Over the next couple of hours we exchanged information about ourselves, how we came to be here and what we hoped to gain from the course.
What was apparent that despite the length of time we had been on the waterways was the importance it had to us.
Me… I found it late in life but had learnt so much about wildlife, heritage but most importantly people and life.
Peter…. He had travelled to various parts of the world through his introduction to boats
Graham….. finding a latent talent of working with young people
Gary…… rekindling a talent of working with young people
Katrina……displaying a talent of working with young people
Yvonne…..not ‘just’ taking photographs but creating an image-replacing the need for a thousand words
Jack………re-igniting latent memories of Marc’s introduction to the waterways
Toren………..recapturing the spirit of his grandfather who had a boat
Most importantly the desire to become a member of the team.
Time to cast off and start learning:
Steering the boat
Operating a lock
Making the tea
Making lunch
…….. the activation of casual conversations.
Our destination was Knostrop Lock - only 1 mile away geographically.
300 years in the past with “Leeds Castle” -Middleton railway and the suspension bridge.
Up to date with the Leeds Waterfalls -deflatable weirs of the Flood alleviation scheme.
The future with the Post of Leeds at Stourton.
But envisioning the future with Leeds Beach, New York Art Studios and Leeds Nature Reserve.
We started the journey back but all of a sudden there was a scream of the engine in reverse – what was the emergency? A sighting of a kingfisher sat on a branch seeking it’s own dinner – a rare but precious image.
We passed through the City development heralding the Climate Innovation District.
The Lock House hosting new murals of the wildlife of the waterways but also some of the legends of Leeds but beckoning a future home for Canal Connections CIC combining our aspirations for education, heritage tourism and community hub.