Derek R.

It has been estimated that 2 or 3 hundred women went through the training scheme, though only a comparatively small number stuck it out. Many suggest the figure was around 46. Bearing in mind the scheme lasted for little more than two years, 2 or 3 hundred does sound generous.

I like Hooper's style. But it does appear he has taken images from memory and built scenarios from them, rather than study details and accuracies. The person on the barge is holding a stick, or is it a pole. We cannot see. The barge has a cabin, but is it the fore end, or the aft? The bow, or stern appears to be similar to a Tjalk, but the fore end (if it is that) is innaccurate. If the stern, also innaccurate - where is the huge tiller and rudder? And the lock appears very small for a trading Tjalk. It's a painting, by an artist. It doesn't have to be anywhere in particular, and if there are several of his paintings done with a similar 'theme', then it all looks to be art for arts sake. Any resemblance to reality will be taken from certain elements that are common to a pretty waterside picture; trees, meadows, a lock, a boat, maybe some building and some people for scale and interest. A Meccano set from a paintbrush. I like them.

Ask the horse. If it says "neigh" and not "nee", it may be Englandland-ish. I think it is very 'paintbrush shopped'. (Tastes like butter). The Church has Norman qualities.

No Glenn. Art takes on many appearances, from brushed on paints to metalwork, plaster of paris to cardboard and wood. They are creations of the human spirit and the skills therein. Photography is also a form of art. I have a book of Jane Bowns (or is it Bowens) black and white images that are highly artistic. The photographs of Sonia Rolt also merit artistic flair in depicting a way of life now virtually gone. But what is "truthful art"? Can such a thing exist? Does it need to exist? Or is it something an artist does to reflect an object or event simply to see if - he can? The black and white photograph of a Class 2 Ivaat loco making up a train in the early hours has an artistic quality due to the darkness and the reflected flashlight on the steam, it creates a subtle drama. It was this dramatic image that I attempted to reproduce - not because one was better than the other, but because it was a challenge well suited to scraperboard.

Never trust a painting to be an accurate presentation of reality. Such romantic art will be full of 'artistic licence', not to fool the unwary, but to present an image that can be added to, or removed from the eye of the viewer for the simple purpose of depicting 'art' as the artist wishes. Much like the boats in the photographic competition entry debated earlier this year. (Or was it last?). Away from romantic art, is the depiction of something done to please the artist in an attempt to copy reality: This is a scraper board effort, where black ink is scraped away to reveal the white background. The subject appeared in a Railway magazine in 1976 and looked a likely candidate.

RENOWN, I remember sitting in her one Christmas with several others, and the draws all opened as we all sat on one side cuasing the boat to tilt . . . And a wonderful chilli-concarne Sue cooked up in the back cabin after a one handed stint taking Yarmouth up Buckby. (Some things do not forgotten! 😉

Interior superbly done, and in good taste. Love it. "Gentleman's club" - spot on.

As to the widest 'narrow' locks - would they be on the Aylesbury arm?

Yes, I have heard the thoughts of consultants come at a high price.

Seems like new 'laws' are being concocted every day, and new 'lawmakers' too. Something is going to give soon.

I would suggest said 'turn' was between 1899 to 1900. They are all horse boats and the dress of the men and the way the materials are stacked would confirm this as so. Reckon we'll last that long?

Great work. Big 'Greenie'.

Anchor Bridge?

I wonder if Buccaneer66 has researched the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Lancaster Canal South End? This tunnel business sparked a memory. I was born in 1947 and brought up in 4 Redvers Road Wood Green, London N22. During the early fifties, the family next door moved, and were replaced by Mr. & Mrs. Murch, with their two sons Paul & Alan. They hailed from Leyland, Lancashire. While the families got on well, they decided to move back to Lanacashire into a 'new build' house in Whittle-le-Woods. Being the very first residents in the new road, they had the opportunity to name the road, and they named it after me - 'Derek' Road. They invited us up as a family to help 'warm' the house. Derek Road is off Mill Lane, and their back garden was steep, rising up from the back of the house at the top of which was an overgrown path beside a waterway. Paul, Alan and myself ventured along the canal, beneath Moss Bridge as I now know it, but stopped at the Whittle Tunnels. The waterway was still in water but weedy. At the time I never knew about canals, and nothing about that one, except that there was a wider basin just below Moss Bridge. Using the National Library of Scotland maps, it is possible to see through the overlays where this brach went. From Johnsons Hillock locks to the Walton Summit, where an interchange basin looks to connect with a tramway leading to Preston. https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.6&lat=53.69322&lon=-2.63601&layers=6&b=1 Derek Road runs through what was Swansey Mill. Mr. & Mrs. Murch lived in No 6 Redvers Rd, Wood Green, and moved into No 6 Derek Road around 1955. Moss Bridge remains, but not the canal. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.6920959,-2.6350533,3a,45.5y,70.82h,85.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQ47YaTPiFL9rjgZ9A7K3Sw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

No, they were gifted by someone who did. I did once fish out a good riveted galvy bucket though. I was after a funnel for a small steam launch that accidentally got knocked in. Got that out too.

Blimey! Perhaps I should chuck this lot back in the cut . . . !

No, Thames waters, further up river. Managed to get West to Caversham and on one memorable journey to Southend-on-Sea. That's her Wheel in my avatar.

It was a bit bigger than 9' x 40' though. More like 16' x 110'. Unconverted, we lived in the crews quarters aft.

That's more like it! Excellent engines. Had a 6LW (94hp) in our Dutchman. Built 1889. Still around - somewhere in France as a house boat.

9 hp. Stay off the rivers! Unless they are quiet (not running). A single cylinder? I'm guessing the brush allows the movement of a quadrant attached to the rudder shaft to protrude without too much ingress of wind or water. Nice width for accommodation, but restrictive on waterways access. Good luck with it.

That was just before Fradley Junction on the Coventry. We stopped opposite some bluebell woods. We were heading for Chester. Tied in the basin at the bottom of Northgate locks, then headed back South to Aylesbury. (An aside) LACERTA was thereabouts tied up, still with the Waterways front cabin on.

Gosh! I'd forgotten. Can't help there then.

This is the IONA I knew in the late eighties - 1988. My wife Louise steering down Buckby. IONA on the left Ernie Carman steering at 'Suttons' I don't recall the BCN number. And clearly the superstructure is different, but a Bantock fore end. Are those vertical overlapping plates on the hull? Owned then by Ernie & Gwen Carman.

They were 'taking a look'.

Yes - Walter . . . Coat.