123 episodes
Nighttime on Still Waters Richard Goode
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- Society & Culture
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4.8 • 27 Ratings
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A narrowboat-based audio journal on canal life, living aboard, the elements, and the night. Perfect late-night listening for dreamers, insomniacs, night owls, nocturnalists, drifters, and nomads. For lovers Fagen's 'Nightfly', Auden's 'Night Mail', Hopper's 'Nighthawks' and the 'drifting sea-dark streets' of Dylan Thomas. For all those who used to listen to the transistor under your pillow, love the sound of distant trains and rain against the windowpanes, canals and drover's tracks, lost music, splashed puddles, fireflies and bats, hares by moonlight, windsong among pines, owl-light, the shipping forecast, and all the wonderful, terrifying, grand and tawdry avenues of the night. Cosy listening for bedtimes.
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In Praise of Locks (and lock-keepers)
There’s something almost indefinably special about canal and river locks. Tonight, I relate my struggle to outwit the ghost of Odd Lock as well as take time to celebrate the lock-keepers of old and their newer iteration – the volunteer lockie (I’m guessing at the spelling!)
Journal entry:
2nd June, Friday
“North easterly winds
Grey skies.
But there are five ducklings
Braving the bluster
And a swallow scissors low over
A meadow of buttercups.
This light makes the yellow Irises blaze."
Episode Information:
In this episode I read short extracts from:
Ernest Temple Thurston’s (1911) The Flower of Gloster re-printed (1972) by David and Charles.
Julian Dutton’s (2021) Water Gypsies: A history of life on Britain’s rivers and canals, published by Coles Books.
Ivan Broadhead’s (editor) (1994) Up the Cut: An anthology of inland waterways, published by Alan Sutton Publishing.
LTC (Tom) Rolt’s (1944) Narrow Boat now re-published by History Press.
I also refer to:
Sue Wilkes’ (2011) Tracing your Canal Ancestors: A guide for family historians published by Pen and Sword.
With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast:
Laurie and Liz, Phil Pickin, Orange Cookie, Donna Kelly, Mary Keane, Arabella Holzapfel, Rory and MJ., Narrowboat Precious Jet, Linda Reynolds Burkins,
Richard Noble, Carol Ferguson, Tracie Thomas, Mike and Tricia Stowe, Madeleine Smith.
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
All other audio recorded on site.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.
Support the showBecome a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
For pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoswPod Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message using the voicemail facility by clicking on the microphone icon. -
The Sun that Shone on Eden (still shines upon us here)
Come with me for a walk by the canal and I will show you something wonderful! This week we explore how names and memories have the power to root and reinforce our connections with home and tell us something very important about ourselves.
Journal entry:
27th May, Saturday
“Late afternoon sun slants into
The tobacco-coloured waters.
Fifteen or more carp weightless
Among the cow pastures of weed-drift.
With a flick of a tail, they all glide as one
In a lithe piscine murmuration
Look! They’ve formed the shape of a starling
Flying in a tobacco-coloured sky!”
Episode Information:
In this episode I refer to the work of Elinor Gwynn and Keith H Basso’s (1996) book Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and language among the Western Apache published by University of New Mexico Press.
With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast.
Laurie and Liz
Phil Pickin
Orange Cookie
Donna Kelly
Mary Keane.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory and MJ.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mike and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
All other audio recorded on site.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. It will also allow you to become more a part of the podcast and you can leave comments, offer suggestions, and reviews. You can even, if you want, leave me a voice mail by clicking on the microphone icon.
Support the showBecome a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
For pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoswPod Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message using the voicemail facility by clicking on the microphone icon. -
A Nightingale Sang (and the world listened)
This week marked the anniversary of what has been considered by many to be one of the most important cultural events of the twentieth century. Tonight, we try to recapture that moment and explore why its power to move still remains today.
Journal entry:
18th May, Thursday,
“Is there anything more beautiful
Than the softness
Of April and May light
While the clouds scramble
For height
Amid a sky of towering blue?”
Episode Information:
In this episode I read from:
Charlie Connelly (2020) Last Train to Hilversum: A Journey in the search of the magic of radio published by Bloomsbury Press.
Seán Street (2012) The Poetry of Radio: The colour of sound published by Routledge.
The nightingale song was recorded by ‘reinsaba’. You can access the full recording at Freesound.
With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast.
Laurie and Liz
Phil Pickin
Orange Cookie
Donna Kelly
Mary Keane.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory and MJ.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mike and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
All other audio recorded on site.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life on the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. It will also allow you to become more a part of the podcast and you can leave comments, offer suggestions, and reviews. You can even leave me a voice mail by clicking on the microphone icon.
