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We are open on bank holiday Mondays and have a late opening on the first Thursday of each month to 1930.
This video compilation is for anyone thinking of marriage or anyone who has attended a wedding at the museum - it has a jaunty tune and we think it is quite uplifting and a nice reminder of happier days. If you're thinking of marriage it paints a picture of what a wedding is like.
A compilation of images of weddings at London Canal Museum, running through a typical event from the arrival to the dancing at the end. Accompanied by an upb...
A quick promotional video for our Hanwell Locks virtual tour - a taster in a few seconds to tempt you to look at:
https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/hanwelltour/hanwell1.htm
Terry O'Connor (pictured at London Canal Museum) had fascinating memories to tell, which were recorded in 2009. His father was an illegal bookmaker, and they lived 100 yards from Paddington Basin. Terry made friends with the canal boat children despite the discouragement of his disapproving mother. He remembers what the boat families ate, what they wore, and the small school for boat children at Paddington, (which was in fact run by the Church of England). Hear him recaling the alphabet chants in a little song! This is an important memoir of the lives of the canal boat population in around 1930 as seen by a local lad who counted them as friends. This is a gem from our oral history collection and of interest to anyone who wants to learn a bit more about the social history of the canals.
https://soundcloud.com/canalmuseum/terry-oconnor
Terry O'Connor (pictured at London Canal Museum) had fascinating memories to tell, which were recorded in 2009. His father was an illegal bookmaker, and they lived 100 yards from Paddington Basin. Ter
New on Soundcloud, Bert Smith talking about his memories of the London Canal Museum building, a former ice warehouse that in the 1950s was used as a warehouse for Italian food. This will be of interest to people interested in food distribution and the changing tastes of Londoners. Pasta was a bit exotic!
Bert Smith describes the building that is now the London Canal Museum, a former ice warehouse, in the 1950s when it stored large quantities of pasta and other Italian foods for distribution around Lon
A new enjoy-at-home resource has been added to our website. A virtual tour of London's longest flight of locks at Hanwell includes recent and archive images, explanations of curiosities, and more. From the safety of home, go on a fascinating canal tour with us!
https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/hanwelltour/hanwell1.htm
Here are two recent pictures of a canal-related location somewhere in England. Can you name it?
Another narrowboat picture - this is the steam narrowboat President, preserved and working, pictured in 2012 at Stoke Bruerne. Get your family under 14s drawing for our draw-a-narrowboat competition:
https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/drawnarrowboat.htm
Forget me not. As well as the second world war we remember the first and we still have copies of this book about how canals were used by British forces in World War One in France and Belgium. http://lcm.me.uk/bo to get a copy.
Another new edited version of an oral history recording has been posted on our Soundcloud feed. George Smith was recorded in 2005. He can be difficult to understand so there is a transcript available athttps://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/collection/transcript-george-smith.pdf This transcript was made from the original not the edited version so will not be an exact match. George was one of the last to remember the days of family working boats and being brought up on them with all the hardships of living afloat from poor food to poor sanitation. This recording is one of the few we have of genuine boat people talking about their own memories of the often-romanticised days of painted boats on our canals.
George Smith was interviewed in 2005 by London Canal Museum at his home near Nuneaton. He grew up living on a boat and was one of the last of the generation that were brought up on working canal narro
On this anniversary day another posting of a picture of the two "Idle women" badges that we have in our collection from the second world war. They were worn by female boat crews keeping materials moving on the canals for the war effort.
Today we celebrate the end of the second world war, whilst in the middle of a different sort of struggle. Here are pictures of the late Herbert Arthur Farrand Radley (1916-2010) who was a great canal enthusiast and speaker on canal topics, and an active member of the IWA. He said little about his military past but was in fact something of a war hero having been an officer in the Special Operations Executive in Europe during the war.
There are oral history recordings of Farrand, as he preferred to be called, on the Imperial War Museum website and also on the London Canal Museum Soundcloud feed, covering these different aspects of his long and busy life.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80008570
https://soundcloud.com/canalmuseum/war-hero-turned-canal-hero
Pictures of Farrand are here, and also a sample of one of his pictures, taken at National Waterways Festival, Brentford, August 1986. We are fortunate to have his photo collection in the museum archive. He was the main founder of Cannie Cavalcade (Canalway Cavalcade) in 1983, which has continued every year until this year's necessary cancellation.
Farrand was always extremely modest about his achievements on the canal front, never mind the far more dangerous and brave work he undertook in the war. Let us remember this war hero turned canal hero on this anniversary day.
No need to beware of tractors now, they've all left the towpath. Learn about this important part of London's canal history tomorrow at 1930. Webinar link on http://lcm.me.uk/CV Free.
