Canal Tow Path

Like so many others, Sally insisted her tale was true. To be fair, everything she describes could be real without the hint of anything metaphysical. And yet the evidence mounts up. Plus her email made us think about Bath in a different way. Canal boats fill the corners of the city. There are man made rivers throughout. You can travel from Bristol to Bradford Upon Avon, and never stop floating.

S: I still think it is funny that the West Country has a fleet of aquatic houses. On the far side of Sydney Gardens is a canal path that dumps you into the countryside within minutes.

I walk there a lot. Bath is not ugly, but it is nice to go somewhere only a few minutes walk away with such a different feel. I went there so much, I recognised the different canal boats. One had painted roses clambering up the side. I soon knew the other people who used the canal by sight. The walkers and their assortment of dogs. The cyclist with the worried face. The man in a suit who appeared to be on his commute, despite the woods and train track.

There was a woman who sat on the bank in the morning. She always wore a flowing white dress. She wore that dress even when the rain made the puddles dance, and didn’t even wrap her arms around herself. Plenty of boats snuggled up to the side of the river, but I never spotted one that was her home. I am not moaning. This woman had every right to sit by the canal. And I was there as much as she was. Maybe she was a fellow walker like me. Even if she never walked. And did not have the right clothes for walking.

I cannot lie, she caught my attention. I must have stared at her too much. One day, Another woman perched on top of a boat, called out to me.​‘You’ve seen her too?’ To be polite, I formed a goofy grin and kept walking. The boat woman laughed. ‘She pops round here sometimes. Nothing to worry about. Think of her as part of the canal.’

I thought she meant the lady on the bank worked for the council.

The next day I waved to the woman on the bank. Only to see if we had formed a mutual bond through our daily meeting. She raised a hand, but in a quick and awkward movement, like you might get from a celebrity doing their food shop.

That was the last day I ever saw her by the canal. I still think about her a lot. I even thought about going over to the other side of the water, to see if she was there. But time slips away, doesn’t it?

When you posted your advert, I had to get in touch. That is the women, definitely. Or a human who looks exactly like Sulis Minerva.

I wished I had asked more questions. If you get a chance, make sure you do.

The beginning of the canal.