Branscome Companies

Jim Durrette and wife Betty celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary this past April in England on the Trent and Mersey canal. They arrived in London for a brief visit but later ventured off to the outskirts of Nottingham for a 6-day “Narrowboat” tour of the countryside.

Narrowboats are special boats built for cruising the inland canals of Britain. These boats were originally built and used in the 1800’s to move cargo to and from London. Narrowboats are typically no greater than 8 feet wide but are as much as 45 feet long.

Jim was appointed Skipper of his Narrowboat which allowed him to go no faster than three miles per hour. They traveled through the countryside side of England, stopping at pubs along the way for meals (and more) during their six days on the water. Going at the maximum speed allowed in these boats, Jim covered a whopping 24 miles in 3 days, at which point he turned around and headed back to Sawley’s Marina before taking a train back to London.

Jim highly recommends a “Narrowboat Holiday” to take time to slow down and enjoy friends and family.