Sonia Rolt was one of the most significant early members of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), and part of its ruling council between 1948 and 1951. She was the only council member who was actually employed in carrying by boat, as opposed to enthusiasts who organised small carrying businesses, or others like Tom Rolt, who were very knowledgable in varied manners.
She understood not only the problems of many boatpeople but also that trade possibilities were confined to limited routes. This did not meet with the approval of Robert Aickman, who chaired the IWA and succeeded in forcing out members who did not agree to campaign for the revival of carrying on all inland waterways. Sonia, along with Tom, found this intolerable and chose to be expelled.
After Tom’s early death, Sonia’s efforts ensured that his works mostly remained in print, and she brought his final volume of autobiography, renamed Landscapes With Figures, to publication in 1992. Without her influence, the extensive commemorations of Tom’s centenary in 2010 would not have come about.
