John Brightley

Yes, definitely a Mindon Marine (this is the correct spelling), and is still painted in the Rose Narrowboats colours. Mindon were very good quality boats when new. @Rose Narrowboats may be able to help further.

Barge Semington for sale at RW Davis, £10k- https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134983377182

Nowadays there is another midge repellent - Smidge - which has been developed by Scottish scientists. It's worked for me. https://www.smidgeup.com/ Given the choice I'd avoid June, July and August though. I walked the Great Glen Way from Fort William to Inverness in May two years ago and really enjoyed it. It's a good way to see the canal without hiring a boat. Despite what Nick says, I found Inverness very interesting. Banavie locks, Fort Augustus and Urquhart Castle are also worth visiting. Accommodation along the Glen is sparse, but we stayed at nice B&B's in Spean Bridge, Fort Augustus, Drumnadrochit and Lochend.

Fir now £69,995: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404867322343

It shows that even if something is old and unusual it's not necessarily desirable, at least in that condition. I'll be surprised if they get more than £20k for it.

BW inspection launch 'Vigilante' for sale at Braunston Marina, £38k: https://braunstonmarina.co.uk/boat-details/nb-vigilante/

I have this mug from the 1982 Titford Two national rally, but haven't seen any of those glasses before. I guess they must be quite rare.

Yes, generally it is. Richard Chester Browne did extensive research when he was putting that book together. However it was published in the 1980's so historians since (including Ray (Heartland)) may have found some more information in the intervening years.

I don't think it is correct, or at least if the location is correct, the photo doesn't date from the 1970's. I went across Navigation Bridge twice a day to and from school in the 1970's and I think I would have noticed such a high structure if it had been there ! But happy to be proved wrong.

In my experience many people still have a long term commitment to their job, but unfortunately the majority of companies don't have the commitment to their staff that they used to, and have no qualms about getting rid of staff no matter how long they have been with the firm. Apologies for taking this thread off-track !

This item is coming up for auction in Derby. It is described as a 'narrowboat automaton chimney cowl'. That seems a bit unlikely to me- what do you think ? https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/bamfords/catalogue-id-bamfor10924/lot-5ce7d852-f156-476a-a16b-b114014a5cb9?

'Romulus', as shown in the brochure photo, was built by Colecraft. I seem to recall that Cosgrove Cruisers also had an older boat 'Remus', which was a Springer. That may be it shown in your photo above.

As far as I can remember, Speedwell is still basically the same as it was when it was a hire boat - it was a bit unusual in the 1980's !

This is brilliant - thank you David for posting this information. There are a number of us on this forum who are interested in the history of the canal boat hire industry. 'Dawn Treader' and its two other sister boats were operated by the Adkins family of Holt Farm, Napton. My second canal holiday was on 'Dawn Treader' in 1977. We had a good week going to Market Harborough and back. As it says on the brochure extract you've attached, the 'Conifer class' were operated by The Water Folk, a company owned by Alan Picken, who owned a large very eclectic mix of ex working boats.

Thank you David. Yes, your photos and memories are of great interest to many of us. Please keep on posting. I would encourage you to publish them in a book sometime. Alternatively we would be happy to put your photos on the Railway and Canal Historical Society archive website (link to it here: https://www.rchsimagearchive.org.uk/ )

When your photo was taken, Grace was owned by Tony Miles who worked with the Coventry Waterways Project based at Canal House (the building in the background of the photo). I don't know when Tony acquired her but it was probably about 1970, and she was moored at Gas St Basin in Birmingham for a time until Tony got the job at Coventry. Grace was moored in the position she's shown in the photo when the Coventry Canal breached just north of the basin in December 1978, and stayed there in a dry canal bed until the canal was refilled about 9-10 months later. In that time she deteriorated significantly and I believe Tony eventually gave her away for free. By then he was preoccupied restoring one of the cottages by the middle lock at Hillmorton. Edit: Dave Moore recalled in this post: that Sam & Vi Minton lived on Grace in the 1960's at Gas St.

It is confusing, but if you look at the rest of the sales particulars it is explained. It should really say "CRT are to retain a 99 year lease on the sanitary station"

Broad Street Depot, Wolverhampton: https://bidx1.com/en/en-gb/auction/property/94947

Nebulae was at the 1984 Hawkesbury National Rally and I believe the conversion/ refurbishment had just been completed.

Yes, they were built in the late 1990's.

Blowers Green/ Parkhead pumphouse: https://bidx1.com/en/en-gb/auction/property/94128

Could there be any connection with Worsey's, boatbuilders in Tipton and Birmingham ? http://allensregister.com/bp173_Worsey.php

My guess is 1960's because the telegraph poles are there. (And the image is slightly blue - common with 1960's Kodak slides)

I'll hold you to that when I next see you Ray !. I think Jonathan deserves one as well though. Hope you both have a good Xmas. This must be one of the last uses of Runcorn locks. I am a bit curious as to why the boats are going that way - does anyone know? (My guess is that the Anderton Lift was closed)

That's Runcorn. I've seen that image published a few times over the years. Which photo collection does it come from?