Twenty Questions

Following the example of Sarah of NB Warrior, and on Andrew Denny of Granny Buttons suggestion, here's my answers to Canal Boat's Twenty Questions.

• What's your favourite canal? The Huddersfield Narrow Canal - It was the first narrow canal I ever visited. The Exeter Ship Canal comes close, but since its not connected to the rest of the inland waterways network, it doesn't quite count.
• And your least favourite? Not found one I don't like yet!
• Who would be your ideal cruising companion? Terry and Monica Darlington (and Jim)
• What was the last book you read? Stephen Fry's Making History. The last canal related book? Hmm, how about Philip Pullman's Northern Lights? His (slightly surreal) description of the canals and waterways in Lyra's world was one of the things that got me interested in the waterways of my own world. I read Canal Boat and Waterways World every month of course.


• Favourite time of day on the waterways? Dusk


• What irritates you most on the waterways? Incompetent rowers


• When would you most liked to have lived? The 70s for the music, the 20s for the boats, the fashion and the architecture.


• When did you last fall in? Not fallen in yet!


• What did you want to be at 12? A mad scientist...


• If I didn't have narrowboating, I'd... probably not bore my non-boater friends by pointing out every canal/boat we pass!


• Narrowboaters are... the sane ones.


• After a day's cruising I most look forward to... the next day's cruising!


• The waterways need...more connecting -I'd love to be able to go from London to Cambridge without going via Northampton!


• If you met the Waterways Minister on the towpath, what would you say to him? Can't we just make moorings simple?


• Windows or portholes? Both!


• Pumpout or cassette? Pumpout, although Lucky Duck has a portapotti.


• Canals or rivers? Rivers, as long as they're navigable.


• Where will you be when you're 70? Cruising with my grandchildren on the Wilts and Berks (where my grandparents used to take me).


• What do you think is your greatest achievment in life? Pretty happy to be finally living my life rather than having it live me, but nothing particularly spectacular as yet!


• What would your superpower be? The ability to fast-forward through the boring bits of life (those when I'm not afloat), and replay the best bits.