Fiodra is no longer owned and managed by Bob Chase.
On August 7th 2024 she was craned out of the River Lea and transported to her new home near Stratford-on-Avon. .bsky.social
07/08/2024
Today we said goodbye to Fiodra, the big red canalboat that has been our exhibition space, party venue, mindfulness retreat, jam stall, café, cinema, concert hall, art gallery, classroom, adventure holiday companion and sometime home for just over seven years.
She’s been craned out of the water at Ponders End Lock (see video!) and transported by lorry to a marina in Stratford-upon-Avon, where a new life awaits.
As Jo Bell says in her poem "How to live on a boat". We are...
"mindful of
one need
which can be met
by moving on;
and always
buoyant"
16/03/2024
Join us on Saturday the 30th March 2024 (10am-6pm) for an intimate experience of Marissa Stoffer's sculptural sensory work on board Barge FIODRA on the River Lea at Tottenham Hale Lock. (see map image).
Suspended in time with the surrounding cityscape filtered out you will be connected to nature through your senses. The artist has magnified an encounter with a rare Black Poplar Tree and observation of the canal's ability to mute the intensity of noise pollution of the enveloping built environment just metres away that bombard us daily.
The artist created the work during a micro artist residency in 2023 on the River Lea for the Canal & River Trust as part of the Trust’s Hinterlands Enfield project. During the residency the artist hiked along the River Lea/Lee Navigation for two days, starting from where the upper river surfaces next to Waulud’s Bank (an earthwork possibly neolithic and dating back to 3000 BC) in Luton. During this walk, the artist experienced the transforming ecologies that the river runs through, collecting sounds and observing the plant and animal species living along its banks.
Marissa Stoffers practice fosters an intimate connection with the non-human world, embodying a way of life and artistic expression. The artist who is interested in ecology and plant lore stayed on board Barge FIODRA during her residency to explore the practice of foraging for colour, where the artist creates dyes and pigments from plants and minerals collected during walks. This ancient, slow craft process- innate and learned through time spent in the Amazon RainForest enables the artist to study plant species, particularly trees with a deep understanding of how their stories intertwine with our cosmologies, evolution, and connection to place.
15/03/2024
Some great projects coming up. Delighted to support the Hinterlands Enfield 2023 initiative.
FIODRA is for SALE: After 5 years of fun and adventure we are ready to hand over this amazing boat and business to a new owner. The lucky new owner will be able to take on a successful business that has allowed us to live on the canals at virtually no cost. If you are interested visit https://sale.fiodra.co.uk/ I'll not be leaving the cut after 35 years, however, just downsizing!
After 5 years of amazing adventures and projects it’s time to find a new owner for our unique Barge AND Business. If your dream is to combine living comfortably on the waterways while operating a fun and profitable business then this is the boat for you. Fiodra is a purpose built home AND flexible...
03/03/2024
FIODRA is for SALE: After 5 years of fun and adventure we are ready to hand over this amazing business to a new owner. The lucky new owner will be able to take on a successful business that has allowed us to live on the canals at virtually no cost. Contact us for more information.
30/08/2023
TODAY! Fancy a bit of poetry? Yossi and Tyler (AKA Write2Speak) are hosting a poetry evening and open mic night at Stonebridge Lock on FIODRA. TODAY Wed Aug 30th
Write2Speak works closely with young people and adults of all backgrounds and abilities, supporting them to express themselves through spoken word poetry, creative writing, and performance.
Book here £3-£5 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/write2speak-presents-words-on-water-tickets-693666293557?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
"The Camera Obscura workshop was an educational, memorable and fun experience for my children & us! Thank you, they each made their first Camera Obscura and have been inspired to learn more!"
Aug 24th - Hinterlands 3 Event in Edmonton.
Hinterlands Enfield 2023 PINHOLE LONDON
21/08/2023
All philosophers welcome onboard Barge Fiodra.. is it a boat or a camera? Discuss.
17/08/2023
Come and see us in Edmonton on Aug 24th. A great programme of events .. and we are one of them! Come and say hello. Check out our amazing floating Camera Obscura. Make your own with Ben from PINHOLE LONDON .. (not a floating one of course)
Hinterlands Enfield 2023
07/06/2023
We are really buzzed to have Ben Nathan (founder of Pinhole London) as our “Artist in Residence“ in June. Ben is inviting people to share their experiences and memories of the River Lea, and surroundings as it flows through Edmonton.
There will be opportunities to co-create images using pinhole cameras including Ben’s amazing Afghan Box Camera.
Drop by and say hello or contact Ben to make sure he will be onboard. Contact details on leaflet
Ben’s residence is part of Enfield Council’s “Untold Edmonton” Project Enfield Council National Lottery Heritage Fund
05/04/2023
If you are in East London over Easter come and see our Camera Obscura in action. You can book a visit (no card needed) on this page https://fiodra.co.uk/obscura Or just rock up and wait. We will be collecting (optional) donations to Sightsavers Charity on the day (£3 suggested)
24/02/2023
Our 2023 programme includes some exciting creative projects delivered in partnership, with the Canal and River Trust and Pinhole London. Look out for us around the London waterways working with schools and local communities.
In between projects we will still be offering Fiodra for hire for projects, parties and events. Get in touch with us directly to find out what we can offer.
01/10/2022
High Tea on the High Seas ! - This has to be one of the best planned parties we have ever had. It all looks amazing .. now they are waiting for their special guests. If you want a special venue for your event - drop us a line.
