Dave Both are true.David Blagrove was one of the last working boatmen
Correction Still is a working boatman and is responsible for a lot of good songs,but Non boating Folkies have done some good stuff as well.
Pumpkin Pie did an album of (Ithink)mostly self penned 'traditional'
canal songs,as did The Boatmen -Songs From the Tunnels Mouth I seem to recall as an album title.
The Single Bolinder referred to above is an adaptation of a Geordie
miners song called Little Chance.