'A Gypsy Love of Colour' (Painted Boats)

Send us Fan MailWhy are canal boats and traditional canal-ware so colourful? When did the custom of painting working boats in bright colours begin and why? This week we explore our attraction to bright colours and what Tom Rolt describes as the ‘working boaters’ inborn gypsy love of colours.’Journal entry:25th April, Monday"Heavy grey clouds, ragged and torn       drift overhead.Two women sit cross-legged on their cabin roof.A blackbird scissor the sky     above forest green conifers.A hint of Earl-Grey tea.     Two dandelions fierce in their growling yellows.There is something freeing about     dark skies like these.The water shivers in the skittering breeze." Episode Information:For more information about Soundcamp’s livestream, environmental, sound project: Soundcamp – Reveil.You can watch Vanessa’s progress on creating her ‘daisy’ stern cabin panel art on her YouTube channel: The Mindful Narrowboat. She begins her work in Episode 91In this episode I cite:Julian Dutton (2021) Water Gypsies published by History Press.  Jim Batty (2019) Narrowboat Life: Discover life afloat on the inland waterways published by Adlard Coles/Bloomsbury.L.T.C. Rolt (1944) Narrow Boat, first published by Eyre and SpottiswoodeJohn Hassel (1819) Tour of the Grand Junction. London: Printed for J. Hassell.John Hollingshead (1860) Odd Journeys In and out of London. London: Goombridge and Sons.Sue Wilkes (2011) Tracing you Canal Ancestors, published by Pen and Sword Family History. E. Temple Thurston (1911) The Flower of Gloster, published by William Norgate.For more information about Nighttime on Still WatersYou 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 DetailsIn the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.All other audio recorded on site. ContactFor pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoswPodSupport the showBecome a 'Lock-Wheeler'Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.ContactFacebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.socialMastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw  I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] 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. For more information about Nighttime on Still WatersYou can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.