Laurence Hogg

English Chain do varied types of twisted link off the shelf, ie: http://www.englishchaindirect.co.uk/products/product/Stainless-Steel-Twisted-Link-Chain/229/27/27

Another solid stalwart is now gone, we should all be thankful to the way he always turned up and turned out on his beloved Corona, RIP Trevor.

"Just popping out for a brew love" ........ Who wouldn't like one of these! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Replica-Diesel-Engine-EMD-F7-Santa-Fe-Super-Chief-Model-Railway-Pub-Man-Cave/292406981135?hash=item4414d0720f:g:qWQAAOSwrqlZfZqB Oh dear, oh dear!

Ever thought of getting a copy of the magazine, its a simple way forward instead of relying on second hand tit bits, also its called "research".

Well I can find nothing post August 2016 so presume she is no longer around. Contributed nothing as far as I can see, anyone else know anything?

I have rather noticed that the multitude of so called "Press releases" from CRT in my email has completely dried up. Friday night always saw at least one along with a "Boaters update", this too has dissapeared. Is this a sign of major internal re orginisation in the works or have they just cut back or worse forgot?

I think some restorations will never happen, despite immense local interest a few years ago, once the road was built the costs are off the roof. That's why L&HCRT got there M6 toll aqueduct in BEFORE the toll road opened (IIRC at a 1/6th of the future cost).

Best not to forget the dozen or so extant although buried in Hawtrey's pit at Harefiield. If HS2 gets its wicked way these may well surface during the prep work.

This "Press release " came out yesterday: CANAL & RIVER TRUST BEGINS INTERNAL CONSULTATION ON STRUCTURAL CHANGES Following recent changes to its Executive team, the Canal & River Trust yesterday (6th December 2017) began a 60-day period of internal consultation about changes to its internal structures and a significant reduction in the size of its senior management team. At the heart of the proposals to transform the organisation is a change to strengthen the accountability of regional teams, and to shift the current waterway management structure to better face the outside world, so the Trust can engage and influence its partners in the most effective way. Subject to consultation, this would see the Trust move from the current ten waterways to six larger regions, and embed more of the current national teams directly into the new regional teams. Commenting on the news, Richard Parry, Chief Executive, said: “These changes are about re-focussing and simplifying the organisation so that we enable everyone across the Trust to make their greatest possible contribution, to serve our customers and support local communities to enjoy their local waterway. We have to find ways to do more and cost less to ensure a secure and sustainable future for the Trust.” The Trust anticipates making further announcements about the new structures in Spring 2018. ENDS Already within the last 12-42 months dozens of seperate registered "British Waterways" offices have been newly set up around the country, the list is available on "Company check". https://companycheck.co.uk/search?term=british+waterways Together with the release of today, exactly what is going on, are we creeping back to the older ideas?

Working boaters would make sure the boat lifted when the water returned by simply passing a heavy line under the bow and the jiggling and pulling it down the length of the boat. This breaks the "suction" between the flat bottom and the mud, its an easy operation to do. Two people have to handle the line but from personal experience it works.

From an ex manufacturers point of view I would like to know what that dual head is cast from, Aluminium or iron? Also how is the handle set in, when cast? or post casting of the head. The first windlass I ever cast was at school and was of the same construction, it did last quite some time but the head was bronze.

Sorry no bow pictures, we at the time thought they were '"orribles" and ignored them! I know one or two are still about, one appeared in a TV advert setting in 2016.

Great idea but when facts are wrong or lifted the rest of the site becomes suspicious. ONCE AGAIN the use of "Town" & "Star" as class names is repeated and yet there is virtually no evidence of the builds being annotated thus. There is no mention either of the craft contract detail, and you would have thought the elusive "Motor boat" magazine review would have been worth including.

For the record this was the fleet of new build hire boats from Isaac Pimblotts as delivered to Hillmorton in the early 1970's:

It is the reason "Nansen 2" the former BW SWD centre wheel house tug came to the BCN. The "pans" existed at Bradley for a while until broken up. I never saw a container withthem. This was taken in the 70's at the yard:

Two blasts from the past, both built steel hulls very early on, Hopwood lines were quite good.

Simolda was a hire operator, I remember their boats as somewhat "utilerian", squarish and basic. Don't think they lasted long after the 80's, they were based in Nantwich basin and the site became the BW hire base and shop afterwards IIRC.

It was just one of those bar stories you heard around, bit like "theres 3 four layers of boats in the Flash at Broken Cross", kinda true but stretched a bit !!!

This was the London equivalent of the Weedon military arm. It was also the destination for the gunpowder barge which blew up on the Regents canal.

I got a Spitfire under the Eifell tower once - yet again in a flight simulator! The story btw was around in the 1970's before health and safty came along so you never know!

Both Yarwoods and Pimblotts of Northwich built "pleasure boats" prior to and just after the "Admiral class" was constructed. Some Pimblott hulls went into the BW hire fleet. The Yarwoods hulls are still to be found I understand. The Harris built pleasure craft of riveted construction used a smaller diameter rivet than they normally used on the Joey boat hulls and are easily recognised.

"Stentor" as originally owned by the Chaplain family was an ex BCN tug built for Chance & Hunt.

Using the drawings of Yarwoods, the following are noted: Pigeon box = skylight / engine room ventilator Counter plate = stern wrapper Stove chimney = portable stove pipe Engine room sides = casing Mast = mast & box Bottom casting of stempost = shoe Cabin mounted t stud = portable towing stud Uxter plate = Uxter plate!! Drain = watercourse There are of course many more, the terms no doubt were common to the dock workers whereas "we" gave things alternative names, but walk into a chandlery and ask for a "looby" you may well confuse the shipbuilding supplier! Cheers, LH

Looby is not the correct term but slang. All drawings refer in the main to a "Towing pin" or in one case a "Lube (the e having a accent)". These were found on a lot of craft apart from narrow boats so a hunt of old chandelery suppliers may turn up one. My Boatmans Cabin operation of years ago cast them in SG iron, whether any are still about I don't know.

A bit of interesting info and maybe not related to this boat under discussion. At Bulls Bridge some years ago before re development was a depot building which housed amongst other things spare pre punched plates for GU sterns and fore ends. These presumably were for quick major repairs. I do remember passing there and seeing to my horror what appeared at first to be two small Grand union sterns fitted back to back to become a dredger. I was very happy when I realized they were using the "spare parts" I had seen previously and not had gone and wrecked two motors. Now, what became of that craft? My exploits in that area ceased soon after and I no longer went past Bulls Bridge as often as before.