BRITISH Waterways has just published a booklet which proves that our North West canals are not just for boaters.

They are for all of us, including naturalists, canoeists, cyclists and those who just enjoy a gentle stroll.

Many of us live by the "cut" and if you want to know more you can do worse than request a brochure from Vaughan Jones, Community Development Officer, British Waterways, Unit 2B, The Colonnades, Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AA. Tel/fax 0151 709 8745.

The 80-page colour booklet covers the whole of the two canals. Last week I used it to rediscover two areas I already knew well but I found lots of new facts during my trip.

The two areas were around Burnley and Blackburn.

I chose those towns because I wanted to prove that there is beauty and a wealth of wildlife in the heart of an urban landscape.

Kingfishers are seen regularly on these stretches and the plant life is always worth careful study.

Many unusual plants came to Lancashire from foreign parts as their seeds were carried in bales of cotton, first along the canals and then by railway.