Carol Davies at Dunham shares her memories of canal-life

Fred Shufflebotham (left) and Mr Sanders (centre)

Carol Davies at Dunham gave this fantastic and rare photo of  working boatmen...her grand-dad was a boatman; repairing the Bridgewater Canal...
''my Grandads name was  Fred Shufflebotham.  His horse was called Shoggy.  When Grandad retired they took him to Canal House at Runcorn and gave him a ride on a working narrow boat apparently he wasn't very impressed (can't think why!!!)''
Carol is sharing with us her memories of the smallholdings at Dunham and showing the wharves that used to take the produce to Manchester markets by canal

'Remembering the Food Cycle' project begins

Filming for Forgotten Fields project - Ashton Basin

The Kindling Trust have been awarded a grant from Heritage Lottery Fund to research and present their latest heritage project, 'Remembering the Food Cycle'.
With the grant we hope to find out about the collection of 'Night-soil' and 'sweepings' (human and horse manure); its transportation from the streets of Salford and Manchester along the Bridgewater Canal, and its use on the surrounding fields to be spread as a fertiliser. 
Crops were then carried back to the markets of Manchester to feed the ever expanding population.
We plan to conduct intergenerational research to record memories of these practices:
Hoping to demonstrate some of the techniques in workshops;
Organise training in recording, interpretation and presentation of the findings;
and re-enact some of the moments from this mysterious process.

We would particularly like to hear from the descendants of the canal-boat people or night soil collectors as their history is really in danger of being lost.

If you would like to get involved by volunteering;
if you have any memories you would like to share about this part of our food heritage, some photos or memorabilia;
or if you would like to be involved in archival research;
please email fiona@kindling.org.uk
many thanks...
There's a lot to find out!