Far from the flood — photograph from The Booze Cruise

photo: the front of the boat is out-of-focus against the frothy white water in the lock chamber ahead; the dark walls of the chamber lead to a lock gate that is spewing furious white water which surges up the sides of the walls before cascading down into the lock.

Location: Botterham Locks, near Swindon on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.

Date: Wednesday 1st July 1998.

Equipment: Canon EOS 50e using 28mm f/2.8 lens.

Emulsion: Kodak Gold 200.

Keywords: canal locks, staircase pair, lock gate, filling with water, gushing water, water surge, foamy water.

Notes: looking at this picture, it appears that someone had opened the paddles to fill the second chamber before realising that the boat hadn't left the first chamber. This means that the spectacular surge of water would end up filling both first and second chambers, and that was technically unnecessary.