses of British and Irish plants published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson. You can find more information on the plant cuckoo-pint or lords and ladies at: wildfooduk:lordsandladies I conclude this episode by reading RS Thomas’ poem ‘The Bright Field’ from his () Later Poems 1972-1982 published by Papermac. You can read it here: The Bright Field. You can also hear RS Thomas reading it here: Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Kenneth Grahame's 'The Wind in the Willows' (Summer readings #4) | 29 Aug 2021 | 00:36:34 | |
This week we explore and listen to extracts of Kenneth Grahame's (1908) children's classic The Wind in the Willows. In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is perfo Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Summer Heavy with Fruit | 22 Aug 2021 | 00:29:34 | |
Is August high summer, late summer, or early autumn? Does the Queen own our little cygnet that went missing? Who looks after the canal banks? This week’s episode addresses all these pressing questions, as well as dealing with my existential angst at the threat of being robbed of ‘summer’. Journal entry: “19th August, Thursday This week, each day fills and swells with the stresses and anxieties of work. Familiar pulses of panic surge up as the seconds tick by. But then, I have also seen damson fruit ripen, and turn all the colours of a tropical sunset, and hang midnight blue and misty on the tree. Episode Information In this episode I read ‘Night Crawls On’ by Tom Hennen which can be found in his (2013) Darkness Sticks to Everything. Washington: Copper Canyon Press. I also read an extract from the early 17th century English printed volume by Nicholas Breton of the 15th century The Kalendar of Shepherds: Being devices for the twelve months. You can read a digitised reproduction of this book, with its wonderful woodcut engravings, in the Welcome Library: The Kalendar of Shepherds: Being devices for the twelve months. This episode concludes with an extract from Wendell Berries’ ‘Sabbath Poems’ part XII, ‘I walk in openings’, from his (2018) The Peace of Wild Things and Other Poems published by Penguin. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen In Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| At Milepost 16 | 15 Aug 2021 | 00:29:27 | |
Under the poplars beside milepost 16 is a place of enchantment and quiet sanctuary, particularly in times of broiling heat. Join me in tonight’s episode as revel in its soundscape and its dappled beauty as we explore its very particular genius loci. You can also hear about the saga concerning our little swan family and what happened this week to their young cygnet (happy ending). Journal entry: “11th August, Wednesday Geese calls across the dawn skies Rooks rise and fall Wilder souls in a world that will not be tamed.” Episode Information For photographs of this location (and reunited swans), please go to the NoSW facebook page, Instagram or Twitter accounts (links below). Steve May’s (from NB Blue Pheonix) new channel is called “Ramblings of a Mad Man!” Mark Dexter’s videos on life as a captain of a cruise ship is “Excuse Me Captain Mark” and is also on YouTube. All audio soundscapes for this episode were recorded on location at ‘Milepost 16’ on 19 July 2021.
General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Night Walking | 08 Aug 2021 | 00:35:26 | |
After a 3 week break, Nighttime on Still Waters is back with episode 40! In this episode we catch up with what has been happening on the moorings and reflect on the place of night walking in history and culture. Journal entry: “5th August, Thursday High in a tree a blackbird A river of notes There are no stars Episode Information In this episode I refer to: Miles Hadfield’s (1950) An English Almanac published by JM Dent and Sons. Matthew Beaumont’s (2015) Night Walking published by Verso. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Lucy M. Boston's 'The River at Green Knowe' (Summer readings #3) | 01 Aug 2021 | 00:23:35 | |
For our final summer readings session we are looking at a very different piece of writing. It is Lucy M. Boston’s The River at Green Knowe. Lucy M. Boston is probably better known for her earlier book The Children of Green Knowe for which she was runner up for the 1954 Carnegie Medal for best children’s literature. She would later win it with her fourth book in the series, Stranger at Green Knowe (1961). The River at Green Knowe is the third of her six books set in the ancient house of Green Knowe, which also served as Boston’s home. Although published in 1958, the book has a distinctively Edwardian feel about it despite it dealing with contemporary issues of alienation and homelessness experienced by refugees. The book is a series of stories about three children who are staying at Green Knowe for the summer and their adventures in a canoe on the river and canals around the house. Like all her books, The River at Green Knowe is a story filled with light and shadow, enchanting magic, and the threat of danger. More information and bibliographic details Boston, Lucy M. (1958) The River at Green Knowe. London: Faber and Faber. Green Knowe is located at Hemingford Grey, near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, UK. The house and its enchanting garden are open to the public – although check first before you travel. There is a delightful website where you can find lots of photographs of the house and grounds, as well as information about Lucy M. Boston and her books. The website is here: Green Knowe. Green Knowe also have social media pages which regularly posts updates, information and images relating to the house and books. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Green-Knowe-At-The-Manor-157877494323565/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gree Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Temple Thurston's 'The Flower of Gloster' (Summer readings #2) | 25 Jul 2021 | 00:27:49 | |
In this second Summer Reading Special we discover the delights of Ernest Temple Thurston’s The Flower of Gloster. Published in 1911, Temple Thurston is writing about a very different world to the one in which last week’s authors (Hassell and Hollingshead) were writing. It is a nostalgic nod to a world that Temple Thurston recognises is dying. Described by LTC Rolt as unashamedly romantic, it is a lyrical description of his journey aboard the horse boat (pulled by a horse) ‘Flower of Gloster’ from Oxford to Inglesham in the west country. Temple Thurston paints an often idyllic picture of lifeaboard. He is accompanied by the working boatman Eynsham Harry, a quiet contemplative man whose rustic wisdom and ‘hedgerow philosophy’ is the perfect antidote to Temple Thurston’s world weary encounters with academics and business barons of the brave new world of the early 20th century. The book is also notable for inspiring LTC (Tom) Rolt to renovate an old working boat (‘Chressie’) and live for many months aboard with his newly wed wife cruising up and down the canals of pre-war England. His record of this time in the book Narrow Boat has since become a classic in waterways literature and has often been cited as instrumental in saving the canals and waterways of Britain. Rolt went on to become one of the founders of the Inland Waterways Association and a key player in canal conservation and restoration. More information and bibliographic details Temple Thurston, Ernest. (1911) The Flower of Gloster. London: William Norgate. The book has subsequently been republished a number of times and more recently in the form: Temple Thurston, Ernest (1968) The Flower of Gloster: with introduction by LTC Rolt. London: David and Charles. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Hassell and Hollingshead - Early canal writings (Summer readings #1) | 18 Jul 2021 | 00:29:26 | |
This is the first of our Summer Reading Specials devoted to one or two books that are in some way related to waterways or life on them. They replace the normal format while Penny, Donna and I are away, off-line, and having adventures of our own. The first episode explores two very different authors who are writing when the canals were in their heyday. The first is John Hassell’s account of the Tour of the Grand Junction, published in 1819. We then embark on the almost exact journey some 40 years later in the company of John Hollingshead (and his companion Cuddy) under the skilful watch of ‘Captain’ Randle, the master of a flyboat called the Stourport. Hollingshead’s account is much more personable and is interested not just in the sights and sounds he encounters but also the people he meets. More information and bibliographic details Copies of both Hassell and Hollingshead’s accounts can be found in reprinted forms (of varying quality) on book selling sites like Amazon. Hassel, John. (1819) Tour of the Grand Junction, Illustrated in a Series of Engravings; With an Historical and Topographical Description of those Parts of the Counties of Middlesex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Northamptonshire, through which the Canal passes. London: Printed for J. Hassell. A free, open-access, scanned and digitized copy of this book can be found on the archive.org site and is downloadable in multiple formats: Tour of the Grand Junction. Hollingshead, John. (1860) Odd Journeys In and out of London. London: Goombridge and Sons. A free, open-access, scanned and digitised copy of this book is available to download in multiple formats on the archive.org website: Odd Journeys in and out of London. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes compos Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| The Heron's Gaze | 11 Jul 2021 | 00:34:39 | |
