Walking Home (In fading light)

Nighttime on Still Waters

As a family, we gained a reputation for the way our 'short walks' often turned into marathon hikes which invariably meant staggering home long after dark (usually without a torch). In this week’s episode I reminisce on the lessons learnt, their prescient significance, and living in a culture that does growing old and dying so astonishingly badly.

Journal entry:

24th February, Saturday.

“Cloud cliffs, grey and climbing
Early spring sunshine
Catching the stonework traceries
And Benedictine flint and brickwork.

The hub of politicking and commerce
Silenced by the wheel-turn of centuries.
Now trees stand where monks walked
And daffodils nod in silent prayer.

An hour of gentle talk and laughter
Among such emerald greens of spring.
And crows bathe in the Stiffkey brook
As the wayside flames with primrose,
Crocus, and snowdrop.

Later, vast flights of wild geese fly south
Along the coastline.”

Episode Information:

This episode comprises largely of family recollections, but please note that it also touches on the themes on death and dying.

With special thanks to our lock-wheelers for supporting this podcast.

Chris and Alan on NB The Land of Green Ginger
Captain Arlo
Rebecca Russell
Allison on the narrowboat Mukka
Derek and Pauline Watts
Anna V.
Orange Cookie
Donna Kelly
Mary Keane.
Tony Rutherford.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory with MJ and Kayla.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mark and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith

General Details

In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.

Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.

All other audio recorded on site.

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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.