- 4 weeks ago
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00:00Do you trust me?
00:01Do you trust me?
00:02And we're off.
00:04Imagine starting your life all over again.
00:07Where is Ben?
00:08I'm needed.
00:09Ben, you're needed.
00:10Leaving behind everything you know.
00:12Just a bicycle, suitcase, no money.
00:15That's all I had.
00:16For something completely different.
00:18Uh, number nine, let me take this off.
00:20Number nine.
00:21Number nine.
00:22Number nine.
00:23I'm Ben Fogel, and over the next few weeks,
00:26I'm going to live with the incredible people
00:28who've done just that.
00:29I'm a born fighter.
00:31And that's what I do get a kick out of.
00:33For a long time, I thought I was stupid.
00:36But I'm a good salesperson,
00:38and I'm still on this mountain hard.
00:40In some of the most remote places on Earth.
00:43There is no restaurants.
00:45There is no bars.
00:46There is no nothing.
00:47You know, we didn't think that we were going to come up here
00:49and not see humans for three to four months at a time.
00:52And see what it takes to live a new life in the wild.
00:57That is a quick way to take down a tree.
01:09Today, my journey keeps me surprisingly close to home,
01:13as I head to Cheshire in the north-west of England.
01:16Nice big push.
01:1718 tonnes.
01:19Look at that.
01:21I'm staying with Dave,
01:23who, through personal tragedy...
01:25After waking up in the hospital,
01:27I knew my life had to change.
01:29...found himself with nowhere to go.
01:32I couldn't afford to live in a flat or a house.
01:35I wouldn't be able to afford the bills.
01:37And how he found hope on England's canal network.
01:41Oh, you've scratched my bow.
01:45Sorry.
01:47One of the last ways to live wild in the UK.
01:56Nature is my healer.
01:57And it saved my life, yeah.
01:59I've driven 150 miles from my home in Oxfordshire
02:05to Macclesfield in Cheshire.
02:14Historically, this is a really industrial part of the country.
02:18Silk and cotton were produced here in these big factories.
02:23You don't think of this as being a particularly wild part of the United Kingdom.
02:29But we're also just on the edge of the Peak District.
02:34So, wildernesses within reach.
02:41As I leave town, the greener the scenery becomes.
02:44And soon, I arrive at my destination.
02:50All right, I have to find a canal boat.
02:52My host, Dave, has told me he's waiting somewhere along this stretch of canal.
03:01But I haven't seen anyone at all.
03:07I grew up near Little Venice in central London
03:10and always dreamed of calling a canal boat home.
03:15Look, there she is.
03:17She's beautiful.
03:18You know, in a parallel life, I could have lived on one of these.
03:26Morning!
03:27Hey!
03:28You must be Dave.
03:29How are you?
03:30I'm good, thank you.
03:31How are you?
03:32Sweeping off the autumn leaves.
03:33Yes!
03:34Yes!
03:35This is the time of year for leaves.
03:36Nice to meet you.
03:37And you.
03:38What a beautiful spot this is.
03:39It is grand, isn't it?
03:40It's under these lovely oak trees.
03:42I've been here a couple of weeks, though, so I've got to start moving soon.
03:45You have to move on?
03:47Yeah, I'm a continuous cruiser, so we have to move the boat every two weeks along the canal.
03:52It's sort of like the rules.
03:54Fancy going cruising?
03:5764-year-old Dave grew up in Bridlington, on northern England's east coast.
04:03He struggled at school, but the outdoors, nature and creativity were his solace.
04:11After marrying, he spent the next three decades working a variety of jobs, including being a househusband, looking after his two children.
04:19But in 2013, Dave's life threw him a tragic curveball.
04:26Finding that he had to start all over again, he took a gamble on an old narrowboat that threw him a lifeline.
04:41Tell me a bit about the boat, though. She's beautiful. What's her name?
04:44This is Inspired by Nature.
04:45Is that the name of it?
04:46Yes, the name of the boat, Inspired by Nature.
04:48I like the green colour.
04:49Yeah, it's lovely.
04:50Can I have a look around inside?
04:51Absolutely.
04:52Yeah, yeah.
04:53Come on, step on board.
04:55Shoes on or off?
04:56Off, if you don't mind.
04:57Yeah, of course.
04:58We can put the shoes down there.
04:59Oh, look at this.
05:01This is so cosy and homely.
05:03It's also incredibly tidy.
05:06Well, if you've been here a couple of weeks ago, it wasn't.
05:09We had a bit of a drought, and the water levels were really low, and the boat was tilting.
05:14Does that mean every...?
05:15I was on the boat.
05:16Well, things were coming out the drawers.
05:17Everything, cos everything falls.
05:18Yeah, it was a bit untidy then.
05:20But, yeah, thanks.
05:21I do like to keep tidy anyway, you know.