A recording of our interview with Author Carolyn Clark, about the book The East End Canal Tales, a social history of the working communities who lived worked and played besides The Regent's Canal in the years after World Ward Two.
An interview with the author Carolyn Clark, a community historian who has studied the working communities who lived worked and played beside the Regent's Can...
A reminder to register for our "Meet the Author" event this evening:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ResLGem1TwqHnQHYZHFeyA
Meet the author of this book, hear her answer questions and ask your own questions!! Free of charge, come in and listen from home.
Are you a Zoomer? If you use the popular video conference tool during these strange times and perhaps long-term, get our free backgrounds for Zoom. There is a choice of 12 attractive London canal scenes to use as your background so people will not see your untidy room!
https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/zoom-backgrounds.htm
Free canal background pictures for Zoom
Another narrowboat picture. Get those kids drawing narrowboats for our competition (https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/drawnarrowboat.htm) but adults can do all sorts of other things via our website and social media. See our updated home page, we're the online canal museum right now.
New posting on our Soundcloud feed - The Ice Delivery Man. Made in 2004, this recording is about memories of the final years of the traditional ice trade, using man-made blocks of ice. Hear about the rounds, the manufacturing, and a way of working that dated back to Carlo Gatti's day.
A recording made in 2004 of the son of an ice delivery worker who used to accompany his father. He has plenty to say about his memories and the family of Italian emigres from which he hailed. He descr
New posting on our Tumblr blog - a Tractor Driver's Day
https://canalmuseum.tumblr.com/post/617032335024685056/a-tractor-drivers-day-september-1st-2019
New on Soundcloud, the wide-ranging memories of the late Diana Guerney, a fighter for the survival of The Regenet's Canal and one of the founding trustees of the museum.
The late Diana Guerney was one of the founding trustees of the London Canal Museum but long before the museum existed was watching and fighting for the canal itself. She recalls seeing horse-drawn boa
The East End Canal Tales "Meet The Author" event is coming up on Tuesday and we are getting regular orders through the website and we're generally dispatching quite quickly using the Royal Mail print-your-own-label services. Register at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ResLGem1TwqHnQHYZHFeyA
and ask Carolyn your own questions about canalside working life in the 1950s and 1960s.
Another day, another narrowboat. Do get the kids drawing this weekend, and no, not drawing a salary or a pension, but drawing a narrowboat and entering in our draw-a-narrowboat competition.
https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/drawnarrowboat.htm
Today another narrowboat picture and a reminder that we're running a competition for the under 14s to draw a narrowboat picture and send in a digital version to win a price!
The competition runs on Facebook and you can read all the detail on a special web page:
https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/drawnarrowboat.htm
We don't get involved in politucs but the "Raise the Bar" campaign is directly relevant to the museum. Businesses like ourselves get no government support at all despite the huge loss of income during closure. Our rateable value is more than £51,000 so despite the loss of thousands every month we currently get nothing. The raise-the-bar campaign aims to persuade the government to increae the threshold, which would enable us to claim £25,000 - far less than the loss of income is expected to be, but a help all the same!
HELP US #RAISETHEBAR THE UK'S RETAIL, LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES NEED YOU SIGN THE PETITION TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT SIGN HERE Tens of thousands of shops, pubs, clubs, restaurants, hotels and leisure businesses on our High Streets, town centres and in our communities are currently unable to acce...
Now available to book: Live online wedding show-rounds. As close as you can get to a real in-person visit, you'll chat with our experienced venue manager as you run through a tour of the building in pictures, in the same order as you would have toured if visiting in person for a wedding viewing.
https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/venue/liveonlinetour.htm
Dates available for events with loud music
Today's narrowboat picture - we'll be posting one each day for a while. If you have kids, grandkids, etc they can enter our draw-a-narrowboat competition, it is completely free and there are prizes on offer for the best drawings.
Go to
https://www.facebook.com/canalmuseum/app/190076381016644/?ref=page_internal
to enter.
The full rules are available on our website but it is currently out of service due to an ISP issue - back soon, hopefully!
This recently-obtained picture shows two narrowboats and it is believed they are on The Regent's Canal. Can you identify the location? It could well date from the 1920s aswe can see horse transport in use. The bridge should identify the location along with the gasholders.
This is another inspiration to get your under 14s entering our draw-a-narrowboat competition with your help. For the details go to https://canalmuseum.org.uk/drawnarrowboat or find the competition tab on this page.
Keep the family busy at home and do something creative and fun by inviting your under 14 family members to enter our Draw a Narrowboat competition. Run on our page, it is free to enter and there are prizes to be won and the glory of winning awaits three talented artists! All they need to do is draw a picture of a narrowboat, then take a scan or photo of it, and upload it via the app on our page. The best three will win prizes. For the full details and the competition rules see https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/drawnarrowboat.htm and then enter using the Facebook app. We will also accept entries by e-mail as long as they include the same information. Use [email protected] Get the kids drawing!
