Celebrities explore renovated canal

Two of Britain's best loved actors followed in the wake of a pair of Hollywood stars when they enjoyed the pleasures of Shropshire's canal life.

When they have precious time off, husband and wife actors Timothy West and Prunella Scales are renowned for liking nothing better than escaping to their narrowboat and the "instant countryside" of the canals.

The confirmed waterways enthusiasts were in Shropshire at the weekend to visit the Montgomery Canal and see for themselves the ongoing restoration work.

Mrs Scales, best known as Basil Fawlty's wife Sybil in Fawlty Towers, said she loved the peace and quiet of the canals.nextpage

But they are not the first celebrity couple to come to the county to enjoy its canals.

Star Wars and Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford and his actress girlfriend Calista Flockhart, star of Ally McBeal, famously enjoyed a trip in 2004 along the Llangollen Canal.

The couple are pictured here with Calista's adopted son Liam, while Harrison takes the healm.nextpage

And British actor David Suchet (pictured here with wife Sheila Ferris), has owned a narrowboat since 1973 and has been involved with the restoration of the Montgomery Canal.

Talking to The Telegraph about a recent holiday on their boat, David said: "We went through the industrial part of Birmingham, which was fascinating, and stopped at Cambrian Wharf, where we moored in 1975 when I was at the Birmingham rep and living on our narrowboat.

"We went right up to Chester, which was a terrific journey, and on July 23 we started a fantastic cruise up the Llangollen Canal in Wales. In my logbook I wrote: 'The Llangollen Canal is really something very special, a truly unique, really beautiful canal, travelling through breathtaking countryside.'"

Suchet has starred in a myriad of television dramas and Hollywood films throughout his prolific acting career, but is probably best known and loved for his character Hercule Poirot in the hugely popular Agatha Christie series.

Mr West, vice-president of The Waterways Trust, revealed he and his wife had been the first to take their canal boat along the restored Kennet and Avon canal.

"There are amazing restoration projects like this one up and down the country," he said.

"We have been on the Llangollen canal, but never on the Monty, so this has been a wonderful chance to see the work going on here."

Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star.