14 July 2018 Canal Boat canalboat.co.uk
AND FINALLY...
The Canal & River Trust has
given a major boost to rare
aquatic flora and fauna on the
Montgomery Canal, one of
Britain’s most picturesque
canals, with a £320,
dredging and vegetation
management programme.
A stretch of over 1¼ miles of
un-navigable waterway has
benefited from a major
excavation of the overgrown
channel, removal of dead and
fallen trees, trimming of
overgrown trees and
vegetation, and extensive bank
repairs.
This will create clearer, more
oxygenated water, which in turn
promotes the growth of healthy
plants and animals. Amongst
the species to benefit will be the
endangered water vole, as well
as dragonflies and the rare
aquatic plant Floating Water
Plantain.
Mark Weatherall, project
manager with the Canal & River
Trust, said: “It is vitally
important to keep the
Montgomery Canal in goodhealth. If the water channel
becomes choked with weeds,
the water quality quickly
deteriorates and becomes
stagnant.”CANAL BOAT NEWS
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Beating stagnation
Kat (played by Natalia Tena)
and Eva (Oona Chaplin) are a
thirtysomething couple living
on widebeam boat Tipsy Otter
among the London canals’
liveaboard community, in this
far-from-mainstream romantic
comedy film. Nothing interrupts
their carefree existence – until
the untimely demise of their cat,
Chorizo. “We can get another
cat”, suggests Kat, but when her
Spanish friend Roger (David
Verdaguer) arrives to stay,
leading to a wildly alcoholic
night on board, Eva reveals that
she has other ideas. Nursing
monstrous hangovers the next
day, they discuss their
drunkenly formulated plan to
start a family: but yes, they’re an
all-female couple, so this is
where Roger comes in...
There’s plenty of humour but
some serious issues too, as the
film raises the subjects of
surrogacy, adoption and
complex relationships, and putsacross the tensions that develop
between the three of them (and
potentially four in the future).
And while it contrasts the manic
modern life on London’s streets
with the calm of the canal, it
doesn’t pretend that boating is
all idyllic – from mentions of
continuous cruisers having to
move on, and the challenges of
raising a family afloat, to an
Elsan-emptying scene that isn’tfor the weak-stomached.
In fact all in all the film
doesn’t pull any punches –
whether it’s the strong language,
scenes concerning the precise
method of Roger’s contribution
to Eva’s future motherhood, or
the nature of the women’s
relationship. But for the
broad-minded (and we aren’t
talking about boat widths here!)
there are some laughs and some
thought-provoking moments, all
set against the background of
the London canals. And if it
sometimes isn’t quite your thing,
well, you can always enjoy
identifying the well-known
waterways locations – we
spotted Paddington Basin,
Islington Tunnel, Mile End, and
several places on the lower Lee
Navigation, including, naturally,
the waterside pub in Clapton
which shares its name with the
film.
Anchor and Hope is in UK
cinemas from 20 July.The makers of Aperol,
the orange-coloured
ingredient in Venice’s
well-known aperitif the
Aperol spritz, have hit on
a novel way to spread the
drink’s popularity further
afield – by taking a little
bit of Venice with them.
The Aperol Big Spritz
Social in East London’s
trendy Shoreditch will
feature an ‘Aperol Canal’.
Yes, they’ll be creating a
pop-up canal inside the
Shoreditch Electric Light
Station venue, so you can
row a boat on its orange
waters (we don’t think
they’re actually going to
fill it with Aperol!) as you
sip your spritz. But we
couldn’t help wondering –
why didn’t they just hold
the event on the Trent
& Mersey at Harecastle,
where the water’s already
just the right colour?App of the month
As the weather warms up,
find a spot to moor the boat
and head onto dry land for a
spot of walking, cycling or
hiking with the help of the
Komoot app.
Follow highlights from
walking enthusiasts, cycling
pros and avid hikers with the
Komoot Community’s
favourite places.
Upload your own
recommendations with
photos and GPS tracking of
your journeys. Your first
region is free, then additional
regions come at a one-time
price or download the
complete package for £29.99.
Komoot is free to download
from Google Play and the App
Store- itunes.apple.com/gb/app/
komoot-cycling-hiking-
routes-gps-navigation/
id447374873?mt= - play.google.com/store/
apps/details?id=de.komoot.
android
REVIEW:
Anchor and Hope
Above: Vital dredging
work will help flora and
fauna on the Montgomery