Fill-in this short form and upload a picture of the masterpiece for your chance to win a prize!
We have published these two fascinating books and we are open for online orders. Buy both and we will refund £1.50. https://canalmuseum.org.uk/buy books.htm
There are many photographs around of Three Bridges, just up from Hanwell Locks, but this one on a postcard that we recently obtained, is a bit more interesting than most as there's a passenger train passing under the canal and the road above. No doubt someone will tell us all the class of locomotive and might be able to date the picture. The passenger service was withdrawn in 1942 so it is probably earlier than that.
The old and the new over time. The way is paved for you to buy the new edition! The original brown cover wasn't the most attractive, the new one features a picture of the portrait of Gatti that is still owned by his descendants, who kindly gave permission and a copy of the picture. This is a really interesting account of a rarely-told story about the ice trade and a remarkable man.
https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/books
Just added to our SoundCloud feed, a newly edited version of a recording with Richard, the last Horse Driver on The Regent's Canal. It is really entertaining, he tells stories of a way of life long gone, and you can sence the cameraderie of the workers, as well as a disregard for health and safety that we'd find rather shocking today. Horses were hard at work on London's canals until the 1950s and Richard still regretted their passing when interviewed in 2005. Sadly Richard is no longer with us.
https://soundcloud.com/canalmuseum/the-last-horse-driver-on-london-canals
Recorded by London Canal Museum in 2005, the late Richard Mack was possibly the last surviving horse driver of the London Canals. At the age of 20, fresh out of the Army, he got a job leading horses
The book has been launched and is now available to buy on our website at https://canalmuseum.org.uk/books at £12 including UK postage. Coffee and Ices, by Felicity Kinross, is the biography of Carlo Gatti, Swiss entrepreneur extraordinaire, and the builder of the London Canal Museum building. Obviously we're not selling it in the museum right now but we have arrangements in place to sell this by post, even though it won't fit in the post boxes shown in the pictures!
The webinar launching the second edition of Coffee and Ices starts AT 1930 here
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81188985172
Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...
12-13 New Wharf Road
London
N1 9RT
King's Cross Underground and main line stations are about a five-minute walk St. Pancras International station 10 minutes walk Caledonian Road and Barnsbury station (London Overground) and Euston stations are about a 15 minute walk. Buses 91, 17 (northbound) and 390 (southbound) stop in Wharfdale Road, 2 minutes from us. Numerous bus routes serve King's Cross station (5 minutes' walk)
A museum on two floors devoted to london's canals and to the victorian ice trade for which the building was originally constructed. The museum is situated alongside Battlebridge Basin on the Regent's Canal, which is something of an urban beauty spot. The building is a former ice warehouse. The exhibitions tell the story of London's canals, their horses, people, cargoes and engineering, and also of the ice trade.
| Tuesday | 10:00 - 16:30 |
| Wednesday | 10:00 - 16:30 |
| Thursday | 10:00 - 16:30 |
| Friday | 10:00 - 16:30 |
| Saturday | 10:00 - 16:30 |
| Sunday | 10:00 - 16:30 |
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A quick promotional video for our Hanwell Locks virtual tour - a taster in a few seconds to tempt you to look at: https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/hanwelltour/hanwell1.htm
May's monthly Illustrated talk
No need to beware of tractors now, they've all left the towpath. Learn about this important part of London's canal history tomorrow at 1930. Webinar link on http://lcm.me.uk/CV Free.
We have published these two fascinating books and we are open for online orders. Buy both and we will refund £1.50. https://canalmuseum.org.uk/buy books.htm
The launch of Coffee and Ices second edition
Forget-me-not as we look forward to an online book launch on Sunday evening. The book by Felicity Kinross is a biography of Carlo Gatti who built our building and imported vast amounts of ice from Norway. The webinar link is on this page www.lcm.me.uk/cv so do come and hear more. Bring your own wine!
Closing the door today, the last day of opening for an unknown period of time. We are now closed to the public for however long it takes. We will try to increase our Facebook offerings and keep you interested.
The tug Bantam IV has had various repairs and strengthening in the last few weeks and is now back in the water. We will soon be moving it back to King's Cross. There is still more to be done on painting, of course.
This Sunday, and Sunday 27th, are the last days of tunnel boat trips this year. Our guides travel with you to explain some of the history as you cruise. Tickets include a museum visit. Book at https://canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson/tunnel-trip.htm
The tug Bantam IV being lifted by crane out of the canal for hull survey and for planned maintenance work, October 2019.
