CIEL

First introduced to the Grand Union at the age of 7 upon relocation to Yiewsley, Middx and attending St Stevens Primary School alongside it. Mucked about in, on and underneath the canal in that area - Stockley, Yiewsley, Cowley and Uxbridge during ensuing school years.  At age 13 started at Southall Secondary Technical School - not the college - travelling to and from by GWR steam train from West Drayton station platform 4/5 overlooking the canalside wood yard.  First holiday hire was summer 1967 on Willow Wren boat Plover where I met the girl I married in 1969.  Our first boat in 1970 was a 17ft 6in Shetland named Edmina originally based at Iver Boat Yard and then Denham Yacht Station.  Then came a project boat, a 45ft part built Admiral Line Hire Co bankrupt stock shell also kept at Denham YS.  Work relocated me to Sheffield and the project went to Stanilands at Thorne where it acted as the gatekeeper to the yard from about 1977 to the mid 80's.  Needless to say it never got completed and was sold on.  Canal interest was maintained with my brother's self fit out of 45ft Springer (Nudge Nudge), hiring from Star Line at Upton on Severn, hire on Canal Du Midi and using anyone else's boat we could lay our hands on.  Came back South in mid 90's to Hemel Hempstead, then Stevenage and now St Neots.  Bought a 25ft Spire Craft (Primrose) on the Great Ouse in 2001 and then a 36ft new build by Eastern Caravans and Narrowboats of Peterborough.  Launched Ciel at Earith in 2007 and it's moored outside our apartment.