Sailed is probably not the right word for the arrival of six former Shibden Park rowing boats, which are definitely not sea-worthy anymore filled with tonnes of compost and planted with fruit, vegetables and salad crops, and now in position in school playgrounds throughout the town.

It’s a great way to bring school pupils and keen gardeners together as part of the Incredible Edible Todmorden project, explained Kay Page, extended schools development officer, who organised the boats’ new lease of life.

“It’s all about getting the kids involved and the wider community.

“If the school pupils will take ownership of these boats then hopefully we can find volunteers to water them over the long summer holidays.

“And it proves that you can plant fruit and vegetables almost anywhere; from boats to old tyres.”

Not all Todmorden schools have room for boats in their playgrounds but Todmorden High School and Castle Hill School have already positioned theirs and planted them.

Todmorden High School year eight pupil Ben Mortimer said the gardening projects in the school might spur him on to helping his mum out at home in the garden.

“I might help mum out after this and I might get involved with the community garden at school as well.

“People have been talking about this project ever since it was announced,” said Ben.

Freddie Swales-Dawson, also a year eight pupil, said they had planted red and green gooseberries, black and red currants, blueberries and strawberries in the boat.

Ben and Freddie were two of a dozen volunteers who helped to select the plants at Gordon Riggs Garden Centre and then plant them.

There will be a watering team to ensure the plants survive the summer months.

Tony Mulgrew, the high school chef and driving force behind the school’s food growing programme, said he was looking forward to cooking with the berries produced.

“This is the start of something wonderful. What a great way to do it.”

The pupils were still considering a name for their vessel but the main contenders were The Berry Ferry or The Berry Boat.

Castle Hill School also has a boat, as yet unnamed, full of radishes.

But these radishes, along with their bed-fellows, peas, herbs, beetroot, tomatoes, strawberries, lettuces and nasturtiums, have also served as science experiments before planting, as Jenny Smith explained.

“We’ve grown a lot of these from seeds or seedlings in different conditions to see how they developed,” said Miss Smith, the year five teacher and science co-ordinator.

“We’ve linked it all in with science projects.”

As part of the project car and truck tractors have also been planted, the Launchpad have created their own garden and the school’s nature area has been cleared to allow for better access, with the introduction of a willow tunnel.