allybsc

I've found out quite a lot from trawling the web, just need to flesh it out with stories of real people. I'm only home for ten minutes as my son has just been rushed to hospital, so I'm going to disappear for a while. I'll PM you my email before I go back. Thank you very much.

Fantastic, they are brilliant pictures, I'll have a good look. The entire decade was out of focus for me Seems a few of us were out of focus in the 70's <guffaw> All pictorial contributions gratefully accepted x Hello Blossom, Many congratulations on your recent award, Darley looks amazing. Derek and I are over the moon with her, looking forward to the fun and frolics of having an unconverted boat! You did indeed see them coming down from Knighton together, we followed on in the car to see her on Friday! We've got a bit of work to do, some stuff we can't do but I'm going to do the painting. We will be out and about while we wait for the big stuff to be done and will be at the port come Easter.

I don't think the roof could support one in it's current state! Thanks, I've tried that archive before, I'll just have to get creative with the searches! I did my family tree too but as a Ramshaw it was much easier.

Is it heavy then? Brilliant, I was a twerp to even doubt you, I bet I go on Sunday and that hatch is there as plain as day! I'll consult prof Google and see what I can come up with

Is this the picture? If so then they are one and the same.My link

Thank you, I really would appreciate it.

What great pictures, love 'em! When we came back from Etruria on Jubilee weekend we saw that sign nailed to the side and hoped it was a for sale sign, it wasn't exactly but as luck would have it we managed to get David to sell it to us anyhoo! You can see why we fell in love. Loads of work to be done, I can't wait to get stuck in!

You are probably right and I'm more likely wrong, don't know the boat well enough yet! I will certainly try to get a copy of the book and take a better look at the weekend. Do you have an approximate date for the picture?

Thank you I've sent Pete a message, I'll try to double check any information I get off the web. I quite fancy a trip to an archive...but which one I wonder? I'm not even sure what I'm looking for. I might go and have a pootle round the national archives site. I'm not sure that is Birmingham, I didn't risk breaking my neck to walk right up to the bow but my OH did and he said that there wasn't a deck hatch, I will double check on Sunday when we go back. Thank you for digging out the picture, I had a good look and couldn't find it again.

Thank you, I think my OH likes that idea way too much!

I've dug around various websites and have found out some of Birmingham's ownership history, what I'm really interested in is the people who worked her and what she carried, that's not so easy to find. It's a nightmare searching Google for "Birmingham and canals" the results are in the thousands!

That would be brilliant, thank you so much x

Thanks James, you know Marquis was my first love I'm going to do that very thing, he might like to come out for a little trip. Thank you we will x I've not contacted him but I will if you think he won't mind, the purchase is indeed complete my pathetic looking bank balance is testament to it! I did a search on here and came up with a picture on one of your excellent 70's pictures threads, you thought it might have be Birmingham loaded with coal with Andy??? steering, I can't find it again now but if I do can I use the picture for my FB page?

We started a bit of a war at Streethay...the welder and the wood boys are allegedly fighting over it! Thank you, I'm in the wood camp, but I want the panelling!

The picture was sent in to the HNBC by a Mr Robert Jones who's grandparents were given the boats from new, I'm not sure if Ican reproduce the text here...still reading! Yes that's what I want. We have some sort of early MDF on the cabin now, it's lasted very well, the engine room is steel. You beat me to it! Thank you so much, I loved it the minute I saw it! It's got a lister now.

Yes, but it needs re-skinning...the burning question of the day is...wood or steel? I shall nip on and look at the PDF!

Sadly our collar has gone, we have some sort of oil cloth on the roof so we may be see where it was fastened on when we peel it off. Wasn't Darley's fished out of the cut or did I imagine that?

I wonder how many funnels ended up in the cut...accidently! I've started a Facebook page to detail the restoration and history NB Birmingham

I've only ever seen one on Darley, looks very smart on it.

Everyone should have a creosote lavvy, I intend to get pie eyed on the fumes! Edited to say wouldn't you think they would have put them on a hinge????

Oh brilliant. I can understand why they didn't care for them, probably a bit too modern, the 30's was a decade of ocean liner styling. I quite like them.

Thanks...I think it's going to end up owning us! Hahahaha...move along these are not the rivets you are looking for!

Thank you so much, tears of joy I can assure you! This voyage of discovery is going to be such fun! I notice it's got the big funnel, I would like to have one of those made eventually, I doubt I would ever find one going spare. I love the collection of bonny bairns on the cabin top, what a shame we don't know who they are.

Thank you...I like big boats and I cannot lie