Dav and Pen

Camping boating in cross winds real nightmare. Once had the scouts on the towpath holding the fore end off above Shardlow as just couldn't get enough way on to stop being blown into the bank. for many years we had a low cratch which looked odd but the beams they put under Barton turn bridge the so called operation bridgeguard stopped a normal height board getting under. joe skinner said when he went to the Nottingham rally that they got people out of the public to get the fore end down.

We used IKEA units and doors on the barge kitchen. I thought they were very strong units and the carcass midfield a bit thicker than the competitors. The work tops were made to measure by a company in Long Buckby

I used to like having 2 tip cats when single motor. Those in the photo where made by Arthur Bray with rope I used to get from British ropes depot in Birmingham. They had a contract with Land Rover to supply a tow rope with every exported LR and made them up in Brum. I used to have all the off cuts from there which made up the inside of the fender and new rope for the outside. Mr Bray must have made dozens of fenders which we sold all over until his hands got to stiff then Jack Owen made them but Arthur’s were the best.

As said two tip cats and a button

Or the grand canal Ireland.we had a big problem going uphill in a double lock when the keeper didn’t shut the middle gates and when he lifted the top gate paddles a great arc of water started to fill the front deck, luckily I had closed the front doors so no water got in the cabin. Lots of shouting and blowing the horn before he realised what was going on.

Many years ago I got stuck under the bridge trying to get out of the lock loaded, there was lots of very angry people calling me names and offering helpful suggestions. As I couldn’t go forward or reverse most of the advice was useless. Eventually another boat came above the lock and I got him to flush some water down and I got over the obstacle. When reported to bwb I was told one of our boats stuck there last week. Here’s a proper lift bridge on the canal du centre France. The one behind goes up vertically.

It looks pretty busy in your last photos even for rainy October. We have been thinking of possibly buying a broads cruiser now that we have sold our barge in France and like the idea of no locks as we are both getting a bit decrepit. Richardson’s have some ex hire boats for sale but after your problems not sure how good their maintenance is. Enjoy the rest of your trip.

Just had a walk round Braunston. Malvern looks very run down from the outside. In fact very neglected. The sale notice says £10000 and says work to hull needed and survey is from 2014. Perhaps that’s why it didn’t sell then as the survey showed up a major problem. 5 more years won’t have helped but without seeing the survey theres no way of knowing what’s wrong but must be the bottom and possibly the footings.

Pretty sure there was a shot of the Buckingham arm at cosgrove. In the 70’s the Northampton branch of IWA objected to a bridge which would cross the arm at a low level as part of the A5 bypass of Stoney Stratford. We started from the cosgrove end clearing the bed and found the old Stoney wharf where the steam boats which were built there were launched. A gentleman who lived in a cottage there remembered them being brought up the A5 towed by a traction engine before being sent down the cut to London docks. we went to the inquiry into the road but lost our objection to the bridge.

Meant to add that this was the year of the winter big freeze when the canal was stopped from Christmas and This accelerated the end of long distance carrying.

Nice film. I was on the work party when that was filmed, didn’t realize at the time as there were often reporters about and odd film crews. good to see old Jack James at Stoke Bruerne and the pub in those days. Willow wren loading wheat for Wellingborough and the Lime juice barrels on the quay. Lot of history in that film even if it was meant to be a spoof.

Years ago BWB had a programme of reservoir checks that resulted in the lowering of the retained levels. I know that the 2 Daventry reservoirs where lowered as at the time we were worried about the reduction in supply and were assured that the back pumping from the sewerage works at Buckby would make up for the shortages. What we got was lots of foam in the locks.

Good company but not the worlds greatest boatman.