Gongoozler facts for kids
A gongoozler is someone who loves watching boats and life on the canals of the United Kingdom. It's also used for people who are really interested in canals but don't actually own a boat or work on them.
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What Does "Gongoozler" Mean?
The word "gongoozler" might have started as slang (informal words) used by canal workers. They might have used it for people who just stood around watching them work. In the past, it was a bit of a teasing word.
Today, people who enjoy watching canals often use the term themselves. They might use it with a bit of irony, meaning they know it's a funny word for their hobby.
The word might come from old words used in Lincolnshire, England. "Gawn" and "gooze" both meant to stare or gape at something. Even though canals were very busy in the 1800s, the word "gongoozler" wasn't written down until the late 1800s or early 1900s.
A writer named L. T. C. Rolt helped make the word more popular. He used it in his 1944 book about canal life, called Narrow Boat. Sometimes, "gongoozler" can also mean anyone who watches an event without taking part in it.
What Do Gongoozlers Do?
Gongoozling is a fun hobby, much like trainspotting (watching trains). It covers many different ways to enjoy canals.
Collecting Canal Artwork
Many gongoozlers enjoy collecting or creating art related to canals. This can include paintings, postcards, and photographs of canal scenes.
Watching Canal Locks
Canal locks are often a popular spot for gongoozlers. Operating these manual locks can be tricky. There are many chances for mistakes to happen. Some watchers might cheer on the boat crews. Others might even offer to help. They might carry a special tool called a lock windlass to open the paddles or help push the heavy gates.
Learning Canal History and Technology
While trainspotters often identify different types of engines, gongoozlers usually don't do that with boats. Instead, they might be very interested in the history of a canal section. They also enjoy learning how locks work. They might study other amazing devices like inclined planes, water slopes, and boat lifts. Famous examples include the Anderton Boat Lift, the Falkirk Wheel, and the Strépy-Thieu boat lift.
Popular Places for Gongoozling
Some places are especially popular for gongoozlers.
Staircase Locks
Staircase locks are a series of locks built close together. They can hold many boats at once. This makes them very exciting to watch. The Foxton Locks on the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal are a perfect example of a great gongoozling spot.
Canal Junctions
Fradley Junction in Staffordshire is another popular place to watch canal boats. Many other canal junctions are also busy. This is because sometimes three boats need to pass each other at the same time, which is quite a sight!
Amazing Boat Lifts
The Falkirk Wheel, near Falkirk in Scotland, is a huge and amazing piece of engineering. It connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. This incredible structure attracts a very large number of gongoozlers.
Special Events
Some places become famous for gongoozlers because of local events. The Princess Street lock on the Rochdale Canal in Manchester is usually quiet. But it becomes a popular spot during the Manchester Mardi Gras festival, which happens in late August.
The eight locks of Fonserannes on the Canal du Midi in Southern France attract so many gongoozlers. They are now the third most popular tourist attraction in the Languedoc region.