This week we explore and reflect upon a wonderful poem by narrowboater Steve May (NB Blue Phoenix), ‘The Magnificent Heron’. There is a growing appreciation of genuine encounters with animals and birds and, with the help of Martin Buber and Jacques Derrida, we reflect upon changing attitudes and understanding about how we relate to the non-human world. Journal entry: “9th July, Friday The air is oppressive and sticky. At this hour only jackdaws have the energy to yap. Chance meeting with a stranger. The water is cool while we talk. He speaks with not just his voice but his face and body. I try to follow the coiled labyrinth of his thoughts. What strange creatures we are. We people our cosmos with such gods and monsters that we can scarce tell them apart.” Episode Information This episode features the poem, ‘The Magnificent Heron’, by Steve May (from the NB Blue Phoenix). You can follow Steve and read his poem and see the accompanying video on Twitter: @bwannabes. For those interested in reading more about Martin Buber’s writing on ‘I-It and I-Thou’ you might like to read his book I and Thou (1923/1937). There is a free open-access English translation (by Walter Kaufmann) of it on archive.org: I and Thou. Jacques Derrida’s essays featuring his cat can be found in his The Animal That Therefore I Am (2008) published by Fordham University Press. All the soundscapes featured in this episode are all recorded on site apart from the sample of the grey heron (Ardea cinerea) night call. This was recorded at Berkel en Rodenrijs, Lansingerland, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands by Susanne Kuijpers on the night of 10th May 2021. It is available under Creative Copyright licence at Xeno-Canto: Sharing bird sounds from around the world. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Twilight Blue | 04 Jul 2021 | 00:39:24 | |
Did you know that each evening we experience THREE twilights? Each one with distinctive features and that during this period we respond in physiological ways. Similarly, our ancestors appeared to have taken advantage of these liminal periods of transition in ways that we might do well to remember. We finish the episode with a lovely passage from Tom Rolt’s Narrow Boat and there is also some sad news from the moorings. Journal entry: “1st July, Thursday The day dawns with a silver light that presages a beautiful July day. The hay in the meadow above us has been cut and baled. A heron breaks cover from the little cove umbrellaed with bushes. Around the corner glide the swans. The cob effortlessly swims, one cygnet tucked close to his side. There is a gentle dignity about him. His reflection casts a ghostly figure ‘5’ in the barely stirred water. It is a message I had no heart to read." Episode Information In this episode I finish with a reading from LTC (Tom) Rolt’s (1944) Narrow Boat first published by Eire and Spottiswoode. It is a book that has been viewed by many as saving the British waterways. I also read RL Stevenson’s poem ‘Bed in Summer’ published in his volume of children’s verse, Child’s Garden of Verse (1885). You can read the poem here: ‘Bed in Summer’. Extracts are also read from: A Roger Ekirch (2005) At Day’s Close: A history of night time. Norton. Paul Bogard (ed.) (2008) Let There be Night: Testimony on behalf of the dark. Reno, Las Vegas: University of Nevada Press. Jack Byer’s (or perhaps Bayer) informative and beautifully researched vlog series on canals and narrowboats in the United States, American Narrowboater, can be viewed on his YouTube channel: American Narrowboater.
General Deta Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| I Felt the Anchor Shift (An Update) | 17 Jan 2024 | 00:26:06 | |
It has been a rather tempestuous year so far! Currently, I am many miles from the boat and have not been able to record any podcasts. I have rather rushed this episode out to update you on the reasons why I have been so quiet of late and to bring you up to date with what has been happening. Apologies for the sound quality of this episode. I do not have my recording gear with me at the moment. Episode Information: In this episode I read parts of the lyrics from ‘Sit Down’ by James, written by Jim Glennie, Larry Gott, Tim Booth, Gavan Whelan (1989). I also read a very short extract from John Moriarty’s (2009) Dreamtime published by Lilliput Press and featuring the words of Julian of Norwich. With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast. Captain Arlo General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Summer Sounds - canalside | 20 Jun 2021 | 00:29:13 | |
The hot weather has broken with rain and slab-like grey/white skies. While we wait for the sun’s return, it’s probably a good time to remember those lazy sunny days of long ago (and not so long ago). In this week’s episode we explore the sounds of canals in summer from bees to lock sluices and enjoy the words of John Betjeman and E Temple Thurston. Journal entry: “16th June, Wednesday The summer heat has come, dustily settling across the fields and with it, the weighty, drowsiness that hums and buzzes in the head. The noontime hedges are as still as the night-time ones and the trees click and stretch beneath the sun. But the lethargy is short lived; the summer is still young, it hasn't yet shaken off the new-yeast of spring. The elder that the park-keeper laboured to cut back last month, explodes with green, lacy life, rearing in delight; defiantly laughing at the clean straight edges loved by sheers and humankind.” Episode Information In this episode I read an extract from Miles Hadfield’s (1950) An English Almanac published by JM Dent and Sons. I also refer to a reference about haysel in Ruth Binney’s (2010) Weather Lore for the Wise Words and Country Ways series published by David and Charles. In this Summer Sounds section I read part of John Betjeman’s (Poet Laureate) ‘Inland Waterways’ which he wrote for the re-opening of Stratford upon Avon canal by the Queen Mother in 1964. It is published in The Best of John Betjeman (1978) published by Penguin. However, you can read the complete poem as well as a write up (with pictures) of the opening celebrations and its background on the Canal and River Trust’s Waterfront website: From the archives: A royal visit. I conclude by reading a short extract from E Temple Thurston’s (1911) evocative The Flower of Gloster published by David and Charles. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Fractured Beauties of the Night | 13 Jun 2021 | 00:33:56 | |
The hold of early summer along the canal-side grows firmer each day. However, sometimes the changes and shifts in the season can affect us in surprising and sometimes disconcerting ways. This episode reflects on the birth of the idea that would eventually become the Nighttime on Still Waters podcast, and a reflection on radio and encounters in the night-time. Journal entry: “13th June, Saturday The lowering sun is now caught in the feathery tops of the ash trees on the bank. The light catches the deep drifts of ox eye daisies making their white petals shine. I sit in the dappled sunlight drinking in the cooling breeze and watch the gnats dance on wings made of silver fire.” Episode Information During the podcast a read a passage from Charlie Connelly's (2019) The Last Train to Hilversum: A journey in the search of the magic of radio. Bloomsbury Publishing. I also read extracts from Seán Street’s (2013) The Poetry of Radio: The colour of sound published by Routledge General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
I would love to hear from you. You can email me Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Fledglings | 06 Jun 2021 | 00:21:18 | |
The world is filled with new life, fledglings of all kinds. It is noisy, messing, sometimes cruel, and so full of vitality and life. It’s an boisterous energy that cannot be contained or ignored. From vetch, to rabbits and birds and even humans, fledglings fill this world with a fragile, exuberant colour. In this episode we also discover some of your ‘first poems.’ Journal entry: “2nd June, Wednesday Great God, I love this weather. I could stay in a place like this forever, Episode Information In this episode I refer to the early 17th century English printed volume by Nicholas Breton of the 15th century The Kalendar of Shepherds: Being devices for the twelve months. You can read a digitised reproduction of this book, with its wonderful woodcut engravings, in the Welcome Library: The Kalendar of Shepherds: Being devices for the twelve months. I also refer to W. Keble Martin’s (1965) The Concise British Flora in Colour published by Ebury Press. It was a book that was much loved (and consulted) by my mother. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Rhyme & (sometimes) Reason | 30 May 2021 | 00:30:23 | |
What was the first poem that you ever learnt? This week marks the fourth anniversary of my mother’s death and, for some reason, it has brought to mind poems that she loved and that I shared with her as a child. There is something strangely powerful, evocative, perhaps even reassuring, about rhythm and rhymes. Sometimes, it might be, that the rhymes become the reason. Journal entry: “28th May, Friday We’re together again, A fine rain spangles the air. And, when it comes down to it, Episode Information In this episode I read a number of poems. A.A. Milne: · ‘Happiness’ (from When We Were Very Young. 1924 ) · ‘Come Out with Me’ (from Now We Are Six, 1927)
Kenneth Graham: · Duck’s Ditty (from The Wind in the Willows, 1908)
Walter de la Mare · Nod (from The Listeners and other Poems, 1912) For a taste of cruising (at times) a very different type of waterway on East Anglian washes and levels, you might be interested in the recent episodes of Venessa’s vlog: The Mindful Narrowboat General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Into the Night | 23 May 2021 | 00:29:13 | |
What is ‘dead sleep’ and ‘morning sleep’? Why are 'duck hatches' invaluable? What should we do with the feral ducks? So far month has been colder and wetter than the average. However, the world around us continues with its seasonal and geological cycles. Journal entry: “21st May, Friday Someone tore the clouds today Episode Information In this episode I read an extract from Kathleen Dean Moore’s essay ‘The gifts of darkness’ in Paul Bogard (ed) (2008). Let there be Night: Testimony on behalf of darkness. Reno, Las Vegas: University of Nevada Press. I also refer to Matthew Beaumont (2015) Night Walking: A nocturnal history of London from Chaucer to Dickens. London, New York: Verso. Podcasts mentioned: Patricia Carswell – Girl on the River: The diary of a pint-sized rower Fran and Richard’s Floating our Boat podcast
General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| The Clerical Heron | 16 May 2021 | 00:32:16 | |
