For the first time in the waterway’s 260 year history, you can now paddle board on the Bridgewater Canal.
Stretching from Runcorn to Leigh, it’s thought to be Britain’s first canal – but up until now, you’ve only been able to take narrowboats, kayaks and canoes along its water.
However that’s all about to change, as paddle boarders will now be able to get involved following moves by the Bridgewater Canal Company and British Canoeing to make the waterway an official approved location for stand-up paddle boarding going forward.
The decision has followed a public survey conducted by the Bridgewater Canal Company last year, which found there was a strong public desire for paddle boarding to be permitted on the canal.
The survey, which looked at the health and wellbeing benefits the canal provided to local residents during 2020’s successive Covid-19 lockdowns, found that stand-up paddle boarding was a popular request when they asked people what other recreational activities they’d like to see on the waterway.
ADVERTISEMENT
Of 335 people surveyed, 284 said that they felt that using the canal had improved their mental wellbeing significantly (an average of 84%).
And over 40% said they felt ‘relaxed’ or ‘happy’ when spending time on the water.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Bridgewater Canal at Worsley / Image: David Dixon
Peter Parkinson, director of the Bridgewater Canal, part of Peel L&P, said: “Our recent survey showed us how invaluable the canal is to people’s health and wellbeing and we’ve looked after the waterway for many years now to bring continuous investment and improvements including towpath works for cyclists and walkers.
He said: “We’re pleased to be working with British Canoeing to meet public demand for stand-up paddle boarding on the canal and be able to offer another recreational activity on the waterway that we’re sure will be enjoyed by many people.”
Just note that if you want to use a stand-up paddleboard on the waterway going forward, you need to become a member of British Canoeing – which costs around £3.75 a month.
ADVERTISEMENT
Places to Paddle manager, Ben Seal welcomed the inclusion of stand-up paddle boarding on the Bridgewater Canal.
He said: “We have seen a huge spike in stand-up paddle boarding activity in the last 12 months.”
Andy Burnham to begin rolling out new ‘everyday fixes’ for Brits amid cost of living crisis
Emily Sergeant
A series of ‘everyday fixes’ to help combat the rising cost of living crisis are soon to be rolled out nationwide.
Kicking off with two measures today, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced that he plans to ban retailers from making ‘misleading’ claims to customers about discounts.
The Government says shoppers have ‘increasingly complained’ about outlets artificially inflating prices to give a false sense of value, such as increasing prices only to then immediately advertise ‘discounts’ to make savings look larger than they really are, which goes on to create an uneven playing field for honest competitors.
The Prime Minister also wants to see an end to so-called ‘subscription traps’, where people find it hard to cancel their subscriptions, and contracts are automatically renewed at a higher cost.
Set to come into force in January 2027 and saving people an average of £14 a month for every unwanted subscription, the changes will mean businesses will need to provide clearer up-front information, regular reminders. and a ‘much easier’ exit to contracts.
Andy Burnham to begin rolling out new ‘everyday fixes’ for Brits amid cost of living crisis / Credit: gov.uk | Piotr Cichosz (via Unsplash)
A new 14-day cooling-off period will also be introduced to let consumers cancel after a trial or long-term contract renews.
Certain charitable memberships, like the ones for cultural and heritage organisations for example, will be excluded from the new subscription rules due to the fact they have a unique role in preserving the nation’s history, landscapes, and cultural collections.
The Prime Minister says he is ‘determined’ to use every chance he gets to restore fairness and take pressure off people.
“I know people are sick and tired of rip-off discounts and subscription traps,” Andy Burnham said. “Westminster has got used to telling people that everyday hassles like this are just part of life, but I don’t think that’s right, especially when the cost of living continues to weigh heavily on so many people’s lives.”
He concluded: “These are just two of the everyday fixes we’re going to be rolling out.
“We want to put more money in people’s pockets and give people hope that politics really can work for them and their everyday lives.”
Featured Image – Piotr Cichosz (via Unsplash)
News
Bury man jailed for life after being found guilty of murder at New Year’s Eve party
Emily Sergeant
A man has been handed a life sentence following the murder of another man at a New Year’s Eve celebration in Bury.
Antony Junior Murray, aged 25 of Tarn Drive in Bury, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court last week (7 August) where he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 18 years after being found guilty of murder.
It follows the death of 23-year-old Joe Burton on New Year’s Eve last year.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that emergency services were called to reports of a disturbance at an address on Tarn Drive at approximately 11:56pm on New Year’s Eve (31 December 2025), and upon arrival, officers discovered Joe ‘unresponsive’ at the bottom of a staircase with a significant amount of blood around him.
Despite the best efforts of paramedics, Joe was pronounced dead at 12:43am on New Year’s Day (1 January 2026).
A post-mortem examination later confirmed he had died from a single stab wound to the back.
At the scene, Murray initially denied any involvement and claimed he had returned home from a pub to find the victim unresponsive, however officers quickly identified inconsistencies in his account.
Initial enquiries – including phone and location data – showed that Murray had been at the address throughout the evening.
Joe had been in a relationship with Murray’s sister and had been invited to the address earlier that evening, and then further investigation revealed that Murray, Murray’s sister, the victim. and another individual had been at the property together, drinking and setting off fireworks to see in the New Year.
CCTV footage recovered from the scene captured the events leading up to the incident, including the fatal attack, and showed Murray assaulting Joe and placing him in a headlock, before proceeding to stab him in the back.
Following a detailed police investigation, Murray was charged with murder and was subsequently found guilty at court.
“Murray carried out a brutal attack on Joe and then attempted to mislead officers about his involvement,” explained Duncan Thorpe, who was the Senior Investigating Officer on the case.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd August 2021 
