Canoeing on City Basin

City Basin was built in 1820 and for over 100 years was a distributing centre for goods coming into London. Pickfords for example was one of the companies operating from here. But by 1929 the trade was taken over by the railways and by 1950 the basin was derelict. In 2004 Islington Council began a regeneration programme that improved the environment and allowed the Islington Boat Club and buildings like mine to be built. The Boat club provides canoeing training for local children and I love to hear their delighted shouts.