Some connections stay with you for life, often without you even realising it at the time. For Rob and Cal, that connection began in childhood and has shaped the way they experience canals to this day.
Rob, and Cal, far left, have always taken time out from their busy lives, on holidays afloat with family and friends
Inspired by the canals that have always been a calming, beautiful and treasured part of their lives, Rob and Cal began supporting our work many years ago. Today, as Friends of the Trust, they now give something back to help protect the waterways they care about, joining thousands of others who give regularly to keep canals open, working and alive.
Through our conversations with Friends and supporters, we often hear wonderful stories about the special place canals hold in people's lives. Today, we're delighted to share Rob and Cal's story, and the connection to waterways that has stayed with them for many years.
As for many of us, Rob and Cal’s lifelong connection with canals goes all the way back to a precious childhood memory. “My father was a very keen angler,” says Rob, “so I inherited an interest in river and canal fishing from him when I was about eight or nine. Our days out on the Shropshire Union Canal were my introduction to the beautiful canal network. I never really minded what fish I caught – for me it was about the experience of being out in the countryside, enjoying the nature and birdlife around us.”
Cal’s memories come from an even younger age. “I have a vivid and treasured winter memory from when I was just three or four. My dad would walk me to nursery along the canal towpath here in Chester."
Once they met and married, canals continued to be a constant in their lives thanks to everything from boating holidays with friends and family, to simple walks along the towpath with their dog.
They often escape to the canals of North Wales for a relaxing break
“Where we live now, I could follow a very busy road directly into town”, says Cal. “But why would I do that when just further along I can get onto the canal? It’s such a beautiful, peaceful, safe way to get into the city centre. The only traffic I see is a boat or two, chugging past.”
Rob and Cal became Friends to the Canal & River Trust, to make sure their canals stay this way. “You know, everyone walks along canals, stopping to enjoy moorhens or ducks looking after their chicks,” says Cal. “But people need to understand that canals don’t come for free. They need the same tender loving care to look after them.”
But those memories aren’t all idyllic. Rob remembers a very different picture in the 1960s, when he saw canals littered with discarded bikes and debris. Seeing how much they have recovered since then is something he doesn’t take for granted. “I know how close we came to losing them,” he says. “And I worry that if we don’t continue to invest in them, we could lose them again.”
It was delightful to welcome Rob and Cal (furthest left) to Lock 87 on Canal Street, Manchester, recently at one of our events
“We were lucky enough to be invited to attend a lock gate replacement event in Manchester recently. And that’s where we became even more aware of what a big task it is to care for canals”, continues Rob. “There are hundreds, even thousands, of lock gates that need to be replaced every 25 years, costing around £57,000 for the pair. That was a big surprise to me, and it’s a message that everyone who cares about our canals needs to hear.”
“Cal and I both worked in the nuclear industry, which is all about making long-term decisions and investing in the future. The same thinking applies to canals. That’s why we make our monthly contribution and have pledged a gift in our Will because we can't think of a better way of investing our money than keeping canal heritage alive for those who come after us.”
Rob reflects on a song by the Irish punk-folk poets The Pogues: “There’s a song called ‘The Navigator’, you should hear, which is all about the people who built our canals by hand and shovel. For me that’s a tremendous advertisement for the spirit that created the canal network. The lyric goes… ‘Rise up and be strong…’ and for me being a Friend to canals is wonderful way to do so.”
For Rob and Cal, being a Friend is their own personal way of protecting the places that have given them so much over the years. You can follow in their footsteps by becoming a Friend today. We’d be delighted if you do.
