‘Can you write a half-hour ‘docupoem’ about your life on the canals?’ said Mair Bosworth, the BBC producer. Yes, I thought. Of course I can. Piece of cake. Easy.
Reader, it wasn’t easy. There were too many stories to tell. Broken rudders and glorious adventures; hangovers and heartbreaks; comical interludes with rude mechanicals (some ruder than others); moments of stillness in city backwaters; exhilarating trips and giddy canalside pubs; hearty adventures that nearly sank my boat. Which journey would tell the whole story of thirteen years afloat?
I explained the difficulty, and in passing mentioned my own recent commission – I had just ordered a new boat from X R & D. As its completion date got closer, I was getting ready to say goodbye to my first boat. We talked about falling in love with Tinker, about how much boat and skipper have changed together. ‘That’s your journey,’ said Mair. ‘Right there. Your time with Tinker, and how it feels to lose her.’
So that’s what I wrote. In mid-June the programme, Slow Machine went out on Radio 4 at 4.30pm. The response from boaters and bank-bound humans has been just amazing. If you want to hear it, it’s on iPlayer until mid-July – click here. Or if you’re reading this in time for the repeat on Saturday 25th June, it’s on late at night, 11.30pm.
In the meantime, here’s a little taster of those thirteen years, with thanks to all who have joined me on the journey so far. And if you feel a powerful need to buy my book, which includes some of the material from the show…. find it here.
The Tinker Years from Jo Bell on Vimeo.
The Bell Jar 
Looking forward to it. You are such a good writer of prose, any plans of a poetry/prose memoir?
Oh I say. Yes and no. But mainly no at the moment 🙂
I’m looking forward to your radio broadcast next week Jo! Usually at that time on a Sunday, I’m ironing my shirts for the forthcoming week.
What a lovely life with Tinker. We tend to remember the disasters (eg arriving at the boat to find 9″ of water in the cabin; getting wedged end to end against the banks and the pole breaks) but my overall memories are peaceful, studded with herons.
great action and poetry on nationwide advert brilliant jude x >