Oct'1987Erwash Canal & River Trent     
After 3 years without it, a small-scale trip was organised in late September. Roger, John, Colin, Tom and Steve were the participants and Shardlow was the starting point (not counting the rendezvous in Loughborough). Our route was confined to the Trent & Mersey and Erewash canals. We did the Erewash first, enjoying some cheap pints. In those days, both Home and Shipstones were both still alive and independent and, what with the other local brewer, Hardy & Hansons the competition made for low prices. Having Erewashed, we then went west on the T & M as far as Fradley Junction before turning for home.
The one notable incident of the week came at the canalside Bridge at Branston, a fairly basic Marstons pub serving Pedigree straight from the barrel. Having arrived by 7.30 we’d enjoyed a good session come closing time. As we were leaving the landlord asked “Are you lads on a boat?”  “Yes” we replied. “Fancy another pint?” To a man we turned round and returned to the bar. We managed to crawl out of the pub at about 2.30 am, having enjoyed several extra pints in the company of the head brewer from Everards. I think it’s fair to say the following lunchtime was a rather subdued affair.
Erewash Canal, Jake and colin
Erewash Canal, JOC helping out before going off for a cricket match
or was it a S.A.S. cricket match?.The dangers of the River Trent's locks
The good ship Portia in a wide lock. Tom and John at the back whilst Jake holds the front and Steve operates the lock paddles 
blown up 4 times a rare picture of Steve actually driving a boat when he can't see anyone with a camera 
Jake writing up his ships log
Erewash Canal, Jake (the weather was fairly good, but strangly,everytime Tom took his camera out he would put on more clothes). He he poses at what is left of the lock gates after Ron has given them a seeing to.
Erewash Canal, Jake (wonder if he's getting the urge to take his jumper off)
Erewash Canal - either of to the pub or going to operate the lock
Down we go in the same lock with Colin, Jake and Steve pictured
Erewash Canal, Steve caught at the the wrong of the boat without a tiller, when a camera came into view
Jake pretending to be a working Navigating officer.
Erewash Canal,The fashion conscious young gentleman again with an old favourite shirt with many canal trips under its belt
Erewash Canal, Trent Lock
Tom directing Jake on how to open lock gates
May 1989 Staffs & Worcester & River Severn
This was the first of the modern generation of Navigator canal trips. The general principles were: invite as many people as can be comfortably fitted in a boat (or two); go in May (early in the season, more daylight); have a cooking rota; fairer bunk selection system; academy awards for best and worst performers of the week. We started with 7 of us: John, Roger, Colin, Tom, Steve, Ron and Ken. The boatyard was at Autherley Junction and the 2 carloads met at a pub with the odd name of the Hamemakers Arms in Walsall (Banks beers). Our route was a sort of circular affair with Worcester as the furthest point. Saturday afternoon we worked our way down the long Wolverhampton flight of locks ending up in Wolves for the evening. Our chosen pub shut at 10.30 for some reason so we went over the road to a Banks pub where we seemed to be the only customers of legal drinking age (not the first time this happened). Our subsequent route took us through Netherton, Brierley Hill, Stourbridge, Kinver and Stourport and then on to the River Severn. While on the river that morning we were caught in a thunderstorm. For some reason Tom was standing on the top of the boat possibly in conference with the dark forces who had let loose the storm. Anyway, Ken was sufficiently impressed that he felt he needed some waterproof gear (having failed to notice the sets provided in the boat). The very helpful young lady in the shop convinced him he would take a medium size (a little flattery always works with Ken).  We returned up the Staffs & Worcs and on Friday lunchtime Colin did his first desertion act - Arsenal had a crucial last game of the season up at Anfield that evening, needing to win by a two goal margin to win the league championship. We went to Brewood for the evening and managed to find a pub without a television. Ron, looking out of the pub window at a house across the street, claimed to have seen on the TV a bloke in a yellow shirt holding a trophy but we took that to be a hallucination. Unfortunately, Colin turned up the following morning in a state of advanced euphoria, the Arse having accomplished their task with the last kick of the game. Of course we were all very pleased for him. Anyway, the week was considered to be a success, plenty of good beer and a few laughs. We would be back!
John and Tom greeting the crew to a curry meal, in their enthusiasm to pick up points for presentation by giving an authentic feel to the meal, Tom and John overlooked their deviousness of their scorers, who marked their efforts down for ‘taking the piss out of ethnic minorities.
On this canal trip cooking played an important part. Meals were marked for quantity, quality, presentation, variety and ‘greenness’. Each meal was marked out of ten for each category by the non-cooks. The highest and lowest scores were discarded and the other five scores were added up. In those days it seems John could cook, however Steve efforts were as poor as ever. Below is the score sheet for Tom and Colin's roast lamb
The lads get stuck in to what looks a tasty meal. Note the flowers on the table to pick up presentation points, unfortunately for Dude and Ron although getting excellent marks for presentation, they were marked down heavily on Greenness because they picked wild flowers illegally.