05:24The boat is just 17 metres long, but there's a lot squeezed in.
05:29It has an open-plan kitchen living room with a wood-burning stove, a toilet with a bath and washing machine, and a small bedroom that Dave is kindly lending to me.
05:42He's on the couch.
05:45All the electrics are run on solar.
05:47A little fridge in the kitchen?
05:50Well, I have a fridge now.
05:51Yeah.
05:52For the last seven years, I haven't had a fridge.
05:54I just don't know how I've managed, actually, but, yeah.
05:58And lots of photography.
05:59Is this all of yours?
06:00It is.
06:01Yeah.
06:02That's beautiful.
06:03I love the trees.
06:04Look at this.
06:06What's this?
06:07That is a picture of my late wife.
06:10Oh, I'm sorry.
06:11Late wife.
06:12Oh, what's her name?
06:14Sue.
06:15Oh, I'm sorry.
06:16Sorry to have done that straight away.
06:19Wow.
06:20It's okay.
06:21It's fine.
06:22It's fine.
06:23Yeah, no.
06:24Yeah.
06:29Give me a hug.
06:30I can't...
06:31I feel awful.
06:32I've made you cry already.
06:33I've only just come on board.
06:35It's okay.
06:36No, no, it's when you get, you know, triggered by pictures and somebody says something.
06:41It's just that.
06:43But, you know, I've come a long way and I've got a new life.
06:47I live this alternative lifestyle on water.
06:50And being out here in nature, of course, as a continuous cruiser, has given me that opportunity
06:56to reflect and just to relax and find myself and a new way of life.
07:02Nature's a great healer.
07:03Nature is my healer.
07:04And it's saved my life, yeah.
07:08I'm immediately intrigued by Dave and his new way of life.
07:12But before I can settle in, he's keen for us to get moving.
07:20Before every journey, without fail, there's a checklist of things to be done.
07:25Especially with the boat's engine.
07:27So, if you just step down into the engine bay, be careful where you stand.
07:31Okay.
07:32I won't break any of your wires.
07:34No.
07:35No.
07:36We're not going anywhere if you do that.
07:37No.
07:38Just watch out for all that oil and grease.
07:39Yeah.
07:40Thanks.
07:41Now you tell me.
07:42That's why you've sent me in here.
07:43Exactly.
07:44Okay.
07:45If you pull that out.
07:47How's that look?
07:48Spill it.
07:49Yes, we're okay.
07:50Is that good?
07:51The level's good.
07:52So, do you do this every time before you've set off?
07:56It's best to do it, yes.
07:58How important is it that you are good at managing your own engine?
08:03You have to because there's not many people that will just come out like, you know, you break down services with a car.
08:08With a boat, it's different.
08:09It could be days or even a week, maybe, before somebody comes out to fix it for you.
08:14I'm imagining when it comes to costs and the most precious part of the boat, it must be here, really.
08:21To replace that engine would most probably cost me about £7,000.
08:24Wow.
08:25Yeah.
08:26Can I ask how much the whole boat cost you?
08:27The whole boat cost around £32,000.
08:29Wow.
08:30I've always been told that it's very difficult, if not impossible, to get a mortgage on a boat.
08:37You can't, yeah, you can't get a mortgage.
08:39Can you get a loan?
08:40No, it's very difficult to get a loan.
08:42Very difficult.
08:43And, luckily, I have a family member that has helped me out there.
08:47And then, do you have to pay to use the canal? Is there sort of a fee that you have to pay?
08:51There is.
08:52My licence is about £1,500 a year.
08:55I mean, it sounds like a lot of money, but it's cheap.
08:57Because the rest of my costs for my fuel, for moving the boat, for heating, for electricity, is really, really low.
09:07And the reason why I live on this narrowboat is because of their costs.
09:11It's a lot cheaper than living in a house or a flat.
09:14In fact, I couldn't afford to live in a flat or a house.
09:17I wouldn't be able to afford the bills.
09:19And for me, this is, yeah, financially, it's a way for me to live on very little.
09:29Dave's utility bills are less than £300 a year.
09:34And that includes gas for cooking and fuel for the engine.
09:37I can certainly see the appeal.
09:43And for Dave, I get the impression that this might have been his only option.
09:47It's such a nice man. I've got a really good vibe from him already.
09:53There's a real childlike enthusiasm just getting the boat ready now.
09:57He's obviously done this hundreds of times, but it almost feels like the first.
10:01He's making sure everything is done exactly correctly.
10:05But obviously also someone who is quite vulnerable.
10:08I spotted a photograph.
10:11I didn't realise that that was his late wife.
10:15And although he lost her more than a decade ago,
10:18it's obviously still very, very raw.
10:21So I think there's probably quite a lot of hidden layers
10:24that I'm going to unpeel as the week goes on.