Support the showBecome a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
For pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoswPod Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message using the voicemail facility by clicking on the microphone icon. -
Up on the Roof (Waiting for the rain)
We are back! Spring sunshine and showers are transforming the fields and the canal and it is wonderful to be behind the microphone once again!
The roof of a narrowboat can acts as a special extra room offering you panoramic views of a world of thee worlds. Why not climb up here and join us up on the roof of the Erica to enjoy rook play and the approach of a thunderstorm.
This episode is dedicated especially to Stu and Vania.
Journal entry:
10th May, Wednesday
“A game of Pooh-sticks and listening for the train.
The level-crossing gate feels warm in the sun.
The ground is spongy with rainfall and forget-me-not.
Rumours of thunder to the west.
Water dropwort and young leaf
The minglings of sunlight and water.
Chiffchaffs’ scissoring notes.
Erica among the bluebells.”
Episode Information:
All sound recordings for this episode were recorded canal-side in April and May 2023.
With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast.
Orange Cookie
Donna Kelly
Tony Rutherford
Mary Keane.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory and MJ.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mike and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
All other audio recorded on site.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. It will also allow you to become more a part of the podcast and you can leave comments, offer suggestions, and reviews. You can even, if you want, leave me a voice mail by clicking on the microphone icon.
Support the showBecome a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
For pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoswPod Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message using the voicemail facility by clicking on the microphone icon. -
The Three of Seven (At the conclave of oaks)
Tonight, the clouds are racing and the young moon has already dipped below the horizon. Spring comes roaring on the back of a raging southwesterly. Join the Erica on a windy March night as, with the help of Rory's favourite book, we explore the significance of the conclave of oaks on the hill top.
Journal entry:
21st March, Tuesday.
“Long day.
Darkness has long since fallen.
On the bank, the two swans emerge,
Glowing ghostly white.
Their beaks quietly nibbling the grass.
Night-time snacks.
They are my harbour lights
That guide me home.”
Episode Information:
In this episode I read an extract from Shel Silverstein’s (1964) The Giving Tree now republished in 2010 by Particular Books.
I also read a very short passage from Suzanne Simard’s (2022) Finding the Mother Tree: Uncovering the wisdom and intelligence of the forest published by Penguin Books.
With special thanks to our lock-wheelers for supporting this podcast:
Mary Keane.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory and MJ.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mike and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. It will also allow you to become more a part of the podcast and you can leave comments, offer suggestions, and reviews. You can even, if you want, leave me a voice mail by clicki
Support the showBecome a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
For pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoswPod Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message using the voicemail facility by clicking on the microphone icon. -
When blackbirds learn to sing
After a blustery week of wild, mad, March weather, why not join us tonight as we enjoy a sunny moment beside the canal and contemplate on the powerful word-play of some very old Celtic bards.
Journal entry:
17th March, Friday
“The sun is warm
To the west the clouds are Prussian blue
Like mountains of the imagination.
A woodpecker laughs
From somewhere across the fields
Which fill with lambs
And the sound of young
Calling to old.
A branch hangs whose scars are unhidden.”
Episode Information:
In this episode I read extracts from the following poems:
Amergin Glúingel: ‘The song of Armergin’
Taliesin: ‘An Unwelcome crowd.’
In also briefly refer to the following:
Miles Hadfield’s (1950) An English Almanac published by JM Dent and Sons.
Alexandra Harris’ (2015) Weatherland published by Thames and Hudson.
Hana Videen’s (2022) The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English published by Princeton University Press.
With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast.
Mary Keane.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory and MJ.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mike and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
All other audio recorded on site.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. It will also allow you to become more a part of the podcast and you can leave comments, offer suggestions, and reviews. You can even, if you want, leave me a voice mail by clicking on the microphone icon.
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
For pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoswPod Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message using the voicemail facility by clicking on the microphone icon.
Customer Reviews
Kindness and comfort
A friend introduced me to this beautiful podcast just when I needed it most, after the sudden death of my brother. The podcast host extends such kindness and hospitality across distance and difference. Hus observations, poems and stories affirm the cycles of life, death, and rebirth that are present in every season. I am comforted by the feelings of kinship with the little community, and it’s creatures - families of swans and ducks, the herons and others of the canal. I am grateful to Goode for putting this life into words and story, and offering connection and meaning.
Excellent!
A wonderfully done podcast. Richard Goode enthralls us with tales from along the cut that brings a smile, gentle laughter, and perhaps a tear or two. His style of presentation and the podcast itself bring forth a hint of nostalgia in his telling of these stories while also being informative about life on the English canals.
Like being wrapped in a cozy audio blanket
This is such a warm, cheering podcast in these dark, depressing times. Richard has a smooth, soothing voice, and he uses it to share vignettes of life on his narrowboat and of the natural world around him, as well as lovely stories and poetry.