I've been watching a cracking series lately on BBC4 TV about canal building in the 19th century Took me back to the St Helens I left 60 years ago. The town and it's surrounding area seemed to be full of canals, many of which I fished in and occasionally swam in. I'm recalling the area by the old gas works, the Hotties by Pilks, one at Haydock and so on. Are they still there? Has anyone ever published a book about them?

Yes most of them are still there and not built in 19th Century as the programme mentioned. The St Helens/ Sankey canal was 18th Century 1757 I think.

It was England's first of the Industrial revolution, and the first modern canal.

It was built principally to transport coal from Haydock Collieries and Parr to the chemical industries of Liverpool, but it also moved Iron and Corn as well.

The best history of the Sankey canal that I've read has been Charles Hadfield's Canals of the North West (vol 1 and 2). They are available on Amazon.

Thanks, will check them out later