10:27But what a location.
10:40Nice big push.
10:4218 tonnes.
10:43Look at that.
10:46Oh!
10:47Ready to cruise?
10:48Yeah!
10:51I'm on the Cheshire Canals, about to set off with my host Dave
10:55on the narrowboat he calls home.
10:59Something I've always dreamed of.
11:02Do you want to have a little go?
11:03I'd love to.
11:04OK.
11:05You're now the captain.
11:06I have the ship, sir.
11:09Although I've never driven a boat this long on a canal this narrow.
11:15You've still got plenty of room at this side.
11:17Have I? OK.
11:18Come this way a bit towards me a bit more.
11:19Keep it coming towards me a bit more.
11:20Yeah.
11:21Come to me.
11:22Yeah.
11:23To you.
11:24Oh, to you.
11:25So you want it the other way.
11:26To me.
11:27To you.
11:28To you.
11:29To you.
11:30You want it the other way.
11:31You've scratched my boat.
11:32Sorry.
11:33You do give me the hardest, skinniest little bit to start with.
11:45I wonder what would happen if we met another boat coming the other way.
11:50Right.
11:51We're about to go around the corner, a blind bend, so we don't know if there's any boats coming.
11:55OK.
11:56So we need to give out some kind of warning.
11:57So I've got this for you.
11:59Are you pulling my leg?
12:00No, no, no.
12:01Honestly.
12:02All you've got to do is blow in there.
12:04Give two blasts.
12:17Ben, Ben, you go back to the steering.
12:30Tight channels, blind bends and bridges that could knock you into the canal.
12:37These waterways keep you on your toes.
12:40But it's a soothing journey as well.
12:47The speed limit is just four miles per hour.
12:51Literally a calm, steady walking pace.
12:54I'll tell you what's amazing is the road right there, rush hour, people probably heading back to work, from work, on the school run.
13:05It's a slightly different pace of life here.
13:07Exactly.
13:08So you've got the fast world there.
13:09Yeah.
13:10And then you've got the slow lane.
13:11We're in the slow lane.
13:14As we watch the autumnal trees gently pass by, I'm beginning to feel very lucky that, for this week at least, I'm in that slow lane.
13:27But that doesn't mean that the canals don't throw the occasional obstacle in the way.
13:37In our case, a swivel bridge.
13:40It's an electric bridge.
13:42Just follow the instructions.
13:43Read the instructions.
13:44It's all on there.
13:45Are you being serious?
13:46No, no.
13:47You put the key in.
13:48Make sure there's no traffic coming first.
13:49That's the main thing.
13:50Cars come over this bridge as well.
13:51Yeah, yeah.
13:52Am I going to open it?
13:53Yeah.
13:54With this key?
13:55The calm I was feeling moments ago has evaporated.
14:00Insert key and turn clockwise.
14:05That way.
14:06Press and hold the open button when there's no pedestrians or traffic.
14:11This feels like a massive responsibility.
14:14How did the car go into the canal, Ben?
14:17Well, I was trying to open the bridge for Dave.
14:20Okay, so insert key.
14:22Turn the key.
14:23Turn the key.
14:24Are there any cars?
14:25Any people?
14:26Okay, Dave's coming.
14:27Open.
14:28God, there's an alarm going.
14:29I hope that's a good thing.
14:30Stop the car.
14:31Stop the car.
14:32Stop the car.
14:33The arms are going down.
14:34Okay, if you panic over.
14:35I've actually stopped a car.
14:36Okay, it's turning.
14:37That's kind of cool, isn't it?
14:38That's kind of cool, isn't it?
14:39Beautifully done.
14:40Beautifully done.
14:41Beautifully done.
14:42Beautifully done.
14:43Beautiful.
14:44That's kind of cool, isn't it?
14:59That's kind of cool, isn't it?
15:06Beautifully done.
15:09You've done this gap a few times.
15:12You've literally got inches on either side.
15:17It's taken nearly ten minutes to navigate the bridge.
15:20I feel like Dave and I have enforced our slow world
15:23onto these poor motorists.
15:26Thanks for waiting.
15:32Thanks for waiting. Thanks.
15:35Ben! Are we going?
15:37Oh, go on.
15:41How do you do that on your own?
15:43With difficulty.
15:44Yeah.
15:45And with a lot of frustrating...
15:47I was speculating that everyone must hate you
15:49because I imagine you have to leave it for an extra amount of time.
15:52Yeah, it takes twice as long.
15:54So having me on board is actually quite useful.
15:56Oh, it's brilliant.
15:57You can come anytime you want and join me on the boat.
16:05As a continuous cruiser, when Dave moves every two weeks,
16:09he can pick any free spot along the towpath to moor up for the night.
16:13And he spies the perfect place.
16:19There's a bit of a gap up here between the boats.
