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Horseboating

Imagine a time before trains and motor vehicles when horse power meant literally just that.

How did our forefathers manage to move massive loads of freight from one town to another?

Jacey Normand visits a horse boat in Cheshire to find out.

And we meet Sue Day from the Horseboating Society who is championing the revival of horseboating as a leisure pursuit.

Saturn's story

Saturn is a Shropshire Union Fly-boat which was restored to her former glory and re-launched last year thanks to a £80,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Powered by boat-horse Bonnie, Saturn is celebrating her 100th birthday by embarking on a 40 mile trip along the Llangollen and Shropshire Union Canals.

Her destination is the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port.

The crew have just four days to do it - a tough task even for a group of people dedicated to keeping the tradition of horse-boating alive.

Bread and butter boat

It was canal boats like Saturn that delivered your daily bread - or at least the grain that created the loaf - soon after the turn of the 19th Century.

Voyage of discovery - horse boating is undergoing a revival

And if it wasn't wheat that was in the hold, it was coal or cheese or hay for your horses - in fact anything that needed to be moved across country before the invention of steam and the internal combustion engine.

Before that, the horse reigned supreme and, as far as Sue Day is concerned, they still do - a tradition she plans to maintain.

Inside Out also meets 84-year old Jack Strange who spent his life working on the canals as a blacksmith, mending lock gates and, of course, shoeing horses.

Jack Roberts was a horse-boatman throughout his life.

His sons Dave and John have fond memories of living on the cut at weekends and during school holidays.

On day three of the voyage Saturn's crew had to navigate through Chester City centre and a series of locks where Bonnie was able to take a break.

Right on schedule

Sharing the canal with pleasure craft creates its own difficulties.

Horse boating is hard work.

As Saturn nears its destination and green fields gave way to heavy industry, the end was in sight.

Finally the boat reaches its destination - the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum - it's been 40 miles and 27 locks since Saturn and the crew left Whitchurch.

The arrival is right on schedule, a feat that might even have impressed the horse-boatmen of days gone by.

Links relating to this story:

• Ellesmere Port Boat Museum
• Horseboating Society
• Waterscape

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Spanish Civil War

Jack Jones - Spanish Civil War veteran

The Spanish Civil War has been called 'the forgotten war', but for those who went to Spain and risked their lives, the principles they fought for are something they'll always remember.

Inside Out meets the North West veterans for fought in the war on the 70th anniversary of the conflict.

War breaks out

The Spanish Civil War broke out after General Franco attempted to topple the country's Republican government in the summer of 1936.

But the impact of the conflict quickly spread far beyond Spain's borders with Hitler and Mussolini supporting Franco's Fascist Army.

The veteran trade union leader Jack Jones was one of many from the North West of England who went to fight the Fascists in Spain.

The men joined other volunteers from across the world to form what became known as the International Brigade.

In October 2006 they were remembered at commemorations in Manchester.

There are just 21 surviving members of the British Battalion of the International Brigade, among them Jack Jones, Bernard McKenna and Sam Russell.

They are all in their 90's now but their memories haven't faded.

Jack Jones, who is 93, explains what drove the men to fight:

"You have got to have conviction in life, to do what is the right thing to do. Many men I know did that and died. I could have been in their place, but I was glad to fight with them."

Sam Russell, aged 91, explains why he went to Spain:

"I went to fight Fascism. We may have lost on the field of battle but we never lost the fight, the struggle against Fascism."

For the British volunteers the reality of war was brutal.

More than 500 lost their lives and 1,200 were seriously injured, including Jack Jones in the Battle for Hill 481 at Ebro.

Support for the war

In the North West of England there was huge support for those fighting out in Spain.

People gave money and donated food and clothing to the AID Spain campaign.

Looking back - the Spanish Civil War fighters

But despite all the support of the International Brigade, the Republican Army was overwhelmed by the superior fire power of Franco's German equipped army.

The war finally came to an end in March 1939 when Franco captured Madrid.

Defeated on the battle field, the International Brigade returned home.

Not everybody approved of what they did, but others greeted them as heroes.

Today the few surviving men are finally celebrating the fight against fascism and gaining the recognition they deserve.

Links relating to this story:

• BBC DNA - Spanish Civil War
• Spartacus - Spanish Civil War
• Wikipedia - Spanish Civil War
• The Guardian - Spanish Civil War
• Manchester Evening News - Spanish Civil War

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites

Bereavement counselling

Tragic accident - but what happens to the bereaved?

Nine people are killed on the roads in Britain every day.

However, there is no dedicated government funding available for the relatives left behind.

Aftermath Support on Merseyside offers help and support to victims, relatives of people in car accidents.

It is staffed by volunteers.

For 18 months the Home Office funded three pilot schemes including Aftermath offering help to people injured or bereaved by road accidents.

Since that money stopped in 2005 Aftermath has had to rely on fund-raising and a Lottery grant but that runs out in 2008.

Police liaison officers will leave Aftermath’s number with grieving families - it is up to them whether or when they make contact.

Uncertain future

With Aftermath’s future uncertain because of funding worries, Inside Out decided to take Jackie Briscoe from the organisation on a mission into Europe to see just how different things could be with a helping hand dipped into a helping pocket.

The Association Des Victimes De La Route in Luxembourg is able to employ a psychologist, a social worker and an office manager plus equip its headquarters, thanks to the generosity of the Lux government with provides two thirds of its funding.

Jeannot Mersch became involved with AVR when his daughter Sandy was killed by a hit and run driver in 1993.

Links relating to this story:

• BBC Relationships - Bereavement Counselling
• Cruse
• AVR

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites