Derek R.

A few shots of HELEN from Laurence's collection from a previous thread HERE.

Might want to check the local board of trade and commerce, or even Companies House archives.

Still a bit flimsy. Could do with some horizontal strengthening near top and bottom. I'm sure Laurence can come up with a good piccy.

Also from the ad: "WW1 & WW2 Brass Gas Mask Bag Clips" & - "Used for securing the shoulder strap to the gas mask bag. These became a popular item from WW1 used by barge drivers for making chains for the adornment of the steam funnel. They also used the chain for attaching tools and other items." Had the advertiser placed the word 'replica' in front of WW1 etc, then the description would not have made a possible contravention of the trades description act. Not that It bothers me other than another sleight and deceptive piece of advertising. The rest of the description gives an account of knowledge - or lack of it. Old git.

I would question those links as made available currently being WW1 & WW11 as depicted in Ray's post. I have a canvas bag reputedly a Gas mask bag, purchased in the early sixties with brass links just the same, and the quality of the bag is but a mere shadow of the earlier heavy duty canvas bag that I know WAS a second WW bag. Though I don't remember the links in detail, those that Speedwheel shows look like the pukka items. Nonetheless, cleaned up and polished they look pretty fine.

I suspect the piles at Croxley would be materials used in the making of paper. Such was termed 'rag', and of course the metallic items 'recycled'. A term that was used in every household for anything that could be re-used. We had a 'rag'n bone man' that used to call monthly with his horse drawn cart around the North London streets.

Natural Iron Oxide deposits from the water. Wouldn't be surprised if it was better than some tap water. I'd want to test it first though! Should be able to walk along crouched in the 'illuminated' adit.

No, you need to be patient, visit some get togethers maybe, but do get in touch with both Pete Harrison and Jeannette Smith-Harrison who sometimes posts hereabouts (not related to my knowledge by the way!). Beware of some of the websites that list boats and their histories, as I believe Alan Fincher has mentioned, they are not always reliable as they copy from one another, so the errors get repeated and become 'truth'. Pete will have as much as is available on the boat, and from original materials, and Jeannette is your lady for families!

You have just confirmed (as near as dammit) the use for a box I have which itself came from a friend whose Grandfather - and Italian gent - once owned. The friend was about to chuck it on a bonfire. It's a signwriters paint box, not that I knew that at the time, but it's almost identical to that Ken is seen using though smaller. Brilliant - thanks!

"Apparently new" There are an awful lot of scrapes on the counter round, the cants on the motor have taken wear, and whilst the brass is clean, those chimneys are far from shiny. It was a Mr. Robert Jones who sent the information in to the HNBC by email, followed by the photograph. It is stated that the Father of Mr. Jones is sitting on the cabin top, farthest back, aged 8yrs. He is now 84 (as of early 2012), and 'his' Mother, Robert Jones's Grandmother, is at the tiller - that would place the photograph at around 1936. Robert Jones's Grandfather and Grandmother were given BORDESLEY and BIRMINGHAM from new to work the G.U. Mr. Jones also claims to have another picture of the boats whilst moored in Bristol around the mid sixties, and another older one of his Grandmother with 'her' parents on the VIOLET. Mr. Jones's Uncle Tom Smith worked for Waterways as lock keeper at Saltley and Camp Hill. He passed away whilst resident at the Lock cottage by Cuckoo Bridge, Aston. His parents worked JUNO and CAMBOURNE for Waterways and was seeking their whereabouts through the HNBC. It would be worth the new owners of BIRMINGHAM to get in touch through the HNBC. Website. The editor may be able to make the link.

It'll be

To hell with 'use by' dates - mine passed thirty years ago . . . .

If you make a mistake, the World and it's wife will know in minutes. Moreover, if you meet someone many years later, you will encounter stories of the incident that bear no relationship at all to what happened - through Chinese Whispers. We had a big Dutchman, and locking through a Thames lock one day were joined by a Bells and Whistles Gin palace who made a cock up of making fast, such that a cleat was damaged under stress due to lack of observance by crew. This was without any interference from us or our vessel - we were observers. Years later I met someone on the cut who related a story of our passage through that lock and we had become the third party who caused the cleat to be ripped right out of the other vessel. However, boat perfectly and without incident, few notice, few comment, but you'll still get flack.

So THAT'S whats filling the hold!

As Ian Tyler might say: "You need to get the portholes down to the water line". I believe it was a Sibley who once told him they did that with SICKLE many Moons ago.

