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James Steckerl and his wife Janice enjoy watching the world go by at a leisurely pace.
For James, who worked as a management accountant with BT for 15 years, took early retirement - and bought a narrowboat. And, for the last five years, he and Janice have spent every summer cruising around Britain in their boat, called 'Two Jays' (after their initials). James, 60, said: "It's the most relaxing way to travel - though you get plenty of activity too, as on most canals you have to work the locks yourself. "There's a constant change of scenery, as you go through or moor up in a variety of different places. You often get to see parts of the country that are completely cut off from the rest of the world. "It's a popular retirement activity - and it's very sociable too. You get to meet lots of new people, some of whom you get to know and occasionally you meet up with them again in a different location. "But mostly they are passing acquaintances and you just chat to each other when you moor up in the evenings." James, who joined BT in 1984, worked in the Reading area (later Thamesway district) as a management accountant and later in Group Finance before retiring in 2001. Janice, 59, had also taken early retirement from her job as a primary school teacher. |
"We had first hired a narrowboat in the mid-1980s and had been on three or four boating holidays," said James. "So we decided we wanted to buy a boat as a way to enjoy our retirement.
"We visited various boat shows around the country, including one run by the Inland Waterways Association, so we could decide what sort of boat we wanted. "Then, in July 2001, we ordered our boat, which was fitted out at a yard on the Norfolk Broads. This is unusual, as most narrowboats are built at boatyards by canals. The yards generally employ a small team of people, and just produce a couple of boats a year. "Our boat was delivered in June 2002 - slightly later than planned. We had arranged the launch party with all our friends to coincide with my birthday in April, so in the end, we had to hold the party without the boat! "We let out our house near Maidenhead and started living on the boat straight away. And we've been living on board ever since." During the past five years, James and Janice have travelled all round the country. They have crossed London from Limehouse in the east and been up the Thames as far as Lechlade. They've been down to Bristol on the Kennet and Avon canal, and up the Bristol Channel/River Severn (accompanied by a pilot), going under both the M4 and M5 bridges. |
The furthest west they have been is Llangollen in Wales; the furthest east has been Boston in Lincolnshire; and the furthest south has been Godalming in Surrey.
"We've also been down the Trent to Keadby, near Hull; travelled up north as far as York and Ripon; and been across the Pennines to Leeds, Blackburn and Liverpool - though you can actually get up as far as Carnforth," said James. "We tend to cruise around the country from the beginning of April to the end of September. Then, in the winter, we usually lock up our boat and leave it in a marina or on a towpath mooring. "Generally we then fly out to the Algarve in Portugal, where we rent a property for the winter months. At the moment, we're staying at a marina in Windsor, as I'm recovering from a cataract operation - but we're hoping to go to Portugal again soon." So what about their family? James and Janice have a son Carl, 36, who has three children and a daughter Ann, 33, who has a daughter. "They come and visit us sometimes - but we had our boat designed for just the two of us, so there isn't any room for them to stay," said James. 'Two Jays' is aptly named, then… *Anyone who would like to contact James and Janice or follow them on their travels around the country can visit their website at www.twojays.co.uk |