Extreme trip boating

[Timleech]

During the 1960s, the 'Rochdale Nine' through Manchester was the only part of that canal which remained more or less open, though it was a struggle to use it. I'm sure the Canal Company would have loved to close it but through a few people insisting on navigation it never did close. Had it done so, the fate of the Ashton & Lower Peak Forest would probably have been sealed.

 

One of those who occasionally used the canal was Bev Portman with his Key Line Cruisers trip boat Turn Key. A group of us got inveigled into providing manpower to help through the locks once or twice, must have been 1965 or 66, going up the locks empty during the day, to come back with intrepid passengers later. I uncovered these pictures when looking for pics relating to another thread.

 

 

 

 

That's Ian Reid on the left of the picture, Bev Portman I'm fairly sure looking across to the steerer, Phil Haves with his back to the camera & Gordon Powell with the can of oil for the paddle gear. The obscured figure might have been Andrew Huxley.

 

From what I remember, Bev Portman gave up the boats & emigrated to somewhere a bit more exotic. I did notice a quite smart modern narrow boat going around a few years ago with the owner's name something like B V Portman on the side, I did wonder was it he?

 

Tim

[Derek R.]

Good stuff.

 

We did the Nine in 1983, and from what I see in those pictures not a lot had changed.

We were heading for the 1983 National in Wigan, and booked in for the Ducie Street gathering prior to. After descending the Ashton at first light (we'd been given the tip-off at Dukinfield), we got to a very shabby looking basin with stones being skimmed across to the boats - and that was just one Grand-dad. The Nine were very low, and the short subterranean pound empty. Inviting it was not, and the Rochdale Canal Company very indifferent to our requests to pass through.

 

Eventually found a 'new' lockie just moved in to his house somewhere along the route, and given some advice (I won't say what). Then later in the day met a volunteer from the Rochdale Canal Society, who was most helpful, and who aided us and another craft to get down the flight. It was not without some trepidation either. I remember one pound being quite low, and having had the water let out and the bottom gates partialy opened (rubbish prevented them from opening fully) we fouled the bottom cill. Then the water came back - thrust us astern, then dragged us forward making some frightful screeching noises as we were forcibly dragged over some underwater item. Wooden bottoms at the time, and in none to brilliant condition. I kept a good watch for water in the bilge from that point on.

 

Big sigh of relief on reaching Castlefield and that's a fact!

 

It was a fascinating sight to see that much dereliction and former industrial buildings, and following the towpath had its own challenges - "where now?" Black and white shots might as well have been in colour - you'd not have noticed the difference . . . !

 

 

[journeyperson]

it's great to see these old photos of the area. In those days I wasn't aware of its existence and it has changed beyond all recognition. Although the Nine is still hard work the surroundings are quite impressive and civilised now.

[Pluto]

We took Attila, at the rear, to the opening of the Nine in 1972, mooring to the parking meters. Access was via the ladder on Ferret's roof.

 

[Bevaud]

Good morning from South Africa

 

Well ... herewith a voice (or 2) from the past!!

 

I was looking for something on Google today when, by sheer accident, I came across your interesting site and happened to see Bev (Portman)'s name mentioned and our trip boat Turnkey.

 

Just thought I would let you know that Bev and I are still around and living in Johannesburg.

We did spend many happy hours on the canals in the UK and had a small business on the Bridgewater Canal at Timperley, hiring out a couple of boats for to Manchester on Turnkey when a rail strike was on.

 

As Tim mentioned, we were very involved with the Rochdale Canal in the middle of Manchester - even got out the bolt croppers to take off the padlocks they put on the gates! In order to keep the canal open, Bev actually enlisted the help of a builders yard half way up the locks and took out a contract with him to carry his builders rubble from his yard and through the locks using a narrow boat called Parrott belonging at that time to Peter Froud (if anyone remembers him?? - a great canal enthusiast). By doing this, the canal company couldn't say the canal wasn't being used commercially!

 

In 1967, we bought a Fairmile (an ex submarine chaser - somewhat larger than our canal boats) and sailed off into the sunset with a couple of friends and our three children. We spent two years at sea. From the UK we sent to the Med and then back through the Med to the Canary Islands where we sold the boat. Bev's parents were in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and we lived there for 10 years before moving to South Africa.

 

We did buy a narrowboat (the Freedom) in the 1980s and for six years (while still living in SA) we spent from May to July in the UK cruising the canals. During the winter, the boat was taken out of the water at Lymm. We cruised just about all the canals several times and even rushed down the Bristol Channel and up the Cheddar Gorge into Bristol one year. Great fun.

 

Bev works with our son who has a laser measuring instrument company and I carry out South African research for people all over the world on both military and genealogical matters. No thoughts of retiring yet. We are very lucky in that all our children and gchildren live close to us here in Johannesburg.

 

So, we have many happy memories (and probably quite a few photos) of our time on the canals. There were no web sites in those days and its great that the members of the Forum can share their experiences on sites like this.

 

I hope this snippet of news has been of interest to some of the members.

Audrey (and Bev of course)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[J R ALSOP]

Ken Mullins and myself took Parrot and Dorset from Preston Brook to Castlefield Junction with the Rochdale Canal for the start of this epic trip, David Owen and others involved, it was so long ago I forget names. We both still have boats of our own, I am on the Southern GU,and Ken is in the midlands. I still have not seen so much wood in a lock as we found on our arrival to make the passage up the Nine. I carried on working for Peter Froud on Jupiter and Saturn, then worked for Willow Wren with Comet and Dabchick, then after feed up keeping it afloat we were given the Barnes, I have worked since then at Coles Morten Marine at Whaley Bridge when it started up, then in 1980 went south for the Hackney IWA rally, stayed at Lea Valley Narrowboats working Holland as a trip boat, come to Bridgewater Boats in 1985 and stayed there till 2000. Commercial boating then re-started with Wood, Hall and Heward, working in the London area with Bantam pusher tugs, various styled hoppers and Leeds and Liverpool short boats, Clitheroe, Everton and Derwent. If any one wants to hear more send me a email comet@nildram.co.uk.

[billh]

Ken Mullins and myself took Parrot and Dorset from Preston Brook to Castlefield Junction with the Rochdale Canal for the start of this epic trip, David Owen and others involved, it was so long ago I forget names. We both still have boats of our own, I am on the Southern GU,and Ken is in the midlands. I still have not seen so much wood in a lock as we found on our arrival to make the passage up the Nine. I carried on working for Peter Froud on Jupiter and Saturn, then worked for Willow Wren with Comet and Dabchick, then after feed up keeping it afloat we were given the Barnes, I have worked since then at Coles Morten Marine at Whaley Bridge when it started up, then in 1980 went south for the Hackney IWA rally, stayed at Lea Valley Narrowboats working Holland as a trip boat, come to Bridgewater Boats in 1985 and stayed there till 2000. Commercial boating then re-started with Wood, Hall and Heward, working in the London area with Bantam pusher tugs, various styled hoppers and Leeds and Liverpool short boats, Clitheroe, Everton and Derwent. If any one wants to hear more send me a email comet@nildram.co.uk.

Was it Ken Mullins who built a steel boat about 35ft and then extended it 10ft at a time over a period of several years until it was 70ft? Did it at New Mills or somewhere nearby?

I remember visiting Peter Froud's warehouse at Preston Brook about 1972, full of traction engines, boat bits and every nice machine you could think of- heaven! We wanted some stern gland packing and he was recommended as the only one in the NW likely to have any, and so he had.

There are some photos of Parrot on the Rochdale Nine on the Manchester Libraries Photo archive, search on "Boats and Barges"

Bill

[J R ALSOP]

That was Ken, he lived at Buxworth, he first raised and cut a boat in half that the British Transport Commision sunk in the Bugsworth arm, then he bought the "Kenelm" which we used to transport all the Bolinder parts from Willow Wren at Braunston to Preston Brook, a full boat load. he did a bit of carrying with and then had a pair with Willow Wren for a while, it was after this he started to build "Delph" with PFC (Peak Forest Canal) on the side, he is still boating, met him last year on my travels.

[cheshire~rose]

Fascinating pictures and how wonderful that someone who features in the memory of the OP has joined in. Audrey, it would be fantastic if you could get around to scanning some of those old photo's you have sometime and sharing them with the forum. Old photo's always create a lot of interest.

 

Not wishing to hijack this thread I wonder if any of you knowledgable people can shed some light on a more recent memory of mine about the Rochdale nine?

 

Having been down there on our own boat this summer it evoked memories of one of my first boating adventures in April/May 2000. We had hired a boat for 3 weeks to do The Penine Ring and went into Castlefields Basin to stop overnight (at that time the only place the hire company allowed you to stop during your passage through the Manchester suburbs) I remember going to walk up The Rochdale to have a look at it. My memory is that the canal was closed at that time. I thing I can remember the gates being chained together but my memory may be playing tricks with me! What I do recall is the huge amount of debris in the canal. Not just floating rubbish but shopping trolleys, old bikes and a whole load of seriously large accumulatons of rubbish that would in my mind have made this section unavigable. At the time I thought it was a disused canal.

 

This years trip brought back memories of that time but reading about the canal everything plainly states that it was never closed? Is my memory playing tricks with me? How much of my understanding of the situation was clouded by my inexperience as a boater?

 

I am wondering if what I saw was the tail end of a winter stoppage or something? Can anyone who knows that canal remember any stoppage that year?