I am aware the Skinner's (and others) sheeted up their cabins to protect from extremes of weather, and those sheets in that shot may have extended a little over some slack boards, as it does appear they are loaded, maybe waiting to unload, or maybe there's a stoppage - guesswork. Mason's is a good coach paint. If you want fade, apply Dulux. Clearly a hot day, so why is the young lady in a coat? I know - she likes it - her favourite coat.

I do not subscribe to Facebook, but can see all of Mikes pictures in his last link. Very good too. May not be linked, but the latest version of Adobe player stopped any access to You Tube vids. Uninstalling and re-installing an OLDER version fixed the problem.

There was discussion around colours and B&W representation in two threads I've found to date, Though I believe there may be another that included a shot of CAPRICORN in what appears to be different shades of probably blue in a separate thread not yet found. Paul Hunter was seeking further information on the likelihood of different shades of blue. Thread 1 Thread 2. That's more about Coronation colours, but B&W does creep in.

It's next to impossible to interpret colours from B&W correctly. Looking at the roses on the cabin doors looks like they were black too, but they were probably red against a green background, which itself could be looked at as being black or almost so. Perhaps a boatman might have painted them himself in black and white - an Ex Anderton man proud of his former company? Yes curious stool. It seems to be propped up at one end with a scallop cutaway between the feet, in which case both the legs appear to be canted inwards at the bottom. Anyone's guess why.

Well, not 'my' theory - Tony Marsh's - but I know what you mean. Seems he has done a lot of research both in books, papers, and on the ground. He mentions Blagrove's book too. Derek

There can indeed be a great range in variation of shades dependent upon available light, the quality and type of photographic film, and processes used to develop same, such that some dark colours can seem almost black, while others varying shades of grey. It is a minefield. Even early colour photography - and later come to that - can produce enormous variations. Agfa always came out with too much green, and some Kodak with too much yellow and red. A lot of people went to Kodak Gold as one attempt to get some actual correct colour, but who knows what lens filters may have been used! Even digital has its variances as I have noted recently in shots of the same boat with different cameras - and that's on screen without printer ink formulations entering the issue. Even our own eyes can have differences in perceiving certain colours. My left picks out greens more than my right - but that's digression. This photographic issue has been spoken of elsewhere, and I remember writing of two films made in B&W of London Buses. All were red with black mudguards, but in one film the whole vehicle looked one dark shade making me wonder if they were indeed the Green overall colour of the Country bus section of LT. They weren't, it was all down to the film and processing. What chance is there of Waterways painting the sides of a cabin in one shade of blue, and a darker one for the rear bulkhead? Two tins cracked open - two sets of brushes - twice the work. The same could be said of it being black, because it would not have been black bitumen - it would need to be gloss. The probability is close to zero. A picture may tell a thousand words, and more than a few lies. Teaching a hog to sing is a waste of time.

There has been much written about the tunnel's history and somewhere there are survey maps showing the original line which is a fair bit different to the existing tunnel. Some history HERE, but better elsewhere (if I could find it!). That does show the side conduits though. Some detail and maps HERE.

Thanks for the Facebook link to photo's Alan. Both Mike Askin's and Andrew's must have been selected as 'private', so unavailable. Nice shot of SICKLE and TYCHO side by side, I've mailed that to Ian Tyler as he always wanted a shot of them together. I took one years ago when SICKLE was on duty, but the film remained in the camera for too long and I lost the lot! Another mark up for digital!! Derek

I have a great liking for my Olympus OM10, but in all honesty the one that gets used is the Minolta A1. Obsolete now, and overcomplex for my tastes, but the ability to see what you have taken, delete it and try again if not happy, as well as being able to take hundreds of shots, bin most, and keep shooting, leaves film standing in the bag. There are things I miss about SLR 35mm, like the delay with digital between pressing the shutter and having the image saved (improving all the while), whereas the SLR is virtually instant, and the quality of good prints is still IMO better, the wait for film to be processed versus - shoot, load onto a computer, and email to someone within a minute or two, means the digital wins just about every time. And I'm no young computer nerd - a grey beard drawing pension. Never forget the time I went into a photographic shop in Maidenhead for a B&W film to be developed. "Come back in two weeks Sir, and we should have it back". That was 1980 and colour was a next day service. "We don't get much call for B&W Sir". Didn't go there again. I missed cake????????

You can-not be serious! We need to see these . . .