What is it about the heron that makes it such a frequent subject for social media posts featuring canal and riverside birds? There is something about it that is strange, singular almost. Spotting one is often felt to be a significant event that should be recorded and remembered. This week we look at the heron in the company of Dylan Thomas, John Moriarty, and Wendell Berry, and explore why it has such an impact on us. Journal entry: “15th May, Saturday There are times, sitting here, that stillness seems to fill the boat And all I can hear is Penny softly breathing, Even the second-hand on the clock seems to move slower.” Episode Information All the soundscapes featured in this episode are all recorded on site apart from the sample of the grey heron (Ardea cinerea) night call. This was recorded at Berkel en Rodenrijs, Lansingerland, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands by Susanne Kuijpers on the night of 10th May 2021. It is available under Creative Copyright licence at Xeno-Canto: Sharing bird sounds from around the world. In this episode I read a passage from John Moriarty’s (2007) What the Curlew Said: Nostos continued. University of Michigan: Lilliput Press. I also read ‘The Heron’ by Wendell Berry that can be found in his (2018) anthology The Peace of Wild Things: And other poems. London: Penguin Books The book I refer to by Richard Jeffries (1879) is his Wildlife in a Southern County of which many versions exist. It has recently been republished, with an introduction by Richard Mabey by Little Toller – Wildlife in a Southern County. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| May Rains | 09 May 2021 | 00:24:45 | |
This week the rains swept in pushed by great fronts of ocean air – moisture from places with magical names that I hear on the shipping forecast and can only imagine. Life around progressed without a murmur and the ground drank heavily. In this episode we listen to the rain and to Thomas Merton. We also thinking about casting clouts and what that might mean. Journal entry: “7th May, Friday It was -1⁰ when I got up this morning. Buttery waves of golden light They glitter and sparkle, Episode Information The Mindful Narrowboat vlog Readings In this episode I read a passage from Thomas Merton’s (2003) When the Trees say Nothing. Notre Dame: Sorin Books. I also read ‘Sheep in the Rain’ by Tom Hennen which can be found in his (2013) Darkness Sticks to Everything. Washington: Copper Canyon Press. I also refer to: Ruth Binney (2010) Weather Lore. Country Words and Country Ways series. Cincinnati: David and Charles. Charles Dack (1911) Weather and Folklore of Peterborough and District. Peterborough: Peterborough Natural history, Scientific, and Archaeological Society. Miles Hadfield (1950) An English Almanac. London: JM Dent and Sons. General Details In the intro and Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| A Lifetime Ago | 02 May 2021 | 00:24:21 | |
A lifetime ago, almost to the day, it turned cooler after an uncustomary warm and dry couple of weeks. Synoptic charts show high pressure moving up the country dragging with it frontal systems. No doubt, on that day, some looked at the clouds and grumbled. And life carried on as it had the days before. Engines shunted in sidings. People waited at bus stops. Shop tills rang out. Dogs barked. And, in the cabin of a small boat moored on the bank of the Grand Union, I took my first breath of air; sweet with cow pasture, and nettles, and paraffin. Journal entry: “27th April, Tuesday. This morning dawned with frost and golden washes of light. Everything felt a little off kilter. The morning chill lost that exhilarating feel and sank into my bones. It was not that I was untouched by the world in which I walked, Even Eden had its serpent. Episode Information In this episode I talk about my mother’s memoirs that she wrote about her time living on the canal. You can hear more about her in Episode 2 The Erica behind the Erica and hear me reading an excerpt from her writing in which she described the harsh winter of 1963 in Episode 9 The Winter of 1962/63. In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Back Home! | 25 Apr 2021 | 00:11:54 | |
Back where we belong. Under an old ash tree and a full April moon. Journal entry: “23rd April, Thursday. Sitting up here on the roof of Erica There’s a slow easterly breeze that has the edge of freshness, Erica is back in her natural environment.”
Episode Information For some photographs and short videos – see the posts on Nighttime on Still Waters’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| On the Grave of Winter | 18 Apr 2021 | 00:27:28 | |
At the beginning of the week we were waking up to snow and each nights the temperatures have been slipping below zero. However, the days are filled with sunshine and warmth, and a vibrancy fills the word. Spring has arrived. A few years ago, I discovered something wonderful that the isophenes of Spring tell us about the the progress of the season. Journal entry: “15th April, Thursday. Today was one of those perfect Spring days. The day, and the season, is as fresh and as sweet as Spearmint Chewing Gum.
