John,
My parents used to moor their boat at Preston Brook. Chocolate Charlie would always stick his head out when we passed. I think more to see if my parents ex. Thos. Clayton butty "Erne" was still afloat! Young Charlie Atkins used to be up at Middlewich and looked after the Ferrett which is now also at Elesmere Port. Another well known working boat family the "Tolley's" used to live just after the southern portal of Barnton tunnell by the what was then Red Lion pub. Sadly almost all of the old working boat people have now passed on. What is worse is that so much of their knowledge and experiences has either gone unrecorded or corrupted by canal folk lore leaving a rather distorted picture of life working on the boats.
John
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