The London Canal Museum tug Bantam IV being lifted out of the water by crane for planned maintenance, October 2019
A week of ear pics campaign for #emergefestival - we are open again tonight 1800 to midnight, bar available, bean bag lounge and listen to the #soundscape by @tomwhitesound so don't miss it tonight, #bringyourears @emergefestival #london
Watch Tom White, the sound artist who has created an immersive soundscape for @emergefestival #london speaking about what is in store for this weekend. Get tickets at https://canalmuseum.org.uk/emerge and remember, #bringyourears
The #emergefestival is tomorrow. We are open both nights. Cash bar. Lounge on a bean bag to take in the audio art of @tomwhitesound Make sure you #bringyourears This feline won't book online but you can. https://canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson/emerge.htm We are the most convenient location, near #kingscross station. Don't miss this.
On Friday, a festival like nothing that #london has seen before. #emergefestival 40 venues, one ticket, Hear an immersive sound art installation with us by Tom White. You will be glad you remembered to #bringyourears book at https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson/emerge.htm for the @emergefestival
Our horse won't hear the #emergefestival sound art installation but you can #bringyourears on Friday or Saturday. Book at https://canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson/emerge.htm #london #emerge @emergefestival
A slideshow of images of sound artist Tom White preparing for the Emerge Festival, 27th-28th September, at London Canal Museum, including images of the museum exhibits. The festival is a pan-London festival of art culture music and experiences organised by Culture24 . The London Canal Museum will be filled with sound, drawing on the history of the canals, the sounds of the canals, and the sounds associated with the hitoric ice import trade for which our building was built. Don't miss it. Book at http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson/emerge.htm
Slow Time is an immersive sound art installation at London Canal Museum for the Emerge Festival in London 27th-28th September. Designed by Tom White, it will draw on the heritage of the former ice warehouse, now our building, and on the history of the London canals. Not to be missed, this is part of the fabulous festival that spans across London, involving some 40 cultural venues.
Recording for the Emerge Festival with @tomwhitesound in the ice wells. #london #lates #festival. Book at https://canalmuseum.org.uk/emerge @emergefestival
We are gearing up for a fabulous sound art show on 27th-28th September for the Emerge Festival. Get your tickets at https://canalmuseum.org.uk/emerge
To book a tunnel boat trip go to https://canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson/tunnel-trip.htm
Sound artist Tom White visited an ice factory recently in preparation for the Emerge Festival at London Canal Museum. The festival is a cross-London museum lates event on 27th and 28th September. For an inclusive price get admission to around 50 venues, all offering something different from their usual daytime offer. London Canal Museum presents "Slow Time", an immersive audio experience around the exhibitions drawing on the museum's collections and the sounds of the canals and of ice.
We were delighted this morning to welcome Tony Byfield, who has helped us a great deal with his memories as a former London canal tractor driver. He is pictured sitting on our 1960 Wickham tractor. In some of these shots he is holding the book of his memories, which is available at https://canalmuseum.org.uk/books We are recording some more of his memories of tractor-haulage and operations this morning. It is a little-researched topic and there are still things we do not know. Tony recalls that in 1957 there were about 30 tractors in service, which would mainly have been Garner petrol tractors. He thinks about 12 of the Wickham tractors were built in 1960.
Adelphi afternoon teas are one of the attractions on offer for our Ice Heritage Weekend. http://lcm.me.uk/ihw Book now
Last weekend in July. Saturday: cream tea, music hall show, ice cream making demonstrations. Sunday: ice well visits. http://lcm.me.uk/ihw
The oracle speaks in the London Canal Museum ice well #artnight @artnightldn
Volunteers' annual boat party for national #volunteerweek thanking our wonderful team for all their work for the museum
On Saturday we welcomed NOMÒI Italian Contemporary Ensemble to the museum for the third year running. Here are a few of the best of our pictures of the performance, which was a beautiful spectacle in the atmospheric surroundings of the museum.
Rehearsals by @NOMOI Italian Contemporary Ensemble for tonight's performance. Starts 1930. http://lcm.me.uk/enm
Model cardboard boats stay afloat @canalmuseum
LSESU Economic History Society
1 Sheffield StThe Gravy Train and Roads to Recovery Exhibit
The Conference Centre, St Pancras Hotpital 4 ST Pancras Way
British Museum - Room 23: Greek and Roman scu
Great Russell Streeet
The Museum of Methodism & John Wesley's House
49 City Road
The Royal Air Force Museum ( RAFM, R.A.F.M)
Grahame Park Way
British Museum - Room 18: Greece: Parthenon
Great Russell Streeet
British Museum - Room 64: Early Egypt
Great Russell Streeet