16:22Oh, so you're going to try and park though?
16:24We're going to pull in.
16:25Yeah, we're going to park it between the boats.
16:27Like parallel, the equivalent to parallel parking.
16:30You're just showing off your skills now.
16:31No, no, no.
16:32What do you want me to do?
16:33If you can grab the middle line, I'll pull in and you jump off and pull the boat in.
16:39When do I jump?
16:42Whenever you feel like it.
16:43If you want to go now, you can go now.
16:45Yeah, I don't really feel like a bath just yet.
16:50I think we can almost do it now.
16:53Whoa!
16:55And just pull it from the middle.
16:57Yeah, pull us in.
16:58That's it.
16:59It's a good workout, this.
17:02You don't need to go to the gym tonight.
17:09This is so different to living in a regular house.
17:13It's a little more physical for a start.
17:16And every check and process needs to be done very carefully.
17:20This brass one here.
17:21You've got to turn that clockwise until it gets really tight.
17:25So it stops water coming in through the prop shaft.
17:29Worst case scenario, if we didn't do this, what would happen?
17:34It must probably fill up and damage the engine and sink the boat.
17:38Wow!
17:40And for good reason.
17:41Dave's whole life is on this 17-metre metal boat.
17:45If it sinks, he would lose everything.
17:48I've walked up and down so many canals in my life and admired their way of life.
17:53But I had never really thought about the practicalities.
17:58And for the first time, I'm seeing firsthand just how many things you have to think about.
18:04And you can never really put your feet up, I don't think.
18:13To thank me for a safe mooring, Dave has prepared a special meal.
18:18I've got a little bit of tapas here.
18:21I noticed that.
18:22Unexpected.
18:23I was thinking it might be more of a sort of pasty or a pie.
18:27Yeah, and there's a reason, because I used to live in Tenerife.
18:31Did you? How long did you live in Tenerife for?
18:33Only a few years.
18:34My daughter and son had decided to send us abroad on our 25th anniversary.
18:43And just to go back a little bit, so this is your son and daughter with your late wife Sue.
18:48Sue?
18:49Yeah.
18:50And when we got out there, we climbed up Mount Tady, the volcano.
18:55And when we got to the top, we just looked at each other and said,
18:59it'd be great to live here, wouldn't it?
19:01So we got back on the plane, and as soon as we were on the plane,
19:04we were planning on how we were going to go over to Tenerife and live there.
19:09And I think it was within six months, we ended up living in Tenerife.
19:12And what did you do there?
19:14I became a singer, a PR.
19:16A singer?
19:17A singer, PR.
19:18You keep surprising people.
19:20Entertaining the audience outside, you know, that we're dining.
19:24And Sue was a chef, she was a great chef, so she got work straight away.
19:30And of course I was working, we were both working evenings,
19:33so it left us all day to just live on the island and enjoy the swimming,
19:39you know, all that you do on an island.
19:40Everything was going fine until about 11 months in, when Sue became...
19:5511 months in, Sue became very ill.
20:02And died of cancer within a month.
20:05She'd gone, just like that.
20:08Just like that, gone.
20:11I just...
20:13My world had dropped apart.
20:18Just dropped apart.
20:20I didn't know what I was going to do.
20:22I managed to stay for another year.
20:24But it's hard when you lose somebody you've been married to for 25 years.
20:36And I had to come back to England.
20:38I come back with just a bicycle, suitcase, no money.
20:42And that was it.
20:44That's all I had.
20:45And I ended up couch surfing, staying in people's houses, in a room.
20:52Yeah, it was just like, everything had disappeared.
20:55And then one morning, I woke up in hospital, I attempted to take my own life.
21:00I'm so sorry, Dave.
21:01But, things turned around.
21:07After waking up in the hospital, I knew my life had to change.
21:13Well, I don't normally ask for help.
21:18But I went to my brother and said, look, I want to really start my life, kickstart it again.
21:25But I need somewhere to live, somewhere I can call home.
21:27And he says, right, we'll buy you a flat or a house.
21:30And I says, no, because I can't afford the bills anyway.
21:33I wouldn't be able to.
21:34But the cheapest way is on a narrowboat.
21:38You know?
21:39So, he gave me the money.
21:41I went out looking for a boat.
21:43And this is where I ended up on this boat.
21:53You never get over grief like that.
21:58It almost becomes a constant companion.
22:01And some people are good at masking it.
22:04And Dave is and isn't.
22:06Because I've seen him reduced to tears quite a few times already.
22:11The first time within about two minutes of meeting him.
22:15So, it's still really, really raw.
22:17And I think he really misses her.
22:19And I kind of really want to ask more about her.
22:21But I don't want to kind of keep reminding him of that deep,
22:25deep pain within.
22:29Because I think this lifestyle has been embraced to try and shield him a little bit from that.
