I enjoy walking along the canal towpath and I had to go to the Post Office this morning hence this blip.

It's not been as wintry here compared with other parts of the country, but it was -2 nonetheless and I'd forgotten my scarf so kept a good pace to keep warm.

The narrowboats on the left are kept as pleasure craft but the one on the right is a traditional, open hulled barge that is lived on all year round. It used to carry whatever goods need transporting (probably coal originally). The living accommodation is situated in a small section at the rear of the barge.

The barge is owned by a young woman who, having been born on a narrowboats herself, tried living on land but couldn't settle and so returned to the water.