A question often asked of me is "Why Thomas?". Actually this is three questions:
The first comes down to, as do so many changes people make in their lives, to a collection of circumstances and experiences all culminating at one point. The circumstances were that I had reached the end of a long term relationship, I was sick of a job that I'd reached the effective top of and promotion meant waiting for death, I hated the place I was living in - both the village and the house and I was determined to give up the major consuming hobby I'd had - (motor) bike rallying. Experiences were that I'd spent a lot of holidays with parents on boats - it must be said that their move from river to canal cruising had seriously put off a speed obsessed youngster - but a summonsing to take a rallying pal and recover n/b Collie II from a breakdown that had required dry docking and deliver her right across the country had re-awoken the love of being on the water.
As another employment phase came to an end just as the house sold, relationships changed and an urge to 'get away from it all'. So I drew up some plans and set out on a quest to find a boat builder who would build me what I wanted.
In the end I found a boat builder who would build what he wanted, but convince me that his way was the best. Certainly the Black Country Narrowboats shell that I bought, was at the time it was built, at, I think, the pinnacle of their building. Solid, well shaped and very good looking. They also performed exceedingly well.
It is often said that narrowboats do not steer well in reverse. Many have short, stubby swims and when in reverse push so much water off to one side that they can not help but go round in slow circles. On a visit to BCN the owner took me out for a test run on a newly completed and ballasted shell. As we roared down the Stourbridge Canal at a very respectable speed with remarkably little wash I enquired as to their handling in reverse. Dave reached down and hauled the gear rod from forward to reverse. The boat stopped judderingly quickly and promptly charged off in reverse, back around the corner we had just rounded. I was impressed. Shortly after that the order was placed.
So the last part, why Thomas Covenant? Well the glib answer is that I have a great respect for any man who can go though life refusing to accept that the world around him is real. A deeper answer is that the books had a deep effect on me when I read them, there was much in the stories of fidelity, trust and self-belief that appealed to me. The only real answer is; read them yourself!