archie57

I've never seen an "Austerity" on a passenger train! - perhaps empty stock

A good friend of mine used to tell me that as a child they sometimes loaded coal at Digby Colliery on the Nottingham Canal, and while in that part of the world they often came across (otherwise) ordinary horseboats which had gunnels around the cabin. I've never seen a picture though......

The Weaver collection is now in the care of the Historic Narrow Boat Club and should be accessible through them

Arthur Stokes had arguably the smartest pair on the canals when he had the "Mimas". Legend has it that they would only use the primus for cooking in the engine 'ole, and at the first sign of rain the Flat Irons would go on the range to heat up in order to iron the Ash strips to dry them out and keep them snowy white! (Of course, many owners of old boats today don't seem to know what Ash strips are....!) Myself and a friend were invited around to their house (opposite the "Engine" at Longford) many years ago for a cup of tea, where we were treated with great kindness. Naturally the conversation turned to boating, whereupon they said "You should have come last week - we've just had a bonfire in the garden and burnt all the photos!" Anyone doubting the spotless turnout should look at the pictures of Robert Longden and the Weaver collection.

Sorry, Paddington Bear, it was given to me by a good friend and I want to hang on to it!

Buckby Locks: We are talking about the badge of the type illustrated in Alan Finchers post #10? I have one of these Fattorini badges (464) with a pin

In reply to Buckby Locks, they made a womans' GUCCCo "On National Service" badge with a pin as well as the buttonhole variety

It was about this period in time when I turned up at Hayhurst yard one day to see a steaming pile of scrap on the bank that had once been the "Leopard" - identifiable by the name on the pieces of top bends.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, "Queen of the Ocean" was traded in for the "Victoria" at Tooleys. I have seen the paperwork for the transaction in the past, but I'm not sure if it still exists - I wish I'd made a copy - isn't hindsight a wonderful thing!

It's a good question but I'm afraid I haven't a clue! The position of the engine 'ole doors on the "Whitehall" perhaps might give us a clue? AFAIK it didn't have an extended cabin as such

Many thanks to davidg for posting this photo. It is indeed at Bulbourne, but shows former Hildicks and Hildicks motor "Whitehall" with its butty "Victoria" in the ownership of John Boyes

Feel free to use it as you wish! Afraid I can't tell you anything more about H&H though. I do have a rather poor photo of the "Whitehall" in John Boyes' ownership which I would post if I knew how!

Re the Cratch - Older generations of boaters never called it that - it was always the "fore end" - eg "we had to take the fore end down to get up the Griff arm" - false cratch, deckboard -yes.

Hildicks and Hildicks "Queen of the Ocean" was in fact a butty, which together with their motor "Whitehall" was sold to John Boyes of Hillmorton in about 1923. "Queen of the Ocean" was later traded in for the "Victoria" at Tooleys and on John Boyes death in 1935 were sold to Harvey Taylor, becoming the "Leon" and "Rose"