AN artist who has been pulling his “piano raft” along the Leeds and Liverpool canal for the past five years has said he is enjoying the “very warm welcome” of people in the Bradford district.

Ben Cummins, 43, set off from Liverpool in 2012 and is aiming to get his boat to London by 2037.

He has written on the side of the vessel, “this is not a raft, it is an instrument that plays an unfolding song”, and says he plans to hold sound workshops on the water.

Mr Cummins, a former university lecturer originally from Kent, is currently moored near Five Rise Locks in Bingley.

He said to comply with rules from the Canal and River Trust, he has to move the raft every two weeks, and pulls it by hand for at least a mile.

“I never go backwards, only forwards,” he said.

“It’s a rescued showboat, originally built by Ben Parry, and I’ve built it up to three times the size using all recycled material. I keep accumulating things as I go along.”

The non-motorised vessel is made from recycled household items and kept buoyant by a series of barrels.

Mr Cummins said he originally set off on his epic journey after having a vision of playing piano by the water.

“I am a sound and visual artist, and this is my home, it’s my life,” he said.

“I plan to turn the entire ship into an instrument and do sound experiments on board.”

Mr Cummins said his raft will be too big to travel on the canal system by the time he reaches the Leicester area in a number of years time, at which point he will either make the vessel amphibious and travel on land, or make it “seaworthy” and head out into The Wash on the east coast.

On his last couple of months in West Yorkshire, he said: “I get lots of attention everywhere I go, but I’ve had a very warm welcome here with lots of really positive comments.

“People think it’s great.”

To follow Mr Cummins’ journey, find Piano Raft on social media.