22:36And I think he's in a very good place now.
22:38But I think it's still a work in progress.
22:39And he's mentioned many times that this, the wilderness, the canals, the boat, the lifestyle, is his sort of therapy and his therapist.
22:49I'm on a narrowboat in Cheshire.
23:06Good morning.
23:07I slept very well.
23:08So quiet.
23:10Literally no sounds.
23:12I'm staying with Dave, who after losing his wife, found refuge on Northern England's network of canals.
23:19Ah, good morning.
23:20Morning.
23:21Do you enjoy the peace?
23:22Yeah.
23:23Just tuning into nature, observing, listening to the birds.
23:27But I can't do it all the time.
23:28There are jobs to be done.
23:29And today we've got to go up to the services.
23:30I need the toilet emptying, the tank filling with water.
23:33We need to get rid of the rubbish.
23:34And there is one more job I've got for you.
23:36Oh.
23:37Oh.
23:38Oh, good morning.
23:39Oh, good morning.
23:40Oh, good morning.
23:41Morning.
23:42Do you enjoy the peace?
23:43Yeah.
23:44Just tuning into nature, observing, listening to the birds.
23:48But I can't do it all the time.
23:49There are jobs to be done.
23:50And today we've got to go up to the services.
23:53I need the toilet emptying, the tank filling with water.
23:56We need to get rid of the rubbish.
23:58And there is one more job I've got for you.
24:01The engine was sounding a little rough yesterday.
24:05So Dave thinks that there might be weeds clogging up the propeller.
24:10I know it's dirty water, but what I've got here is...
24:15I suggest maybe put them on.
24:17You're treating me.
24:19Okay, like this.
24:21Yeah, just watch out for the pike.
24:23Watch out for the pike.
24:25Are there pike in here?
24:26There is some big pike in here, yeah.
24:28They could take the finger off.
24:29They would, yeah.
24:30But you've got gloves on, so you're all right.
24:36Okay, I think that is looking quite clear.
24:39Do you find other stuff in here?
24:40Oh, you find all sorts wrapped around there.
24:42Jackets, socks, a ladies' bra.
24:45What? You found a ladies' bra?
24:47Yeah, double D. Is it a double D?
24:49Yeah.
24:50To manage a successful life on the water, there's a lot to learn.
24:55I know Dave had an assortment of jobs in his old life, and I wonder whether that variety has made him adept to picking up new skills.
25:05What other things have you done?
25:07Oh, lots of jobs.
25:08Silver service waiter when I was younger, and working in a jewellers, security guard.
25:15Wow.
25:16Any kind of favourite thing that you did over those years?
25:19Yeah, one of my favourites was being a buttlins redcoat.
25:22You were a buttlins redcoat?
25:23Yeah.
25:24I used to be the youngest redcoat at the age of 17, entertaining up to 10,000 people in a holiday camp. It was amazing.
25:34Presumably, you have to be on the whole time.
25:37Yeah, yeah.
25:38Have you ever tried smiling for 24 hours, you know?
25:41You had to be, because you couldn't have the holidaymakers actually, you know, looking and seeing you gloomy and sad.
25:48You had to be, you know, full of that, you know?
25:53All clear at the front.
25:56OK, give us a push off.
25:58As we set off on today's errands, I get a glimpse of Dave's past life as an artist and entertainer.
26:07All the nice girls love a sailor. All the nice girls love a tour.
26:14Well, there's something about a sailor. Well, you know what sailors are.
26:22As well as being a redcoat, Dave was a painter and musician. He also tells me that his mum worked for comedian Les Dawson.
26:34So, showbiz is clearly in his blood. I think I can relate to that.
26:39Look, this boat's called Alfie. That's the very first film my mother ever did, who's an actress.
26:46Yeah, look at the... There's some nice paintwork on that, isn't there?
26:49Yeah.
26:51Gosh, there's quite a community of people along here.
26:54Most of them waiting for the locks to open so they can go onto the other canals.
27:01The UK was the first country to develop a nationwide canal network, playing a vital role in the Industrial Revolution.
27:10At their peak, the waterways expanded to almost 4,000 miles.
27:17I'm imagining canals today are a very different proposition to what they would have been 200 years ago,
27:23when they were very much built for industry.
27:25It was a very dusty, dirty place to be, and the towpath would be all muddy,
27:30and the horses would be going up and down, pulling the barges along.
27:34It wasn't a place to really be, but now, all these years later,
27:38here we are cruising along in tranquillity, people running, cycling,
27:44using it for leisure facilities and health, mental health.
27:48Is there a vulnerability to the canal system, though, today?
27:51There is.
27:52Lack of funding, really.
27:54It is a very expensive infrastructure to look after,
28:00and I just hope that we can keep it for another 200 years.
