Community directory

Speaker Ken Cain - Canals, Sailing Barges, Hertfordshire Curios (Potters Bar)

Sprits'l Ahoy:
Thames sailing barges their past and present.
These are the ones with the big red sails that plied around London and the East Coast in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. They were handled only by a Skipper and his Mate, (sometimes with the skipper's wife acting as mate). The talk is about their history, the cargoes they carried, their races and the some of their adventures.

Travels Along the Towpath:
A view from the towpath from the Thames at Brentford to the Canal Summit at Tring.
This is a very picturesque walk of some 40 miles along the Grand Union Canal and a look at what can be seen from the towpath along the way, together with a little history.

The Regents Canal:
A view from the towpath, from Limehouse to Little Venice near Paddington.
The pictures cover the eight and a half miles of a waterway that is not so well known as the Thames but interesting in its own right. Contains some historic surprises.

Walking The Lea:
Mainly views but with some snippets of history.
This is a picturesque walk from the town of Hertford and down the Lea Navigation to The Thames.

Canals and the People:
Looking at their past and present.
This talk covers how and why the canals began, the people who worked on them and some of their customs and traditions, also how we use them today and what points of interest to look out for.
The emphasis is on the pictorial aspect rather than on any heavy lecturing.

Quaint & Quirky Hertfordshire:
Some of the lesser known and curious snippets of history in and around the county, with many suprises.

Ghouls, Graves and Ghosts:
A talk mainly about some of Hertfordshire's strangest characters, the circumstances of their internment and what happened next!! Interspersed with several lighter items and some less gory stories.

The New River:
It's not new and it isn't a river. It has a history stretching back to the Tudor times but still supplies London with clean water. It used to run from Ware in Hertfordshire to Islington, meandering for nearly 40 miles. Although much shortened, its old course is still traceable and holds a few surprises.

A Glimpse of the Northern Isles:
A brief but very pictorial visit to the Isles of Orkney, Shetland, The Faroes and Iceland. With Geysers and waterfalls.

All the talks contain high quality slides and last from about 45 minutes to 1 hour but can be adjusted if required. All equipment supplied.