Puzzle Description

Swanning Along (G2720) is a 250XL piece puzzle by Richard Macneil. The puzzle measures 34 x 49 cms. when complete.

Narrowboat ‘Swansong’ barely disturbs the wildlife as she glides silently along the canal at a sedate 3mph, taking in the country air. A friendly inter-village bowls match completes the picturesque views from onboard; even the kingfisher seems to be watching expectantly! Canals have been part of the UK transportation landscape for two thousand years and date back to Roman times. By building canals that would travel downstream, even at a very slight incline of only a few degrees, heavy goods could be transported easily and inexpensively across Roman Britain. It really wasn't until the invention of steam engines eighteen hundred years later (and the railway), that canals fell out of use and into disrepair.

Recently canals and barges have made a comeback mostly thanks to individuals who prefer the quieter lifestyle. There are thousands of individuals who seek a life that is both connected to and at the same time separate from the hurly burly of cosmopolitan life by living on the river. One challenge to such a quest is that most barge dwellers are required to change their docking every couple of weeks. As you can imagine, being close to public transport, or at least within a reasonable bike ride to work, those types of moorings are highly desirable. Yet, for all that, there doesn't seem to be a rush when it comes to the time time to move. Naturally, there are many moorings available on the more far flung reaches of the canal network where moving and finding a new location is hardly a challenge. Despite the appeal of barge living it can be quite uncomfortable in the winter months as heating a (mostly) wooden vessel has its own special requirements. Perhaps due to the long and narrow size and shape of of the barge, prices for barges have remained pretty constant if you were to compare the prices to those of houses say, in the greater metropolitan region of London. There are also commercial barges once again running along the canals of London. All in all, canal life is alive and well in Britain, especially in the warmer and flatter regions of the south east.

Swanning Along is made from 100% recycled premium recycled board and can be made time and time again without showing any ill effects.

***All orders shipped from Canada Puzzles are packed in custom fitted, heavy duty cardboard boxes and are fully insured against loss or damage.***