Boats are tourist attractions

[cheshire~rose]

A tenuous link might be that Shakespeare lived in Stratford and that has a canal!

 

Beyond that I don't know!

[DeanS]

Can you explain the relevance of Shaka's spear and Shakespeare to canal infrastructure, its boats, and history please.

 

Sure. Shaka was the king of the Zulus, who populated the east cast of South Africa. The assegai was a long spear, which he found cumbersome, so he developed a shorter fighting spear which forced his warriors to get up close and personal with their enemy. This was a miltary turnaround for the Zulus, and made them a fearsome force. In South Africa, white school students were forced to recognise this and study it. Since I was born in Durban, which was previously Port Natal, a port used by the British when landing in Africa, we were also forced to study that historical bard Shakespeare. The reason, is that Shakespeare was held up as an important export of Britain, to make sure English children in South Africa learnt English properly (God forbid we were left to learn local slang which was tainted with Dutch influences). So, history, influences WHO a person becomes. I am a South African, but today I find I've returned to that bards homeland...because I was told where I hailed from. In the same way, English kids, and adults alike, should have a deep understanding of what Britain has developed on it's own island. The fact that many "navis" toiled the ground for thousands of miles developing the canal system which sweeps the country, let alone the phenomenal engineering that allows boats to travel up hills, as well as the growth of the ceramics industry , who used barges instead of horse drawn cart along unstable cobble streets, I personally feel that CRT and other historic organisations aren't really getting the point across to the public that the waterways are not a modern "alternate lifestyle" thing, but an extremely important resource which needs the likes of many boaters who love it, to keep it as a national heritage, not a local tipping area.

 

Does that suffice?

Edited May 8, 2013 by DeanS

[luctor et emergo]

Oi

 

Nou kijk 's hier, niks mis met Nederlands.

[Derek R.]

An interesting explanation, but appears to be based upon the lack of a wider perspective in the education systems at large. It was obscure, and remains so.

 

I learned of some Shakespeare plays at school (in England) and learned to avoid any such if possible preferring a railway embankment to cop numbers (steam engine numbers). I had heard of Zulus, but knew nothing of them not having been taught of them at school. Most of a persons education is gained from after school is left - and it never stops. Should we blame the education system - or ourselves?

 

If CRT are at fault, we have yet to see that fault, as most of their inherited problems are from the previous custodians (some might say vandals). But like our railway and road networks, much has changed along the wayside. Only the privatised branch lines and transport museums hold keys to our historical past. It is not to the private boater one should aim a desire to consider the canals as historic artefacts - most are well aware of this already. It is to the property developer and Council alike - but your chance of any sway in that direction is close to nil.

 

Interesting to learn that the Zulu word for the short spear came from the sound it made when pulled from the body - Ikwla. Not unlike the sound of shopping trolleys pulled from the mud. (I suppose there had to be relevance somewhere).

[DeanS]

An interesting explanation,

 

yes, it took a lot of work.

[Rob-M]

Educating on the history of the canals is what the Heritage Working Boat Group do. As a CRT volunteer group we travel around the Midlands attending events and running school education events with the CRT Explorers to show people working boats and talk to them about the canals and what life was like working on the canals.

[bizzard]

A tenuous link might be that Shakespeare lived in Stratford and that has a canal!

 

Beyond that I don't know!

Stratford!! canal!!!. Not exactly I don't think. The River Lea and Bow back waters are not far away though.