Ridiculous canal television programme

Published: Monday, 22 March 2021

VICTOR was certainly right about the canal cruising programme on television last night, writes James Henry.

Sheila Hancock certainly went over the top with her dramas, and all it achieved was to make it look as though boating on the canals was downright dangerous with bridges liable to drop on your boat and being clouted by other boats.

Did nothing to promote canals

It did nothing whatsoever to promote the canals, the opposite in fact, and the drama through Harecastle was downright ridiculous.

We did not even see them actually work a lock, only the boat clouting a front gate and Gyles Brandreth winding a paddle, yet from the route it was obvious locks were gone through—or were they? 

Little wonder passing boaters were laughing at them.  It was silly.

Put-up job?

Was it all somewhat of a put-up job promoting the pair, and perhaps they did not cruise the canals at all, just used the boat as a means for visiting the various attractions of the potteries?