Derek R.

Many of Longden's photographs can be seen in 'A Canal People, the photographs of Robert Longden' by Sonia Rolt, published by Sutton Publishing in association with BW and the IWA ISBN 0-7509-1776-8 Mrs. Rolt was able to save the glass slides many years ago with the help of Bert Dunkley, and as techniques of restoration improved over the years, they were able to be restored and printed. Superb B & W images in almost 150 pages.

Thanks Ray, there's a bunch more but not for here. Nice bag by the way - hope it gets used! Edited to add: I got curious about my 'old', long gone bag and believe it was a D & M Ltd bag circa 1941. Someone's flogging one on Ebay HERE. They've messed it up with dye or paint, and I see there are no clips of the like we seek, but the bag as a whole is the same as I once had. Memory failure I guess, though I do recall it was a seriously tough old bird - heavy duty canvas with the two short straps at the back, presumably for attaching to an over the shoulder harness for use in the 'Ready' position on the chest. The type Ray has and my later copy are apparently MK VII's.

That's the same pattern as mine purchased in the seventies, but look at the difference : - The bag is the same, but the ring onto which the clips are fitted is steel and showing signs of rust, and the clip whilst still brass doesn't have the folded link. My older one - and a much heavier quality, was given to me when about seven years old by my Brother-in-Law full of fishing gear, may have come from his National Service in the RMC far East, or even from his Dad - I don't know, nor do I remember the clips in any detail other than they were brass. I don't collect stuff, but seem to attract donations (seldom money though!). Here's a blast from Granddad's day : - I wonder if any surviving boatmen cherished one of these. The card reads: "With best wishes for a happy Christmas and a Victorious New Year. From the Princess Mary and friends at home." It came posted to Gran in a little wooden box addressed to J. C. Reynolds. He did survive.

Unnatural to be shut in a box. Spent most of my formative years shut in one with 30 others and threatened with corporal punishment - state education. Didn't do me a lot of good! But after school and when the weekend came round, I was out on my bike going 'anywhere' even catching trains to main line stations to cop numbers. No 'facebook', but real faces, and some to keep clear of too. Computers have their uses - and abusers. I'd choose reality over virtual any day, cuts and bruises included. At least you felt the results of your actions. There's a degree of responsibility creeping in there that seems to be lacking today.

Kindly meant - and please don't get me wrong. As it is a long thread and with many replies in a short space of time, it's easy to miss something that has been asked before, though doubtless the OP is aware of this and appreciative still. I do not know Cheshire Rose personally so am jumping the gun a bit there.

Been there - done that. In fact - been everywhere. Haven't visited Mystic Meg though. It's a long winded thread, but originated through genuine concern - as have all the replies (well, most) and with a genuine interest in discovering the cause of sinking. However, after much scratching of heads, that will only be done by those with hands on experience, and 'being there' over an extended period of time will be the only way to reveal the cause. Good luck.

Lovely potted history Job. How many children today will have such memories - there will be some of course. There's great value in being 'different' or as some might say - 'odd'. Keep the memories strong, and stay out of ruts!

Yes, it takes a little while. Mine showed an error and allowed 'error fix' button. After that it took about forty seconds and left me with a tab at the bottom of the page. Clicking on that began the zoom into the area on the already opened 'Earth' prog. Interesting map, thanks for the effort Andy.

With those supports I wouldn't rate that as being able to lift much more than a Ton. Perhaps it was just for a gate - which it appears to be slung to. Maybe a bigger one has seen the scrappy?

The history of smelting is long and full of almost mystical techniques. Had my Grandfather lived long he may have been able to have taught me more as he was a Blacksmith, but our lives did not overlap, so my learning has been more recent but nonetheless still ongoing. Some might say there is little difference between iron and steel, but not in earshot of a foundry-man! With regard to the leak/non-leak, it does sound like something is opening under certain circumstances. Unusual, but not impossible.

Changed from original then, as she is stated in the HNBC sheets as Coppered Steel composite (wooden bottoms). It's irrelevant to the topic, but did Waterways remove and replace the wooden bottom with steel?

Magic stuff! Talking of Bus engines, way back in the early eighties I'll swear there was an AEC engine from an RT in some boat or other. All I could think of when I heard it was: "Where the 29?" (29's ran from Wood Green to Camden Town and beyond, but Camden was where I worked). Boatless Derek.

Sorry to disappoint bag, but my point was I thought the tunnel ride very poor value. I'm really not surprised there are complaints. But the entrance with its displays have free access, and that is where the interest lay. The most impressive part of Blists Hill is the entrance hall. Double height ceiling and wall to wall, floor to ceiling interconnected screens depicting in vivid reality the sights and sounds of smelting and forging - you're surrounded by it, sound and vision - wonderful stuff! Once hammered into shape, you leave and enter the Village.

Someone's going to have to kip in the engine'ole for a few nights and days with an auto switched bilge pump attached to an audible alarm. If they're lucky they might catch the Faeries at it. She's an ex-Josher, but I presume she's all steel nowadays?

The Iron Bridge Gorge Museums is a Trust supported by donations:http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/supporting_us/appeals_and_projects/ Blists Hill Victorian Village is one of ten museum sites locally. The museum of Iron is good, so too the Museum of the Gorge. Not so hot on the Enginuity site, and the others I have yet to visit. You can purchase a 'Passport' which lasts a year, and allows visits to all ten as many times as you like. If in the course of the year from day one there are museums not yet visited, the passport will allow one visit to that or those museum(s) not visited beyond that year. Senior citizens get a discount, and we bought three passports - one adult, one senior, and one child for £54 all three. I've yet to visit the Pipe museum in Broseley. Supposed to be very good. From speaking to several of the craftsmen working there, they said they were volunteers receiving no pay, but the costumes were supplied foc. Probably the maintenance and costume department were employees. By Zoo, do you mean the visitors? They were always the biggest problem when I worked in one.

