Meet Bill

I am Bill, I retired from work in 2011 and was seeking new interests in my retirement. I have sailed dinghies all of my life, and had owned a narrowboat for a number of years. British Waterways had just started recruiting volunteer lock keepers and I started on the Napton Flight on the South Oxford Canal.

The flight is very quiet with no noise from near-by roads and there is a good range of wildlife to watch. It is a pleasure to see the gatekeeper and other butterflies at the right time of year. Two sedge warblers, with their unmistakeable song, have just returned, hopefully to stay all summer. It is a wonderful place to spend a day helping boater

Great satisfaction

There is great satisfaction to be had; some boaters need help, some want help, and many are glad of the assistance we can provide. It gives a warm feeling when a boater asks whether I will be there for the return journey. “Not necessarily, but someone will be”.

On one occasion, when walking along the towpath, I saw a man sitting on a lock gate while a boat slowly nudged it open. As I wondered what to say (I am not a policeman), the helm said: “My husband is blind, I don't like him crossing the locks. I am disabled and cannot get off to help him.” I helped them through the flight and urged them to keep on boating as long as they could, there would always be people willing to help them.

The companionship of my fellow lock keepers is not to be underestimated. The conversation over the lunch break and during quiet spells is an important part of the day.