28:05It is such a beautiful place.
28:07It's like having a corridor, a national sort of park, right through Britain.
28:13There are still over 2,000 miles of navigable canals.
28:22So services are essential for boat users.
28:25They provide water, rubbish bins, and drains for emptying toilets.
28:32Ben, hurry up.
28:34A bit quicker.
28:36Here we go.
28:37It's a bit heavy. There's quite a lot in there.
28:39Yeah. How many poos and whee's are in there, Dave?
28:41There's a couple of weeks nearly in there.
28:47Nice.
28:50It's a bit runny.
28:51How are you doing, Ben?
28:52It's a bit runny.
29:00It's taken half a day to do the things that I can do at home
29:03with a click of a button or a turn of a tap.
29:06And every season brings bigger challenges when you live on a boat.
29:16Something Dave has been documenting over the last seven years.
29:23In winter, the canal can freeze over with ice so thick the boat is unable to move.
29:28And snow makes trips for supplies extremely hard.
29:34In summer, temperatures can soar in the steel boat.
29:38Last year, when it hit 36 degrees, Dave had no choice but to sleep in a tent on top.
29:43And then there's the occasional boat user who doesn't follow the rules.
29:52One day I was inside and I could hear a boat coming.
29:57I could hear its engine going really fast.
29:59And I went towards the hatch to look out to ask them to slow down.
30:03And my boat literally tilted over.
30:06And all my drawers started coming out and everything flying all over the place.
30:09And I actually cut up my leg.
30:12But can you imagine if that was on an evening and you got candles on board?
30:16You know, it's a very dangerous situation, you know.
30:20When you're new to canal life, who kind of teaches you the ropes?
30:23You pick it up from other boaters and be told off as well.
30:27So you have to learn the hard way?
30:29Yeah, yeah, yeah.
30:34I'm intrigued to find out what else Dave has filmed and photographed during his time on the canals.
30:41That's beautiful. Is that a kingfisher?
30:43It is. And I filmed that right opposite the boat.
30:46You know, this is why I vlog online, sharing wonderful experiences like this, seeing all the wonderful nature.
30:55I'm here all the time to capture all them special moments.
30:59Have you got many subscribers?
31:01I've got around 38,000 subscribers.
31:04That's a huge number of people. Yeah.
31:06Are you able to monetise it?
31:08It is monetised and it does make me some money.
31:11Not a huge amount, but it just keeps me afloat.
31:14Do you want to see something really, really strange?
31:18Mm-hmm.
31:19Very rare that we see along the canal to a path.
31:22I don't know what... Is he naked?
31:23Wow.
31:24A very rare type of Homo sapiens.
31:26Just hiking, naked except for boots, socks and a rucksack and a hat.
31:30And a hat. That's it.
31:31Wow.
31:33I've heard about naked ramblers. I think that's the first I've ever seen.
31:39Dave had a job with the Canal and River Trust when he first moved onto his boat,
31:43which allowed him to pay off his brother's loan.
31:47Now he gets by with just his vlogging.
31:51Of all the jobs he's had, I sense that this is his favourite.
31:55And today, Dave wants to take me a little closer to the wilderness surrounding the canal.
32:07The only way possible.
32:10His inflatable kayak is one of the few things he's brought from his old life.
32:14Lovely bridges.
32:15They're so beautiful, aren't they? They're all numbered, I noticed. So you can't really get lost.
32:23I wonder if he's always been this close to nature.
32:27I think it started in childhood, really.
32:31When I was a very young child, just started school, my parents didn't realise that I was actually deaf.
32:39I was in school being put to the back of the class because David wasn't listening.
32:43He was misbehaving and they had me tested and I was deaf.
32:49I had a couple of operations, got my hearing back.
32:53But I missed out on about quite a few years of schooling, really.
32:58And I was always behind with my education.
33:02And then I ended up getting bullied and then I used to run away.
33:05But I always used to run away into nature.
33:09And I used to go off and climb trees.
33:11And it was like the start of a healing process right at the beginning then for me.
33:16So I've always had the connection with nature.
33:19There's almost a pre-period when you hadn't been diagnosed as deaf before the operations.
33:25Did your childhood change dramatically after that?
33:28People used to call me stupid.
33:30I used to hear that name all the time, stupid.
33:35It still impacts you.
33:39I thought I was stupid.
33:42I thought I was.
33:44For a long time, I thought I was stupid.
33:50And that I was a problem, you know.
33:56But coming to this lifestyle, you know, living like this,
34:01I realise I'm not stupid.
34:04I've realised this, I'm not stupid.
34:06But, yeah, it still impacts you, you know.
34:09When you've been through some traumatic experiences in the past.
34:13And then, of course, my father died.
34:16And I was only in my twenties when my father died.
34:19And I used to...
