‘It’s all here on the water’: how Britain’s canals became home to bakers, blacksmiths and florists

Stroll down Britain's canals these days and you'll encounter waterside businesses of all kinds trading out of narrowboats. Here, five floating traders share their stories

When Stuart Fenwick first moved to London seven years ago, he spent a lot of time on foot exploring the capital's towpaths. His wanderings prompted a recurring dream in which he ran a floristry studio aboard a narrowboat. I've been working with flowers since I was 15 and I've always wanted a shop, but could never really afford it," he explains. The overheads in London are just too high and unfortunately, retail floristry has been in decline for a long time." Fenwick found the solution in Bria - a 42ft narrowboat that roves the city's waterways.