Sun seems to be the order of the day – every day. On the River Severn going down to Worcester
Steve gets his kit off in the the sunshine as we approach Worcester
John on cooking duties and anxious to curry favour serves the crew with mid morning tea as the boat races down the River Severn
John and Micky at Kidderminster on the way to Worcester & Micky gets his marching orders on the way back
Sunday evening at Brierly Hill. Jake and Tom are on the bottom lock gates and Steve at the top. After going through the lock we moored and then to the Bull and Bladder
John taking a photo in the lock safety mirror & the picture blown up
Dude driving out of a lock
Dude trying to work out how to operate a staircase lock
Off to the pub leaving at a brisk pace
May 1990 Shropshire Union and Trent & Mersey
After the success of the '89 trip we were back a year later, once again starting at Autherley Junction. Our numbers were boosted by the addition of Iain, although he would not be joining us until Sunday lunchtime as he had to embezzle funds from his village fete to pay for the trip. This year we went north of Autherley, doing a 'Staffs, Shroppie and Cheshire ring'. Sunday lunchtime was at the Wharf Inn at Shebdon, a fairly remote outpost but we had to make it a challenge for Iain to find us. Was it in a pub in Market Drayton that evening that someone accused Colin of looking like James Whale? After that the route would have taken in Nantwich, the Middlewich Arm, the town of Middlewich and Wheelock before we reached the northern portal of Harecastle Tunnel. As we didn't know of any decent pubs in the vicinity (the now excellent Blue Bell was not so worthy in those days) we took a stroll a mile or so along the Macclesfield canal to the Bleeding Wolf, a Robboes pub. On the way back we found out that it is not a good idea to put mooring ropes across the towpath - or maybe that it's a good idea to look where you're going after a few pints. And so the next morning we tackled Harecastle Tunnel. Right away we discovered that SAS training didn't include subterranean manoeuvres as Ken cowered underneath a blanket for the entire duration. That evening we stopped at a large roadside pub (it was close to the canal and we saw a large Banks advert on the side so we stopped for the night). I seem to recall Ron (by now the undisputed Whip Manager) ordering pints from the comfort of his chair and the bar staff acceding to his wishes. I've no idea of the name of the pub or its location, since it no longer seems to exist! Our last evening was spent at Coven. The cooking rota still extended to Friday afternoon in those days but, instead of cooking, Steve trekked to and from the nearest chippy. I suppose it was an achievement for him to find one that was open although the food wasn't great. The pub was not so hot either, being full of bloody kids (under 35s!).
S.U.C. a fashion conscious young gentleman who is showing off his first new addition to his canaling wardrobe for 16 years
S.U.C. We must have been behind schedule as it looks like Ron is last to the pub
T & M.C. Jake (who the hell put the mooring rope across the towpath!).
Shropshire Union Canal, Colin (will he get under the bridge?. phew! he made it!), Iain is driving  and is obvisouly embarrassed by having to drive a boat with an Gooner on the top shamelessly wearing an Arsenal sweatshirt.
T. & M. C. Steve and Builder's Bum? According to Tom’s notes – builders bum is most likely to belong to a slimmer JOC
.U.C. The crew, except the cameraman, Tom. and Steve who is no doubt doing his duties, toilet cleaning
& M.C. Ron, proudly wearing his RNLI cap, normally a vital piece of his canalling gear. His lucky mascot kept him dry till he went overboard in 2002 and his cap floated off whilst he scrambled back on board.
S.U.C. Jake in hat and sunglasses, a cool Dude and Ron relax in the Stern.
S.U.C. We must have been behind schedule as it looks like Ron is last to leave for the pub
John showing that there are older cars on the canal trips than Doc’s
& M.C. Colin and Dude, note Dude’s skin matches the nancy boat colours
John in camouflage driving, obviously he doesn’t want to been seen
The Harecastle Tunnel, Trent and Mersey Canal, Taco Gravy pollution, so Tom must have been cooking
For the third year we started from Autherley Junction. We had to make do without Colin who preferred the company of Tony Adams and co to us lot. This time Iain had an easier journey and he joined us at Wolverhampton in the early hours of Sunday morning. Out itinerary was identical to the 1989 jaunt as far as I can recall. An excellent pub discovery was the Great Western Arms at Wolverhampton. This served Holdens and Bathams beers and had loads of railway and for the train enthusiast. Shame Colin missed it. We thought it was so good we got cabs there from the boatyard on the last evening.
May 1991
Extract from Navigator Vol 3 “Canal Babylon”
For 51 weeks of the year he is a kind, devout and devoted husband and father. But one week a year lain Paterson descends into a private hell of bestiality. Heavily under the influence of nicotine, he forces his son's pet monkey to perform bizarre, unnatural acts -such as driving the boat, making tea, eating curry -while he takes photographs of the poor creature for his own gratification. In the depths of his stupor he was even once known to piss in one of his companion's shoes during the night.
Stourbridge Sixteen Locks on the Stourbridge Canal, Steve and JOC
Tom and Steve look really happy playing cards which figured highly in early trips of the "modern era"
Iain and Steve at Wightwick Lock on the S & W.C.
Autherley Junction on the Staffs & Worcs Canal-  Steve and Jake (would you have theses two on your boat?)
Iain looks down from a narrow lock
Steve in the Royal Exchange, Stourbridge, 13th May 1991
Comton Lock on the S & W.C. We are about to scrape the paint off the moored boat.Magnification shows Jake driving and Steve talking to him rather than fending off.
River Seven (between Holt and Lincomb Locks), A fashion conscious young gentleman. A you can guess Tom provided the pictures and the captions.
Top (number 17) Lock (Wordsley junction, Stourbridge Canal), Dude, These couldn't have been the medium sized Waterproofs that a super salesman sold to him in Worcester in 1989. Of course not  he changed those for this boat's set.
The weather looks pretty good as we take on water John, Jake, Steve and Tom pose in their multi-coloured waterproofs
Dude and Jake at Bratch Lock on the S & W.C.
Kidderminster Lock on the Staffs & Worcester Canal