34:20I used to drive my father backwards and forwards for cancer treatment.
34:35And then, of course, I lost Sue.
34:38And Sue was only 50 when she died.
34:40The trauma of what you went through with your father and then your late wife,
34:44do you think it's almost left you with a little bit of post-traumatic stress disorder?
34:48I think so. I think so.
34:51Yeah.
34:53But nature, coming out here, you know, it helps.
34:57In what way, though?
34:58It connects me more to my heart.
35:00I'm having fun.
35:02I'm having... starting to having a lot more fun now.
35:05There's been a period since Sue passed away where I haven't...
35:10I've lost that fun.
35:13And you don't want to have that fun.
35:15But now I'm starting to come out of the shell again.
35:19Yeah?
35:20That child within me, that playful child, is starting to come back.
35:24And...
35:26And I put it down to being out in nature.
35:29And Sue...
35:35She...
35:36She wanted to be on an arrowboat.
35:42Nature is clearly helping Dave deal with the trauma that lies just beneath the surface.
35:48But now I understand why he's chosen this particular life.
35:55I think he's trying to live the dream, not just for himself, but for Sue as well.
36:01I'm nearing the end of my stay with Dave on the Cheshire canals.
36:20We've travelled to a busier stretch of water.
36:23I'll take this to the refuse.
36:25And I'm beginning to see that living a nomadic life doesn't always mean a solitary one.
36:29Oh, here you are, Ben.
36:31Oh, amazing. Thank you so much.
36:32It's a pleasure. Enjoy.
36:35And this morning, we have a visitor who's moored nearby.
36:40Oh, hello.
36:41Oh, it's Jazz.
36:42Hello.
36:43Hi.
36:45Where have you come from, Jazz?
36:47Just down here.
36:48Down that way.
36:49On the opposite side.
36:50Oh, come in.
36:52So, how long have you guys known each other?
36:54Oh, it must be about ten years or so, isn't it?
36:56It is.
36:57We made the first connection.
36:58How did that first connection happen?
37:00Presumably through canal boats?
37:02Online.
37:03Oh, really?
37:04Social media.
37:05Social media.
37:06Yeah, we didn't have boats then.
37:07Oh, you didn't?
37:08No.
37:09Oh, wow.
37:10So, you've both since found the canal.
37:11If Jazz wasn't around, actually.
37:12If I hadn't met Jazz, made that connection with her, I wouldn't be here where I am right
37:17now on this narrowboat.
37:18I needed a job.
37:19I'd come out of hospital.
37:21Yeah.
37:22I wasn't in a good way, but I needed to be doing something.
37:26And Jazz spotted something in the newspaper and says it's out in the countryside with the
37:32Canal River Trust.
37:33It just felt like the most natural environment to suit Dave.
37:37You must be quite grateful that she kind of joined you up.
37:40Jazz has been a guardian angel.
37:42You know, she's come to sort of like, yeah, save me in a way, I suppose.
37:48That's right.
37:49There's the tears again.
37:51Did you realise how fragile he was?
37:53Yeah.
37:54Yeah.
37:55You know, he would very easily spiral down and be quite depressed.
38:01Yeah.
38:02I just looked after him, basically.
38:04And I think we've looked after each other over the years.
38:06We have.
38:07That's beautiful.
38:08And you're obviously part of the wider community, which seems to be quite tight.
38:12Yeah.
38:13Oh, very.
38:14Yeah.
38:15I used to live on a council estate.
38:16Everybody was quite friendly.
38:17You know, you knew your neighbours and everybody would talk, come out of the garden.
38:21But things have changed.
38:22You know, I don't think there's that sort of like community anymore where people talk and,
38:27you know, people don't know everybody on the street.
38:30But when you come down to the canal, they just knew everybody.
38:33It was a great community.
38:35And it sounds like everyone really does help one another out.
38:38Oh, totally.
38:39Yeah.
38:40They're probably people that I wouldn't be friends with if I met them in normal life.
38:43You know, somehow there's like a family feel.
38:46And like the same with Dave, I've had the same experience.
38:49If you're on a housing estate, you don't necessarily ever speak to any of your neighbours.
38:54And yet everyone helps everyone out down here.
39:00Tonight, Jazz has invited us up to her boat for a small gathering of friends.
39:05Like Dave, she has a permanent mooring and even has a little jetty.
39:30I'm intrigued to find out how the other boaters find life on the canal.
39:34I'm wondering, where are you based, Andy?
39:38It's Lineview Marina.
39:40Right. And that's that way?
39:41That's that way.
39:42How far?
39:43Adlington.
39:44So that's, cruising-wise, it'll be about an eight-hour cruise in a car.
39:49About half an hour drive away from here.
39:51And what size boat have you got?
39:52It's a 50-foot boat.
39:53See, I feel like I've got the lingo right now.
