archie57

I think the butty "Ash" is still composite

Sorry to be pedantic, but the Lock Cottage at Claydon was demolished many years ago, the building for sale was formerly workshops

Of the small boats, I think the "Corvus" was probably last to retain its cabin when on the maintenance on the Soar. I think it lost it when converted to a motor - late 70's?

The boat as I recall belonged to John Heap, a leading light in the NW IWA. He was a bank manager and owned Lyneal Wharf near Ellesmere

Regarding long - lasting FMC painting, Ernie Humphries' "Jaguar" was the last in the SE Division fleet to bear their colours, keeping FMC painting until it was docked at Saltley in 1956 - a testament perhaps to how well the boat was looked after!

As regards Rugby aqueducts, I have met boats many a time in the past on them, but our Lords and Masters, in their infinite wisdom (/ignorance) have seen fit to reduce the width in the course of repair works - like some bridgeholes on the Coventry and Ashby canals, for example. As I once said to a BW engineer, what other countries in Europe go around actively reducing the width of their canals - they enlarge them whenever they can!

Oldbury reservoir near Hartshill is one that feeds the Coventry Canal

Not heard of Mrs Cox - I'll make some enquiries!

The engine was under water once upon a time when it sank in Limehouse!

This is the only GUCCCo one I've seen. With it's grading of the boatmen (I note the trainees were in a class of their own - I wonder why!) it created a lot of interest amongst the boaters I've shown it to who were around at the time!

Shown on Manning List dated 14th Sept 1944 paired with "Otley", steerer F. Wenlock

Not sure that the Wains ever had the "Puppis" in working days though (but never say never!) One who did have it was Joe Fitchford, and a picture of his boats "Antony" and "Puppis" is in the Arthur Watts collection at the Waterways Museum. His daughter may still live in Hillmorton

To be pedantic it's actually the steam dredger backfilling the concrete piling (-you can see the grab behind the RH man)

I might add that it's important to stretch the deck cloth and get it taut and only have a single fold!

It did look like a B1 on the first passenger....

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!