I always get a touch of vertigo when looking down into these deep canal locks. To be honest, peering into the drop down makes me feel very uneasy. You just get the impression that if you were ever that unfortunate enough to fall in and no one was around to help, that it would be nigh on impossible to get out. They are usually around 20 ft deep with sheer, slippery sides, perilously cold water and nothing to grab a hold of to climb out with. So I always approach the edge very cautiously even though I've never slipped and fallen in, well, you never know. I think I must have heard scare stories as a kid about the perils of stepping too close to the edge, but it doesn't take that much imagination to believe in an accident or two having happened in the past. This is the lock closed, but as you can see there's quite a build up of pressure behind the gates, enough to force the water through in a weak spot. The prettiness of the green moss and the fresh cascading water look innocent enough, yet this is as close as I want to get to them.
Great shot, Matt, as it really gives the impression of a lot of water waiting to break through. Interestingly, I've just finished reading a book by Martin Cruz Smith called Rose and it includes a scene where a man is coshed and he falls into a canal lock. He was saved but only under very difficult circumstances.
@richardshears That's fascinating. Coshed and falling in, that has to be quite a dramatic incident. I'm glad he was saved though. It must have taken some doing.
Yikes, that gives a real sense of vertigo! And it looks incredibly slippery with all that slimy green around the edges! There's a lot of movement in this shot!
November 27th, 2011
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
