Canal Boat Diaries, Series 6: Behind the Scenes of Episode 1
Here we go again! Ever wondered how Canal Boat Diaries is made? What really happens behind the scenes? Or simply why British people complain about it being too hot when it’s only 26/79°F?!In this episode, I will answer all those questions and more, as I provide a sort of director’s commentary retracing our journey from Napton Junction to Aynho Wharf.Canal Boat Diaries, Series 6 is broadcasting each Monday and Tuesday on the U&Yesterday channel and on the free U app which currently hosts all episodes from series one onwards.Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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31:57
Talking Series 6 with Producer Stu
Hop aboard for a cruise down the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal with myself and the canal geek genius producer behind Canal Boat Diaries, Stuart Woodman. With over 30 years in telly, producer Stu and I enjoy a bit of barge banter and spill the beans on our one-of-a-kind reality/history/travel show. We talk about working without a script, how we plan the journeys, how long it takes to film an episode and loads more.We also share a few moments from the sixth series (no spoilers don’t worry) which starts on the U&Yesterday channel and U app from the 19th May.Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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23:59
The Light at The End of the Tunnel
Imagine gliding through Braunston Tunnel, a 2,042-yard passage dug in 1796. Your narrowboat’s light flickers on damp, iron-streaked walls. In this episode, I’ll take you inside this marvel—4.8 meters wide, 3.76 meters high, with a slight S-bend from shifting soil and three air shafts. It’s just wide enough for two 7-foot boats to pass.Heading north after filming series six of Canal Boat Diaries, I contend with engine noises and spider webs, finding an eerie calm in the tunnel’s hidden story.Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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19:58
Going Through a Lock
I’m taking you through Cosgrove Lock on the Grand Union Canal—engine humming, lock gates creaking, water rushing as I work the paddles. It’s a sunny spring day, cherry blossoms are out, and after a long, muddy winter, I’m finally moving.Simon, a continuous cruiser, lends a hand and we chat about why days like this—calm, bright—make it all worthwhile. It’s real-time canal life: the windlass clanks and the boat steadies. No polish, just the water, the quirks, it’s a raw slice of the cut.Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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11:20
River Rage
It’s not all roses and castles as they say! This is a whole side of boating that I don’t think I’ve ever talked about. River rage – disagreements and arguments that often occur when waterways users lose their cool after a long day living the good life! A boater’s £4,000 fine for disrupting a rowing regatta was the subject of a radio phone in that I took part in recently. So, in this episode I share some true stories of my own experiences from the rivers Thames, Weaver and Ouse.Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is produced by Urban Podcasts.
I'm Robbie Cumming, and this is my Canal Boat Podcast where I'll be taking you on a journey behind the scenes on my TV show Canal Boat Diaries, letting you in even further to my little world on the waterways.
Whether you're a boater or live on land, Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Podcast is for anyone who enjoys looking at life a bit differently.
New episodes every fortnight, so don't forget to subscribe to keep it cranking.'
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