2001 may turn out to be one of British Waterways' best years for publishing cards. Following a set by Lapworth Office late in 2000, Braunston Office was first off the press in 2001 with their five cards featuring local views. Then Grand Union South produced a staggering twelve cards for the IWA festival at Milton Keynes in August. The GUS set comprises six recent colours of the canal between Cowley and Stoke Bruerne matched by six historic black and white views spread along the same length.

Grand Union Canal 3 (GUC3) Restoration on the Wendover Arm

The same print run produced four Postercards, two of which have waterway theme. CAN3 reproduces a 1984 Bradford tourist poster of Bingley Five Rise and was funded by BW and Bradford Council.

Grand Union Canal 9 (GUC9) Admiral towing a butty, Berhamsted, 1948

The other Postercard with a waterway theme is WLPC1. It depicts a poster promoting the West London Postcard Club. The poster reproduces part of an Edwardian postcard, an artist's view of the Thames at Richmond. The two other cards, WLPC2 and 3, feature similar posters showing views of the Chiswick High Road and Ealing's Haven Green.

More recently BW's London Region has published a modern sepia view of Limehouse Basin with alternative backs. The original need was for an acknowledgment card to replace the "green" card of Little Venice, but extra cards with a normal back have also been printed for sale.

Finally, a set of four cards portraying a children's mural on the Northampton Arm has been published by the Northampton Canal Partnership, a joint project funded by BW and the County Council.

Latest London Region Card: "Limeshouse Basin, Regent's Canal"

Yet to come, but unlikely before you read this, are five cards promoting biodiversity. They each feature different cutaway cubes of waterway habitat showing the variety of wildlife they host.

All the cards are continental size and available from the various BW sources.

---

Return to 2002 Table of Contents