Laurence Hogg

Merry Christmas everybody and I hope a prosperous new year. Just to end this year with a crunch of another sort heres an icebreaking film:

2.0mt 6.56ft what are they on? I have just emailed him and asked if it was intended for a Shropshire Union "Trench" boat, if so theres none left!!

Narrowboat, The Waterways Journal and Towpath wotsit seem to be left out too. Advertising led publications will always have lots of ads, the ads get so dull, same ad month after month that most do not read them. Got to say WW index is superb and a real benefit to researching.

Just come accross this on the net, nothing changes, a great read though: http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/lords/1...of-canal-barges

Same for me, unable to open certain topics, others fine. Varies, seemed very bad at 17.00 tonight.

The Bargee was scheduled for release on DVD in 2007 this was suspended, this year together with "Painted Boats" various difficulties have seen these put back several times. "The Bargee" currently is not on the release list on Optimums webpage. Price is scheduled to be £15.99 each, not sure where the Amazon price has come from. There is a plan to package both together with a documentary about where they were filmed (then and now) but details are not finalised as yet. The Ebay purchase shown earlier doesnt carry any BBFC certificate or rating which is illegal. In relation to some of the BTF BW films our own BW Archive has these.

Apparently "Pre nuclear steel" is in demand, so much that the Irish are considering raising U boats sunk after WW2 for the metal. All post 1945 steel is contaminated with trace amounts of radioactive material. So if your rebuilding part of an old boat you might consider looking into this as with any registered vessel there is proof of the build date. Dont tell BW though, less the "Historic boats" might vanish overnight! For reference: http://www.ukwelder.com/forum/lofiversion/....php/t2375.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuttling_of_...t_in_Scapa_Flow

It is definatly a middle Northwich boat as the second lower full length rubbing strake roughly lies mid way up the sides. This was a hallmark of those boats, otherwise they were similar to ordinary small Northwich boats.

Definatly modern boats, not an old photo. deliberate low resolution with gaussian blur at a guess.

Carl, I think you are right, seem to remember that massive boat there when we worked Hotel boats, used to love Cowroast in the summer, just jump in and swim to the lock (when there were no passengers!)! Carl, I think you are right, seem to remember that massive boat there when we worked Hotel boats, used to love Cowroast in the summer, just jump in and swim to the lock (when there were no passengers!)!

I find Jim Stirlings comments a little too optimistic too. But - lets not continually knock them. The BCN is now much better to cruise, last year and currently the Wyrley and Essington is being spot dredged and foilage cut back, its now a super canal to cruise on. Facilities too have been increased, we now have facilities in Brownhills, Sneyd, Birchills and Wolverhampton, all on the 473ft level. Facilities too at Tipton, The Engine arm, Ocker Hill etc. Who could have imagined all that back in the early days of the BCNS? Also I find a one to one approach can work wonders, there was a need to lop trees on the Cannock Extension so I just asked if the job could be added in, it was!! Maybe Tony Harvey and now Dean Davies are better managers than elsewhere, of that I am not sure but overall the BCN is in better shape now than it was. What I do not like is the over "sanitization" of the towpath and surroundings, a little dereliction adds to the mystique, ie removing the tram rails in the towpath to Walsall wharf was a cruel example of removing a managable piece of heritage.

More real estate for sale: http://search.knightfrank.com/office/prope...om/central-land And what follows? the yard??

NB Progress (Chris Coburn, myself and crew) went to the Lancaster canal in 1996 by water. So how come you can't now?? Down the Mersey head North past Sefton and into the Ribble - Ribble Link. Some experience and navigating ability is required but it is possible and quite an exciting cruise. Been there, done it.

I have checked our drawings collection and not on any can I see the name for this towing pin on the mast. Indeed the Harland and Wollf drawings are highly detailed but even there the "luby" is shown in full detail but has no reference name. I have seen it spelt "Lube" with an accent over the "E" in early books. Towing masts on other types of boat had the same arrangement so maybe the term is non British?? This is akin to Bullseyes being fitted dome up on narrowboats where in reality they are off the shelf "decklights" designed to fitted flat side up so they can be walked over. Both Simpson Lawrence and Daveys catalogues of old show these items correctly positioned. As an aside when it comes down to "chandlery" specifically made for narrowboats it is hard to find many items if at all, the best contender is the 6" angled chimney collar and a tiller pin, everything else was used generally on all boats.

I am looking into making a specific DVD featuring FMC as a main chapter along with some other companies. I have long understood that there was a promotional film made by FMC around the time the Grand Union Canal Co made their one. Although it has been talked about I have yet to ever come accross someone who knows of a copy or has seen it. Does anyone here know of this production? Also there was another two films made around the 1940's called "Many Waters" & "Waterways", these were produced by BS Productions (PAUL BARRALET)who made "Barging Along", again there seems no trace of these apart from the brief details in the BFI database and others. Does anyone know anymore??

