John Brightley

I've found the article in Waterways World September 1979:

Here's a photo of her, taken at Hawkesbury in 1981 when she was nearly new. There will be more information in the Waterways World article - I'll have a look for it when I get the chance. But the most obvious person to ask about it would be Pete Gilbert !

The boat I was referring to was Jenny Wren.

It was built entirely by them, and featured in Waterways World at the time. I think it may have been the only new steel hull they have ever built though.

If the colours of that boat are original, it's ex Countrywide Cruisers of Brewood, which means it will have probably been looked after very well in the first few years of its life.

I'd also recommend using Warwick Parkway. Many more trains stop there in comparison with Hatton. And you shouldn't have any problems with leaving a boat moored anywhere between Hatton bottom lock and the Cape.

Yes, and some spots can be busy one day and quiet the next. I was boating 12-16 July. Nottingham to Fradley was quiet, but Fradley all the way through to Stoke was very busy, including long queues for the locks at Stone and Stoke. Rugeley visitor moorings were very busy on that day !

I can't remember exactly, but I think about 3-4 years ago.

Thanks for the update. I meant at the Bond, as they have been happy with people mooring there in the past. But obviously they've had a change of policy. A shame, because they're good moorings.

We would normally go from Catherine de Barnes to Curdworth without stopping, but as David Mack says above, I would have no qualms about stopping anywhere between C de B and Olton for the night, if the boat isn't left unattended - all the stretch up to the bridge carrying the B4146 Yardley Road is very pleasant. After that it gets more industrial and personally I don't find Camp Hill or Bordesley attractive places to moor. But if you particularly want to be near the city centre, one option is the moorings at The Bond, Fazeley Street, between Bordesley junction and Warwick Bar stop lock.

I've just come across a photo of the Dresden Lady in the Bert Dunkley collection - here: https://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/bw197.2.20.15

There is now !!

I've been looking through the Phyllis Nicklin images again and found some more canal shots which I don't think have been featured on this forum before. They are Creative Commons licenced, so free to be shared for non-commercial use. The originals can be found here: http://epapers.bham.ac.uk/chrysalis.html Icknield Port Loop 9 Nov1968: Gas Street Basin 24 Sept 1968: near Salford Junction 14 March 1968: Gas Street 1962: Gas Street 1st July 1961 - the boat in the lock appears to be 'Water Vole', an early BW hire cruiser, and to the left of it appear to be two of the 'Water Baby' class cruisers : Selly Oak 1960: California Portal of Lapal Tunnel, 28 Sept 1953: Farmers Bridge, 23 July 1953: Gas St 27 Feb 1953 (image is incorrectly handed, but note 3 gates to lock):

A project by Coventry City Council's Education Department primarily to give the city's schoolchildren holidays on the waterways. They used the boats 'Dresden Lady' and 'Dove of Belgrade' (both approx. 65' and built by Hancock and Lane in about 1975). The project was based at Canal House, Drapers Fields (the big Victorian house next to bridge 1 at Coventry canal basin), and some of the rooms there were also used as classrooms to be used by schoolchildren for canal based projects/lessons. The project started about 1975 - I think it finished in about 1990, but I can't be certain about that. I helped with the boats briefly in 1981 and some of the people involved at the time were Tony Miles, Baz Slowen, Andy Boucher and Barry Skinner.

But if he didn't enact the permission (close the pub and turn it into a house) within the time stated on the consent (usually about 3 years), then the permission has lapsed and that's why he has had to apply again. As others have said, the context has changed in the meantime, so he might not get consent. But if there is another pub in the village the case for keeping your pub is weak.

Ex station boat(s) formerly Huddersfield CS 'Benjamin Outram' and prior to that 'Sabrina' (See https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/95861-photos-wanted/ ) https://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/yarwoods-for-sale/666387

Pavo https://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/harland-and-wolff-61-traditional-for-sale/666187

The CRT form at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/original/732-application-form-historic-boat-discount.pdf says "The basic structure of the boat should be more than fifty years old. Some later modifications may be acceptable but substantially altered boats will not be eligible for the discount. There are many publications which illustrate or describe most of the older boats still existent. Applicants should provide documentary or photographic evidence of the boat’s age and history. The materials and methods of construction are often indicative of the period of manufacture, e.g. virtually all riveted iron/steel construction occurred before 1948. 1. Age of Boat Boats should have been used primarily on UK inland navigation or UK coastal and estuarial waters. Boats built for the waterways of other countries are not usually eligible. 2. Relevance to the Heritage of the UK Inland Waterways There are old boats and there are historic old boats. A boat built more than fifty years ago is likely to be of historic value if its structure is either original, or an accurate reproduction in the same material as the original, using the same methods as the original. It should not have had substantial modifications to: • The hull • The cabin – exterior or interior • The engine • Any functional original equipment Modifications made early in the life of the boat are less significant than changes made in recent years. If the boat has been modified or converted, it should continue to ‘look the part’. For example, a traditional 1930’s narrowboat with a 3 m cabin extension, an under-canvas extension and perhaps an engine of 1950’s vintage, may be acceptable. A similar boat with a full length steel cabin would not. 3. Structural Condition The appearance should reflect the history of the boat. The paintwork should be traditional and the boat should be presented in a good state of repair. One or more recent photos showing the full length of the boat should be included with this application. Availability of well documented historical information about the boat will contribute to a positive decision." On this basis an early Harborough boat in near-original condition would be eligible.

I guess they really mean "new steel bottom". But it does beg the question how much of the original boat survives. Edit: I thought I'd seen it somewhere before - it features in this post: https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/54625-historic-boats-for-sale-online/&do=findComment&comment=1943124 And this: https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/17374-bridgewater-heritage-boat-co/

https://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/fellows-morton-clayton-for-sale/665246 "73ft FMC Josha with bags of history. believed to be the Butty Spain. Recently (2019/20) had new steel hull." Really ?

Burgedin lock cottage for sale by CRT: https://bidx1.com/en/en-gb/auction/property/54691

Right, back to basics first. Have you asked River and Canal Services where they got the boat from ? Is it of riveted or welded construction ? (if welded it's likely to have been built after approx 1950) To me it looks like half a 1970's mud hopper.

In my eyes it's a beautiful boat and my guess is that the asking price is less than half it's cost to construct. If you haven't already, it's worth watching the video (link on advert)

I'd never heard of this reference before and I've been puzzling why boatmen should stop there instead of going to the pictures in the centre of Birmingham. But of course the cinemas in the city centre were quite a walk from Sampson Road or Camp Hill top. I've done a bit of googling and there was a cinema literally just across the road from the canal on Kingsbury Road- so possibly the closest to the boatmens' route anywhere in the area. It was called the Apollo and it opened in 1930 and closed in 1960, being demolished shortly afterwards. OS map and photos attached (all from the net). Boaters could have moored on the wharf, walked out of the wharf gates, crossed the road and they were there.

If you type 'Calstock' into the search bar you'll find several references to her. You'll probably be interested to know that Peter White and Calstock feature in this film from 1967: https://www.macearchive.org/films/atv-today-05051967-gas-street-basin