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Tom Crossley, narrowboatworld


Last month we interviewed Richard Fairhurst, editor of Waterways World (and former editor of waterscape) - which caused Victor Swift of narrowboatworld to question why his editor hadn't been asked to join in.

We were only too happy to oblige.

Tom says:

"I started a printing business in my twenties and soon upgraded to publishing, both magazines and a newspaper, which I edited for 28 years. After which I saw that computers would be the future, so employed various programmers and went into software publishing. It was around 15 years ago that Jan and I hired our first narrowboat on the Grand Union Canal and were hooked.

I built my own narrowboat from an empty shell, and then five years ago, together we purchased our present narrowboat as a sailaway from Simon Piper.

With my editing and computer background and now an interest in the waterways, narrowboatworld was a natural progression, which I launched nine years ago, and which keeps me from retiring though I'm well overdue!

• Describe yourself in five words
Bossy workaholic. Fair sometimes caring.

• You must have explored all or most of the UK canal network over the years. Do you have a favourite cruise?
The Huddersfield Narrow was the best 'adventure' after it was just re-opened. All 74 locks in just 20 miles, through stunning scenery and the passage through the tunnel out of this world.

• What do you most enjoy about being the editor of narrowboatworld?
The ability to balance the 'spin' against the realism! But mostly to give those many boaters a 'platform' to make their feelings known to a very wide audience.

• What did you want to be when you ‘grew up’?
My own boss. Which I achieved at 20.

• What is the last book you read/film you saw?
Currently trawling through Joomla on php, without much success! So it's a Lesley Pearce novel at bedtime. Last film is a rubbishy American one that I don't even remember the name, but the one before that was that great British comedy Blithe Spirit – for the fourth time.

• What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
"This is going to be big get into it." From someone called Bill at a neighbouring stand at a computer exhibition in the early eighties before the PC was even thought of, where I was starting my fledgling software publishing business – and I did. His company? Microsoft – and the rest, as they say, is history.

• And the worst?
Being told I should work for a living not go it alone. But as far as boating is concerned: around six years ago when we were told the swing bridges on the Kennet & Avon were easy. They shattered us!

• When and where did you taste your all time favourite waterside pint?
Never! It was over 50 years ago that I last tasted alcohol! I downed a rather large quantity of cider which completely knocked me out, so I said 'never again' and meant it.

• Which three people (dead or alive) would you like to invite onto your narrowboat for the day?
As the boat is shared by Jan, I don't think she would like my choice!

• Where would you most like to be right now?
Away from this PC and on the boat somewhere – where else?

And finally, despite Victor's disparaging comments, the one that Tom was most looking forwards to:

• What one thing would you take with you to a desert island?
Like your former 'victim' Richard Fairhurst, I too am an organ player, but living at the end of a track with no neighbours, I can blast it out as loud as I want, so have no need for it on an island, and having played the Compton pipe organ from the Regal Cinema at Lincoln, unlike Richard I don't fancy a pipe organ, but perhaps my violin, which I am told I play badly. Failing this, please could I have a leggy blonde?

Thanks to Tom for being a good sport. You never know, maybe one day we'll see Victor himself on these pages. What do you say Tom?

Last updated: 22/07/2009