What’s it like to live in…France on a canal boat
Last year Monica and Terry Darlington, 67 and 68, left Stone in Staffordshire for the Mediterranean via the canals of England and France. Together with their seasick whippet Jim, they braved the perils of the English Channel in their narrowboat 'Phyllis May' Why a narrowboat?We bought Phyllis May as a hideaway and, since retiring a year ago from the company I set up, we began to spend half the year on the boat. We started with the idea of sailing her from Stone to Carcassonne and writing a book that we were going to publish ourselves to give to our friends. All we had was the title – Narrow Dog to Carcassonne – but now we’ve sold both the book and film rights. How much planning did the voyage require? We spent two years on research and planning and getting more experience. Most experts we asked about sailing the Channel said we were stupid and were risking our lives. It had rarely been done in a canal boat, and only by master mariners. But we took on a pilot to chaperone us for the seven-and-a-half-hour crossing from Ramsgate to Calais. We parked Phyllis May in Sens for the winter but are now back on track towards the heart of Burgundy. You must need to be quite fit for this kind of adventure?Monica and I took up running in our forties and have done marathons in New York, Paris, Berlin, Boston, Athens, and 40 other marathons between us. How comfortable is Phyllis May?As I speak, Monica has gone to the launderette, but otherwise we lack for little. A wood-burning stove, diesel central heating, hi-fi, gas cooker, fridge, hip bath, shower, flushing lavatory, hot water, a more comfortable bed than back home, 240-volt power, a 26-foot saloon, laptops, e-mail, web access, flowers on the roof. But TV reception isn’t great. How helpful are the French?Very. The French normally provide free electricity and water on moorings and usually have a quay in the centre of town. We’ve had people go to enormous lengths to help us or invite us to their homes. We find them absolute sweethearts. Are you more tempted to dine out while in France?We eat out quite often, not expensively – but we didn’t begrudge the money on one or two posh meals in Paris. At one restaurant the head waiter brought a meal for Jim, our whippet, in a silver bowl. Have you made many new friends?People on boats make friends at once, but having Jim means you are always chatting to all sorts of people. Much of the population is daft about dogs and there are not many whippets here so people stop us in the street. There are lock-keepers, vets and people we meet in bars – I am an old tart, I’ll chat to anyone. Luckily, we both speak fluent French. What was your scariest moment?I was afraid all the way down to London, and when we left the docks, bound for Ramsgate and the Channel, I thought I would die of fright. Then I was all right. A bit like a marathon when the gun goes off. But within yards of reaching Calais, a Sea Cat ferry threw up a 6ft wall of water that nearly capsized us. Monica wasn’t afraid before the Channel crossing – the fear caught up with her in France and, for a couple of weeks, she became quite depressed. Do you have time to see the sights?The last thing we are likely to do is visit the local museum or go to see old paintings. The pleasure we get is seeing sights from the waterfront and meeting interesting people, such as the lock-keeper who turned out to be an expert on Jack the Ripper. Are your family allowed on board?Oh yes, when we are in England they enjoy it enormously. When the boat was a new toy, they used to borrow her. Our three children and five grandchildren are all very proud of us. Interview by T Brassey de Silva Fancy a break in France to find out if it's your dream place to retire? Visit Saga's holiday pages.
This article was created: 14 July 2006.
This article was last edited: 13 November 2006.
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