Carole Sampson’s First Mate Guides, are a set of books with details about things local to the canals,

If you wanted to know how to contact a doctor, dentist, vet or chemist, or if you want to know where you can find a bank, post office, telephone or laundrette then these guides give you the peace of mind of knowing where they can be found.

From her site Carole Sampson states that her and her husband have downsized to a small apartment in order to move their boat and spend time on European waterways. As such she has decided to cease publication of her extremely useful First Mate Guides. However, she has made the Guides available for download in return for a donation to cover the costs of maintaining the site.

Have a look on her website FirstMateGuides.co.uk to download the documents.

The Severn  books are broken down as follows (see First Mate Guide Brochure|Mirror)

• First Mate Guide – Northwest
  Covers all the transpennine routes, the Lancaster and Bridgewater Canals and connecting routes.
• First Mate Guide – Northeast
  From Nottingham north to Ripon, including the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire waterways.
• First Mate Guide – Four Counties Ring
  As it says on the tin – Trent and Mersey (western), Shropshire Union, Staffs and Worcs (northern), plus the Llangollen and Montgomery.
• First Mate Guide – Birmingham & Southwest
  All the BCN, Severn, Avon and connecting canals.
• First Mate Guide – East Midlands & East Anglia
  The ‘Leicester Ring’ canals plus the Nene, Ouse and Middle Level.
• First Mate Guide – Grand Union
  Grand Union with arms and branches plus Lee and Stort.
• First Mate Guide – Thames & South
  Includes the southern Oxford, Kennet and Avon, Basingstoke and River Wey.

Please stop by her website and give her a donation for these books.