London's canals are today teaming with boaters, while more and more walkers are enjoying the delights of a stroll along their bridleways.

Such has been their resurgence, it's hard to believe less than 50 years ago many lay derelict and unloved, earning them a reputation as the capital's "stinking ditches".

Londoners who played a part in that extraordinary transition are now being asked to share their memories as part of an oral history project.

Volunteers at the London Canal Museum, in Kings Cross, want to hear from anyone who remembers that era - from campaigners who fought to save the forgotten waterways to those who took advantage of new business opportunities as the gloom lifted.

They are particularly keen to hear from anyone with a tale to tell about the Grand Union and Regent's canals, between Brentford and Limehouse.

Brian Johnson, who is helping to compile the audio archive, said: "The canals were almost going to be demolished in the 60s and 70s because they were so run-down and poorly used.

Boats paraded along the Grand Union Canal in Little Venice as part of a Canalway Cavalcade to celebrate the Queen's diamond jubilee

"They earned a reputation as 'stinking ditches', but there was a big campaign to save them and a lot has changed since then.

"It's important we preserve people's memories of their days as a more industrial setting, before that heritage is lost forever."

The recordings will be used by the museum to teach schoolchildren about the canals' history, and they will be available for future research, exhibitions and publications.

The canals' decline began as commercial use dropped off, and they reached their lowest ebb in the late 1960s.

But the 1968 Transport Act proved recognised their potential for recreational use, and by the mid 80s they were home to more than 20,000 leisure boats.

Their reputation was gradually restored and by the 2000s there were more boats on Britain's canals than at the height of the industrial revolution.

To share your story, email sally@lcmemail.co.uk.

For more about the London Canal Museum, visit www.canalmuseum.org.uk .