A PHENOMENAL 47 miles of canal meander through underground coal mines.

That's just one of the intriguing discoveries unearthed by Runcorn writer Evelyn Hayes, in a gripping new book about the Bridgewater Canal.

"I'd never heard of drift mines," said Evelyn, who belongs to Scribes & Scribblers, a community group awarded a £10,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant to publish Worsley to Top Locks.

"They had boats called starvationers', shaped like long hungry bodies, that went in and people mined straight into the boats. It was absolutely incredible."

After months of painstaking research, Evelyn has written 39,000 words about the history of the canal and lives of workers.

The writing group has interviewed former employees and people and captured poems, stories and photographs.

They have recorded four CDs to accompany the publication.

"It's a people book with a difference," said Evelyn. "I've enjoyed it so much. The more you delve, the more you discover. My friend is 80 this year and had no idea why the Bridgewater Canal was built, yet played by it as a child.

"It is important to realise the hardships people underwent - no food, no money."

Countless children and adults died in the canal in accidents, she said.

The grim task of retrieving the bodies was given to the Runcorn Grappling Corps, in a rowing boat.

Actors playing the Duke of Bridgewater, James Brindley and John Gilbert will launch the book at The Brindley on Friday, May 18, from 2pm until 4pm.

Scribes & Scribblers meet at The Brindley on the first and third Tuesday of the month, from 10am to 12pm. New members are always welcome.