archie57

I'm sorry to say that the gent pictured is the "Other" Tony Miles, who was apparently involved with Keay's boatyard at one time. Tony Miles of "Grace" fame was a teacher who went on to run the Coventry Waterways scheme up until his retirement in 1996. After parting with the "Grace" he had the "Capricorn" for many years.

No - they came from Tony Miles who had the "Grace" at the time. They were copies made by the production company of some in the Stoke Bruerne museum, so I was told.

I've still got those legging boards - anybody need any.....?!

I'll dig it out in the morning and be in touch....

I think I've got one in the shed going spare....

It starts at Avonmouth, they just pass through Sharpness

I've met "Sir Nigel Gresley", close to the Great Central bridge at Wolfhamcote - Bill Hoole wasn't steering it though.......

They were taken by my father about 1961. I don't think I've got any more I'm afraid. Many canalside cottages have disappeared, mainly because of no road access, as here at Atherstone

I remember late 70s/early 80s BW had a concerted effort to get them all back in to use, and they were all usable for a while - until they changed their minds, as they do..........

These houses were second and fourth from the bottom. You can still see (- or could last time I was there!) the brick paving to them from the lockside

Little Woolwich motors, probably others as well, had a 3-way valve mounted on the bulkhead below the floor plates plumbed in to the National bilge pump so the three areas David referred to could be pumped out

I tend to think this is the top lock at Calcutt (Wigrams) because of the direction the balance is/was pointing and the double handrails on the bottom gates behind the boats - where a public footpath crosses. This may have crossed the canal by the nearby drawbridge pre-widening. The captions on many of these CRT archive pictures aren't always spot-on.......

Alan was a great character! I often tried to talk to him about his career on the railway but he didn't really want to know - he would be quite happy to talk for hours on canals and boats however!

As you know, the centre paddles on the top gates at Marple aren't as originally fitted, there then being two off-centre. Those single new ones are I feel are not ideal and rather vulnerable and exposed to boat fore-ends, although some canals did have paddles like that, eg T&M (with long spindles under the balance beam)