Yes, that's the Tar Tunnel, originally conceived by Reynolds as a canal tunnel to connect with his Shropshire Canal and intended to gain access to coal and clay deposits. Having found large amounts of natural bitumen, the canal purpose was abandoned and tar extracted instead. It is accessed from a house at the base of the Hay Incline and extends for public access for 100yds, though some websites claim 300yds. The Clay Tunnel Ride is way up top accessed from within the Victorian Village, and a wholly modern enterprise largely made from semi-circular corrugated sheet into which as passenger on a narrow gauge train one is taken in total darkness. Once at the internal (more than underground) terminus, a film show in silhouette form depicting life as a clay miner is projected onto a wall. The dialogue is entirely between a man and his son telling of life, and death from Blackdamp, within the clay mines in general. You cannot alight from the train during the entire trip. It's two quid on top of the entrance fee to Blists Hill, and for my money the pictures and artefacts shown in the starting shed/terminus are every bit as enlightening to mining clay. Derek - another Reynolds!

Hang on - I'll get my glasses . . . . Nope, no better. Could be my shed. You should call yourself fuzzyduck.

I'm not so sure about the need for constant change being an attraction. Sure, if you have a basic functioning site and can attract a variety of clubs and enthusiasts to titivate the masses with 'events', but the Blists Hill and probably Beamish (haven't been there in a long while) are good enough to make me want to return for the continuity of their quality as stands. Change for the sake of it - as such in modern day life - is what has become the attraction of such successful museums in as far as they become a constant in NOT changing from a successful formula. Adding 'events' at periods can only increase visitor numbers, such is the success of The Ace Cafe on the N. Circular - reproduced a time warp (but not the prices sadly), and regular events for 'themed' vehicle types and makes draws crowds. The only thing I felt let down on at Blists Hill, was the ride into the Clay Mine. Mainly due to the possibilities of taking members of the public into a 'real' clay mine as it once was, would be unlikely. They employed children to do the mining due to their smaller sizes in extracting the materials from very small passageways. Some things have changed for the better.

Very sorry to hear this. The 'Save' website accepts posts, but posting comments seems a problem. Mine won't come up despite entering the code. We recently visited Blists Hill, and the costumed staff make the visit come alive. The Policeman especially, his knowledge leading up to 1901 and banter are spot on, speak to him of WW1 and he'll think you barmy. "Oh no, there can't be another one - not after the War to end all Wars, good heavens no!" He speaks of the Boer War of course. Craftsmen abound and in the main are keen to share their knowledge. Volunteers too! As with many businesses, management is the Achilles Heel. Bit of a mad afterthought: Imagine a horse drawn Hearse walking complete with black crepe'd Mutes slowly around somewhere, with the hearse loaded with costumed guides, nooses around their necks attached to the gibbet of management. I did say mad.

Yes. A brief and inadequate history of the company (complete with spelling errors) can be found HERE. There are books available. You will not find any FMC boats built by H&W.

Too much chin for Jasper Carrot. I suspect any canal jumping was done across a lock and not 25ft of canal as attempted. Interesting set of clips. Most worthy of watching (only my opinion) are: Gas Street redevelopment Royal Navy publicity campaign Chris Tarrant talking to Arthur Jones in and around Birmingham - if you can catch what Arthur is saying! And The Black Country. Clips from DVD's which would be interesting to see in full.

You may find further enlightenment by asking locals of a certain age, perhaps even with some of the boat owners moored locally, but definitely BCNS members and local history societies.

Lovely B&W! Is this the spot? To quote from the excellent BCN cruising and walking guide (got mine 27yrs ago): - "Another loop passed the Soho Foundry opened in 1796 by Boulton & Watt to manufacture pumping and rotary steam engines. These engines had been assembled at Soho Works from parts manufactured elsewhere since 1775 and the Birmingham Canal Company had been a regular customer. Eventually they purchased 19 of the first 54 pumping engines built. . . . The firm left the Foundry in 1850 and it was acquired in 1895 by W & T Avery Ltd., manufacturers of scales and weighing machines."

It may be possible, though the Eagle Works as shown on the 1888-1889 map extended across the road, and there may well have been other sites with the same name - perhaps older. The co-ordinates seem to match the site of 'Eagle Works' straddling Rolfe Street, and the wall marking the Northernmost point. The Plate Glass Works being on the opposite side of the Engine Arm. Love those old maps.

Most mechanical unloading of coal was done by grab, and dropped into hoppers. The 'roll-back' on Google Earth shows little to give clues, and that piece of wall is all that is left of the former building to which it must have once been part of. The vertical rectangular sections 'may' be the remains of a frame which held the sheaves of a hydraulic ram such as were used in many wharf side hoists along London River and elsewhere. But looking at links to Old~Maps.co.uk for that area of Smethwick in 1888-1889, there is shown a host of engineering works along that bank. In the vicinity of the half way point described, were the Eagle Works and the Patent Axle Works, squeezed in between these particular two was the Soap Works. Doubtless several would have shipped via the canal or at least taken in materials.