A NORTH Yorkshire town's tradition of cruising down the river, not just on Sunday afternoons, will be carried on by a man who has been involved with its famed rowing boats for 55 years.

Don Horner and his wife, Edna, had planned to retire after years of presiding over the River Nidd institution on Knaresborough's Waterside from a base known as Blenkhorns.

The boats had recently been put up for sale by the couple - but when Mr and Mrs Horner separately sold the boathouse caf, riverside terrace and seating for 140 people along with their nearby four-storey six-bedroom Victorian detached house, they decided to carry on the boating tradition themselves.

There are 60 rowing boats and during the holiday season they have become part of the warp and weft of Knaresborough's tourist scene, often depicted on picture postcards of the ancient market town.

Mrs Horner said her 68-year-old husband had been involved in running the boats since he was 13. But after the couple sold the other properties he decided to keep operating the boats himself.

The couple decided to sell the caf, terrace and large home because they wanted to scale down their hectic business life. In their semi-retirement the couple are planning to live in a cottage not far from the boathouse.

Meanwhile the boats are set to move to a new base, just a short distance from their present home.

A spokesman for Harrogate-based agents Strutt & Parker, who handled the property sale, said: "The familiar sight of boats on the River Nidd has been part of the heritage of this particular corner of Knaresborough for years and is certainly one of the town's major tourist attractions."

They reported a high rate of interest in the sale of the properties from a variety of people, many attracted by the site's attractive position.

They were on the market for offers in excess of £350,000.

Meanwhile, business on the boating scene has been particularly brisk lately, with more tourists flocking to the town because of restrictions in visiting the countryside caused by the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Although Mr Horner will continue to run the boats, Mrs Horner said it would enable him to take life a "bit more leisurely".

Updated: 12:29 Friday, June 08, 2001