Stories are for listening: Blisworth Tunnel (Ian Douglas)
Nighttime on Still Waters
English - November 20, 2022 14:00 - 33 minutes - 23.1 MB - ★★★★★ - 35 ratingsPersonal Journals Society & Culture Places & Travel narrowboat canal inland waterways liveaboard weather natural world elements nature night Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
As the nights draw in and the cosy glow of a fire gets evermore inviting, it is the perfect time to share stories. It is not surprising that ghost stories have an enduring appeal. Many stories of the canal feature them. Ghosts like the canal networks themselves create a link between our worlds and the past. Tonight we enjoy the skill of Ian Douglas’ retelling of a ghostly encounter at Blisworth tunnel and why these stories are important.
Journal entry:
18th November, Friday.
“Stainless steel
An empty room.
The stark coldness of strip lighting.
The white skirting board is scuffed.
The head-swimming bite of the scent of
Eugenol and dentistry.
I look around for old copies of Giles cartoon annuals
And dog-eared editions of Punch,
But there are none.
Outside oak leaves shimmer
Against an ocean of sky blue.”
Episode Information:
In this episode I read Ian Douglas’ account of the ghostly encounter in Blisworth Tunnel (and his epilogue) as told in his (2021) Folk Tales from the Canal Side published by The History Press.
You can watch David Johns’ (Cruising the Cut) own ‘ghostly’ encounter at the tunnel here: Is this a ghostly encounter at the Blisworth tunnel?
I also read a short extract from Storm Dunlop’s (2021) Weather Almanac 2022 published by Harper Collins and make a reference to Allan Scott-Davies’ (2010) book Shadows on the Water: The Haunted Canals and Waterways of Britain also published by The History Press.
The earlier episode on the liminal nature of canals is: Ep 5 ‘Down the cut’.
The soundtrack for the tunnel story was recorded cruising through Shrewley Tunnel in August 2021.
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is perform
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
For pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.