[pete harrison]

That was Ken,........ and then had a pair with Willow Wren for a while,

I knew Ken from the late 1970's to the mid 1980's when he worked for B.W.B., firstly on the maintenance gang and then as relief lock keeper at Farmers Bridge, Birmingham (along with 'young' Charlie Atkins). He did not talk very much about his time with Willow Wren Canal Transport Services Ltd. but he did once tell me that when he married Maxine they went straight onto DARLEY and ARGO.

[ChasH]

I see mention of my narrowboat "Dorset" being used on the Rochdale Campaign Cruise in 1960s. There is also a very good pic of this boat on the Stourbridge Canal in Garth Allen's 'The Battle for the Stourbridge 1962, with a young man (Peter Froud?) and 2 Staffie Bull Terriors on board.

Can anyone tell me approx what years Peter Froud obtained, from whom, and then sold this boat? I believe it passed into the hands of 'Rob' Robertson who later had a pontoon called "Shed" that he dragged around the canal system by hand.

Any other previous history would be most welcome. I know it was built by Anderton CCC in 1937 and probably carried tar products from Chatterley to Oldbury. Would love to know more early history.

ChasH

[pete harrison]

I see mention of my narrowboat "Dorset" being used on the Rochdale Campaign Cruise in 1960s.

Can anyone tell me approx what years Peter Froud obtained, from whom, and then sold this boat?

Any other previous history would be most welcome. I know it was built by Anderton CCC in 1937 and probably carried tar products from Chatterley to Oldbury. Would love to know more early history.

ChasH

28 May 1938 - health registered as Stoke on Trent 941 as DORSET for Anderton Company Ltd., Middleport - narrow motor - 1 cabin - new boat.

24 July 1948 - Stoke on Trent 941 transferred to Staffordshire Chemical Company Ltd., Chatterley,

February 1949 - Stoke on Trent Sanitary Inspector informed - no longer to be used as a dwelling.

December 1953 - reported as still in use and powered by a Petter hot bulb engine.

12 September 1960 - sold to J.K. Ebblewhite, Long Eaton.

c1961 - sold to Peter Froud,

c1963 - sold to Rob Robinson, Norbury.

c1970 - sold to Chas. Hardern, Beeston.

 

I hope this gets you started, and clearly I would like to firm up on the circa's

[ChasH]

Many thanks Pete. This fills in a few gaps. Rob Robinson didn't keep it for as long as you say cos I was steering it in 1967-8 as a Day Trip boat in Nantwich area. The owner a Dick Edgeley from Crewe had bought it from Rob at least 2years previous to this and put a lightweight wooden full length cabin on with roll up side curtains. I purchased it from him in 1972 and ran it as a camping boat till 1976. I have done much renovation and rebuilding since then and have lived permanently on board for the last 35 years.

[pete harrison]

Thanks, I have updated my records accordingly

[X Alan W]

I see mention of my narrowboat "Dorset" being used on the Rochdale Campaign Cruise in 1960s. There is also a very good pic of this boat on the Stourbridge Canal in Garth Allen's 'The Battle for the Stourbridge 1962, with a young man (Peter Froud?) and 2 Staffie Bull Terriors on board.

Can anyone tell me approx what years Peter Froud obtained, from whom, and then sold this boat? I believe it passed into the hands of 'Rob' Robertson who later had a pontoon called "Shed" that he dragged around the canal system by hand.

Any other previous history would be most welcome. I know it was built by Anderton CCC in 1937 and probably carried tar products from Chatterley to Oldbury. Would love to know more early history.

ChasH

The Rob "Robertson" Was in fact Rob Robinson & yes he did buy a pontoon & his wife Di built a cabin on & fitted it out which they lived on He was at the time odd jobbing & at times working the horse trip boat at Norbury Dorset was on the High Bridge side of the Norbury road bridge on the off side One day mid 60's IIRC he said We are going for a few days " boating" returning some 3 or so weeks later He had bow hauled "Shed" from Norbury to Horse Shoe Falls & back

[David Mack]

The Rob "Robertson" Was in fact Rob Robinson & yes he did buy a pontoon & his wife Di built a cabin on & fitted it out which they lived on He was at the time odd jobbing & at times working the horse trip boat at Norbury Dorset was on the High Bridge side of the Norbury road bridge on the off side One day mid 60's IIRC he said We are going for a few days " boating" returning some 3 or so weeks later He had bow hauled "Shed" from Norbury to Horse Shoe Falls & back

I remember encountering "Shed" at Lapworth some time in the early-mid 1970s. I think he was still bow hauling it then.

[ChasH]

Apologies to 'Rob' for mis-naming him. He actually turned up at our boatyard last year and was very happy to see his old boat being cared for. Thanks to Peter Harrison for the requested information sent.