Episode Information In this episode refer to and read a short passage from Edward Thomas’ (1914) In Pursuit of Spring. A free (open access) copy can be found on the Project Guttenberg site which incidentally features a rather lovely picture of two narrowboats on the Paddington canal as a frontispiece - Edward Thomas: In Pursuit of Spring. For those interested in Edward Thomas’ wife, Helen, you can read her two lyrical and poignant autobiographies, As it Was and World without End in the collected edition, Under Storm’s Wing (2012) published by Carcanet. I also read a very short extract from Miles Hadfield (1950) An English Almanac published by JM Dent and Sons. For progress on the ducks and swans – see the Nighttime on Still Waters Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| The Christmas Eves of Childhood | 23 Dec 2023 | 00:30:51 | |
You are invited to join us for a very special episode as we celebrate Christmas Eve onboard the Erica and remember the Christmas Eves of our childhood. Journal entry: 21st December, Thursday, Winter Solstice “The year’s turning There’s a rough wind The polestar oak The ducks don’t seem
Episode Information: Can I take this opportunity to wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a happy NEW YEAR!
With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast. Rebecca Russell General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Boat Blacking | 11 Apr 2021 | 00:23:15 | |
Boat blacking is when the hull of a boat is painted or sprayed with a protective – usually bitumen-based – paint to help minimise corrosion of the steel hull. For painted blacking, it is a process that occurs every 2 to 3 years. This week it was NB Erica’s turn for blacking, a time of convergence between ‘canal time’ and ‘land time.’ Journal entry: “10th April, Saturday. I’ll show you something wonderful. Even fallen trees can blossom.” Episode Details You can see pictures of the Erica being craned in and out of the canal and the blacking on the Nighttime on Still Waters Facebook page, and on Instagram and Twitter (links below). In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Canalscapes of Childhood | 28 Mar 2021 | 00:29:19 | |
A listener has asked, "After we left the boat and went to live in a house, did canals continue to play much of a part in my life?" As time went on, the number of working decreased, but the canal remained as a key part of the village and social topography and geography. “The canal wasn’t part of my life in a deliberate way. But that was because it was unconsciously so much part of our environment; the geographies of growing up. Journal entry: “25th March, Thursday. Tonight, the air is warm and still. It is difficult to tell where the boat ends and the night begins” Episode Details In this episode I read a few lines from John Clare’s (1820) The Shepherd’s Calendar. The text to ‘March’ can be read here - Poem Hunter: The Shepherd’s Calendar - March. I also refer to Ruth Binney’s (2010) Wise Words and Country Ways: Weather Lore published by David & Charles. If you are interested in seeing Captain Mark Dexter’s picture of the Suez Canal, his Instagram account is: The Woodend Wanderer. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||
| Man on the Bicycle | 21 Mar 2021 | 00:26:23 | |
The journey from winter into spring is often messy and ill-defined. Sometimes it feels as if we are making progress and at others the cold and damp of winter days returns. As we are also contemplating moving from lockdown it is not surprising that we can feel a bit of kilter. Reflecting on an encounter in WH Hudson’s book A Shepherd’s Life, there are times when we feel like a small boy lost among the ocean waves of the South Downs and at others the man on the bicycle. Journal entry: “18th March, Thursday. Today has been filled with the kind of skies in which rooks exalt. Throwing ragged silhouettes upon the beating wind. Ecstatic heraldry. Breathe deep, if you can. Things are not right Episode Details In this episode I read Wendell Berry’s poem ‘Another Descent’ from his collection (2018) The Peace of Wild Things published by Penguin Books. The encounter between the cyclist and the bird-scarer comes from WH Hudson’s (1910) A Shepherd’s Life: Impressions of the South Wiltshire Downs. You can read a digitised copy of this book, as part of the Project Guttenberg site, here: A Shepherd’s Life. I also refer to Lisa Schneidau’s (2018) Botanical Folktales of Britain and Ireland published by The History Press. If you are interested in Patricia Carswell’s Girl on the River podcast, you can listen to it here. General Details In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram. All other audio recorded on site. Contact Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. | |||