PLEASE MAKE YOUR OBJECTIONS KNOWN TO THIS! Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:32:09 +0000 Dear all, Apologies for the mass mailing but I know that all of you have boated to and through Marsworth. By accident I found out that the Marsworth yard is being sold and all buildings on the site demolished to build 14 houses. No idea where the large numbers of BW staff currently working out of the building are supposed to go. Also, and more importantly, from the plans it looks like we would lose the water, elsan and rubbish facilities for boaters with the nearest alternative being Cowroast (17 locks away) or the very inadequate Leighton Buzzard ( another lot of locks and distance away). Think as many people as poss need to be mobilised to stop this. Trouble is, it's not been publicised much and objections need to be in the day after tomorrow i.e. 25th November. Really bad news for our heritage and our canal users, particularly boaters of all kinds who will lose water, elsan and rubbish facilities! Please tell everyone and get your objections in. Link to planning app is below. http://eplanning.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/td...searchform.aspx then enter application references 09/01945/APP and 09/01946/ACD.

Went out of print in the mid 90's to my memory. if you have found one mistake then thats only the beginning, theres loads of em!

Hi Tim, Yes they exported the complete Falkirk foundry by all accounts, the patterns are the original Scottish ones. When I rang them this year they showed no interest in my enquiry, they were not even prepared to quote for a quantity. The ranges you saw were probably No4 Dovers. The Canadian stove has the "Diamond" style fiddle rails. Interested to know why you disliked the Diamond, had one in Neptune and found it ok.

Coles Morton Marine was located at Whaley bridge. The last manager was a man called Roger Sharpe, they were quite prolific at the time and we supplied a lot of fittings to them (as Boatmans Cabin co). They seemed at the time to build to a good standard and were importers of Bukh diesels, they even imported the large twin cylinder one similar in sise to a RN. Morton Coles owned the business which from memory had a hire fleet too.

Whilst we all know the "Premier" and the "Epping / Classic" in another part of the world you can still by "Dover" stoves - new! and made by the Falkirk foundry. Some of these got to the UK during the 1980's and were marketed as "Stratford" ranges. They were actually Dover No3 and had the tell tale DVR part numbers on the castings. Take a look at these: http://www.falkirk.co.za/Services.asp http://www.dassies.co.za/stoves.php# I have been in touch with these contacts and exporting from there seems a no go. However in Canada: http://www.marinestove.com/halibutinfo.htm Cheers, Laurence

Richard, A full test was carried out on the prototype at Midland Chandlers Penkridge. I know they calculated the output which from memory was 3kw or there about, the problem with any stove of this type is how and what you burn, with the amount of feed ventilation available and using the direct flue you could make one of these glow! I expect MC have lost the info over the years, they arent the same company as in those days. Please see my other post on stoves in this section, the "Dover" range of cookers was the genesis of the "Nipper" which the "Premier" was based on.

Hi Carl, Thats the original wooden "Buffalo", but remember it is 8ft wide - most replica builders miss that!

Hi, Along with Peter Dufficy I was the creator of the Premier stove. We named it after the trading estate "Boatmans Cabin Co Ltd" was situated on in Birmingham. Basicly it is a modified "Nipper" range, we looked at the "Nipper" and strengthened all the "weak spots" and produced a new interior which is a welded one. It will burn almost anything, however it is best to use a smokeless or low soot fuel if you are going to use the oven a lot. Lighting is simple, a firelighter a little wood and your fuel, make sure the damper in the chimney is fully open and the re circulating knob set to just the flue outlet. Light with the door just open, SIDE VENT OPEN and off it will go. Once lit close the door and when fully lit set the flue to circulate round the oven and you will be up to roasting temperature in around 30 minutes - a lot quicker than a Epping/ classic. The gases are circulated over the top of the oven, down the front of the RH side, do a "u turn" under the oven and then come up the RH rear side and over the top and up the chmney - simples! These stoves although having a small firebox will "stay in" overnight if damped down properly. If Midland Chandlers are still building these as we did the oven is all welded and the casings are cast iron (still made here in Willenhall). The fiddle rails if fitted should be push fit to allow for wider pans etc and easy cleaning. The first one we made is shown below. We sold this product and all the patterns off to Midland Chandlers in 1991 as part of a deal, we no longer wanted to make them as it no longer fitted in with our other mainly non ferrous work. The castings are produced by H & H foundry in St Annes Rd Willenhall. Peter Jones (former propietor of MC) was making the ovens in the Isle of Man and assembling the stove there too. These stoves are built upside down so bear that in mind if you take one apart!

Hi All, Its a jolly good job we can watch these on the net. Having dealt with Pathe and Movietone trying to get access to these for use on a DVD the sums involved would probably restore most of the TWT fleet!! They want unbelievable amounts to provide access for usage which probably means no one will ever see these in full resolution which is a terrible shame. There is a lot more than what is seen here as they hold film which was not used in these shorts. To give you an idea of the sums they offered me a special deal for 100 dvd's only. Seven minutes of film for a mere £18000. .......................