31/08/2022
Back on the Thames sooner than we thought. Due to closure of Old Ford Lock (Victoria Park) This is now the only way we can get to the Angel (Islington) Canal Festival on Sunday. Wish us luck!
22/08/2022
We are back in town now after our voyage on the Thames and Medway. We began the last leg at 5 am in Gravesend and locked through into Limehouse Dock at 10:30.. just within the Lock-keeper's deadline of 11:00.. Phew!
16/08/2022
We've been away on a little trip in salty water. Taking a holiday down the Thames to the Medway River and Estuary. Flat calm going down river.. but may be bumpy on our way back this weekend!
16/07/2022
Lovely audiences today at the East End Canal Festival. Doing it all again tomorrow. First Show at 11:30
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Videos
Fiodra Crane Out
Today we said goodbye to Fiodra, the big red canalboat that has been our exhibition space, party venue, mindfulness retreat, jam stall, café, cinema, concert hall, art gallery, classroom, adventure holiday companion and sometime home for just over seven years.
She’s been craned out of the water at Ponders End Lock (see video!) and transported by lorry to a marina in Stratford-upon-Avon, where a new life awaits.
As Jo Bell says in her poem "How to live on a boat". We are...
"mindful of
one need
which can be met
by moving on;
and always
buoyant"
Back on the Thames sooner than we thought. Due to closure of Old Ford Lock (Victoria Park) This is now the only way we can get to the Angel (Islington) Canal Festival on Sunday. Wish us luck!
We are back in town now after our voyage on the Thames and Medway. We began the last leg at 5 am in Gravesend and locked through into Limehouse Dock at 10:30.. just within the Lock-keeper's deadline of 11:00.. Phew!
Tonle Sap floating village
Took some time to visit a floating village on Tonle Sap lake today. Made me feel right at home. This guy was clearly late for his dinner.
Offerings to the river on the first day of the lunar new year in Hoi An (Vietnam)
Artists Afloat - Barge Fiodra - King's Cross
Opened at King's Cross this morning. First visitors mooching around our exhibition. Many cards and much homemde jam sold. Come and find us next to the Book Barge - Word on the Water
River by Robert Powell
Enjoy Robert Powell reading his poem "River". Robert will be reading "River" and others from his collection "Riverain" on Sunday 27th October at our gig "Of Water and Other Matters". He will be joined by Joseph Butler an ex blacksmith and boat builder turned poet. See our events or visit fiodra.co.uk
300 Rowing boats on the Thames today! Glad we didn't go on tideway today. Off from Limehouse Basin to Teddington tomorrow morning. On route to Wey River Festival.
Santa arrived in front of us at Paddington Central this morning. Amazingly none of the musicians fell in!
Off to Kings Cross tomorrow to open our Illustration Afloat exhibition. Starts Friday night with an evening viewing with Galley Bar.
Some spontaneous music making on Fiodra today from Joie de Winter MUSIC Didn't take us long to start having ideas about a Harp and Art event onboard! .. thanks for popping in Joie
We had some delightful visitors to our Back Deck Cafe this week.
Sad the market is over but enjoying a day off! Thanks to Paddington Central for inviting us and to Priestlands Birch Products and Hempen for trading with us on Fiodra.
We are heading off up the Grand Union soon, but looking forward to being back with some wellbeing activities for Paddington folk in the Autumn.
In case you are wondering.. the boat passing is a Duck Weed catcher. A big problem this year on the canals.
Fiodra travels the southern British Canals hosting: Cinema, Theatre, Storytelling, Poetry Reading, Mindfulness Classes and much, much more.
Fiodra is a new wide-beam barge built by Viking Canal Boats in Poland. At 60ft x 12ft she is wide, but this gives plenty of room for a living and and activity space. She is licensed by the Canal and River Trust (CRT) to operate as a Roving Trader on their waterways. This means she can be used for business and events as well as being a live-aboard vessel for her crew.
The activity space (The Saloon*) is 10ft x 20ft and will accommodate around 10 people for workshops and 24 for talks, cinema and theatre.
Since her launch, Fiodra has been playing host to a wide variety of workshops, art and cinema events. Join our mailing list and be the first to know what’s coming up.
Activities
Mindfulness
Classes
Practice sessions
Talks and events
Cinema and live events
24-seat micro cinema showing feature films and documentaries
Historic/archive films about the canals
Canal, barge and boating related feature films ... there are few!
Live entertainment, such as story-telling and poetry reading
Exhibitions
Art markets and exhibitions
Floating markets with artists’ stalls
Exhibitions of canal and waterway related artworks
I've been around boats since a young age. My (late) father was a Ships’ Pilot (in the Wash) and from a local fishing family. My brother Bill was skipper of a tugboat. We built boats for ourselves large and small over the years and owned a few canal boats. I've lived on two narrow boats on the southern English canals. Fiodra is the newest and biggest vessel.
After a career in arts management, marketing and technology I am now a freelance mindfulness teacher, web-consultant and mentor to adults on the autistic spectrum.
If you are curious... Fiodra is the Gaelic name for the island of Fidra in the Firth of Forth. The Norse name Fiðrey translates as "feather island". Some say Robert Louis Stevenson based the map in his book Treasure Island on Fidra (Wikipedia entry).
* Saloon: The Oxford Concise Dictionary describes a saloon as a “public room for first-class or for all passengers on ship.” !
Fiodra is no longer owned and managed by Bob Chase.