39:55I'm asking the size boat.
39:56Yeah, yeah, you sound like a boat.
39:57So you're a bit short, you're quite long.
39:58I'm a bit short, yeah.
39:59You're a little bit shorter, you're even shorter.
40:01D, what have you got?
40:0235 foot.
40:03You're teeny.
40:04Yeah.
40:05Teeny-weeny.
40:06And where are you?
40:07Same marina, actually.
40:08Oh, you're down there?
40:09Yeah, yeah.
40:10Do you know this part?
40:11I do.
40:12I had a mooring here for two years.
40:13Yeah.
40:14I left the end of Feb, because I was having major surgery in March.
40:18And I had the full intention of coming back, but I'm not really well enough to cope with
40:24being out in the sticks as much, so I'm going to stay at the marina.
40:27How important is that wider community for you, Dee?
40:30Community is everything.
40:32When I bought the boat, I hadn't got a clue about boats.
40:35And all the right people came in at the right time.
40:38It was almost magical.
40:40Yeah, I couldn't have done it without you all.
40:44Honestly.
40:45And what about you, Andy?
40:46How long have you been on a canal boat?
40:49I've been on about 25, 26 years.
40:51Wow.
40:52So you're the granddaddy here.
40:53I'm the old man of the canal.
40:55I'm wondering, as the granddaddy, apologies for saying this, but the granddaddy of canal
40:59boating here, in this little party, what's your advice to Dave?
41:03What kind of advice have you given to Dave?
41:05He'll have a problem that I've never encountered, so I'll learn off him and he'll learn off me.
41:10And that's how you're up and down the network and you spread that knowledge.
41:15And that's exactly how it works.
41:18And Dave, you obviously like living in the now.
41:20Yes.
41:21Any sort of forward planning, any ambitions?
41:24I can see my...
41:25I'd like to go on a bit of an adventure maybe, you know, just do a bit more exploring.
41:31And, yeah, see what there is out there on the network.
41:44My week with Dave has come to an end.
41:47I've learned that this canal has given him everything.
41:59Work, meaning, purpose, therapy, and even a community.
42:05But it's the nomadic way of life that seems to give him the momentum to live life to its fullest.
42:17If I found myself in the same situation as Dave, maybe I'd do the same.
42:22It's quite rare that I meet people who have started a new life in the wild, but a nomadic one.
42:32But the fact that he is moving around on this extraordinary ancient canal system is quite beautiful.
42:39Because for Dave, this is sort of his ongoing therapy.
42:45Coping and grieving and understanding himself.
42:50He's mentioned a few times that he's sort of found his heart here.
42:54And I think there's something really beautiful about the fact that you can still find this hidden part of life here in the UK.
43:03And maybe if you're walking along a canal path, you might see the wood smoke rising from their boats.
43:09But have you ever stopped to think about who it is that's in there?
43:12Why they're there?
43:13What life is like for them?
43:15And I certainly have.
43:16And that is why I've really enjoyed this week.
43:20I started this journey by saying in a parallel life, I could have been living this.
43:26And I end this journey even more convinced that I could easily have fallen into this lifestyle myself.
43:35Another throw of the dice.
43:38Dave?
43:40Ben.
43:42Time to leave.
43:43Oh, no.
43:45Well, I'll be going anyway today.
43:48You're moving on?
43:49I'm cruising up the cuts, yeah.
43:51And, you know, I'll get some new energy, find a new mooring and...
43:55Any idea where?
43:56No idea.
43:57I'll just cruise and wherever I moor up, I moor up.
44:01Great.
44:02Listen, take care of yourself.
44:04Yeah, thank you.
44:05Yeah, and I will miss you.
44:06Maybe our paths will cross again.
44:07I'm sure.
44:08Yeah?
44:09All right.
44:10Thanks, Ben.
44:11Take care.
44:12You take care, too.
44:13Safe journey.
44:14Yes, and you.
44:15Bye.
44:16Look after yourself.
44:17Bye, Dave.
44:18Next time, I'm on the island of Tenerife in a very different wild sanctuary.
44:26The way we dress is from the bin.
44:28The way we eat is from the bin.
44:30Everything we do is to try and save money.
44:33We are the human cockroaches.
44:34We clean around.
44:36Where a young couple's dream has evolved into a haven for more than just animals.
44:41Second life for animals.
44:43Human.
44:44And it's beautiful.
44:45And Ben's new lives in the wild continues next Thursday at nine.
44:53And if you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in tonight's episode,
44:58please go to channel5.com slash helplines for information and support.
45:02What's really going on behind the headlines.
45:03Catching up with the Royals with the Reverend Richard Coles is brand new Saturday afternoon
45:08at two or stream now on five.
45:103
45:11Now on five.
45:123
45:13Now on five.
45:143
45:15Now on five.
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