Derek R.

Halton Station, Runcorn. Right by the Weaver Navigation. Opened 1851, closed to passengers 1952. Buildings extant as private residence. There was a branch that ran from Wendover Station to the RAF camp at Halton, Bucks., but built for supplies. A narrow gauge railway with an interesting history HERE. I'd be inclined to think the Runcorn Halton would have been foremost in 'naming thoughts' being close to Weston Point docks. But who knows.

Sorry, got crossed up with names - to: Yes Sarah Catrin!, TYCHO's crater would have been the more obvious one. Derek

"Show me a list (or even a book) that is a possible contender for the source of the star names" No Mike, I do not think you will be able to find any such list as used for the purpose of naming the smaller Woolwich and Northwich boats. But conversely, it cannot be ruled out that existing reference books of the day would not have aided and abetted the compiling of those names - even the eight or so names of the astrological zodiac. Most daily papers had their astrologers, and those names would have been popular knowledge. Point to the internet? Well, why not? Those lists on the internet would almost certainly been taken from other lists and knowledge that had been previously published in various places at various times. We cannot rule them out. Perhaps I shouln't have bothered replying. Yes Sarah, TYCHO's crater would have been the more obvious one.

I don't believe anyone has stated they came from any particular book, guide or other specific 'list' Mike, the original post mentions 'theory' as do subsequent ones. This one copies from a WW publication on the subject. If you are seeking certain kinds of names, then surely some sort of list is a good starting point - list of girls names etc. They were still available before the internet - libraries were a favourite. As for a list of constellations HERE's one. Most Astronomical encyclopaedias would have had in index, so that could be a source too. TYCHO, whilst not appearing in that list, is a supernova in Cassiopiea, (wonder if that had anything to do with Cassio?) but also the largest crater on the Moon. The name is taken from the Danish astronomer/mathematician Tycho Brahe 1546 - 1601. Coincidentally, the boat TYCHO has the public health registration number 1601. Royalty? Anything associated would suffice. There may also have been 'monkeys' somewhere between those bored secretaries and the brush wielder! Laurence, ABER!

The NHS is failing, old folk can't get into care homes without negotiating barbed wire hurdles of assessments, but there's £9 billion spent on a load of games for 'status'. Job opportunities? Rip-off! Rents have soared by unscrupulous landlords in East London. As far from it as possible is best. There's money available, but jealously guarded. Take me back to the past - warts and all.

January 2011: "BOAT-BUILDING will be revived by a £126,000 project at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port. The museum has launched Keeping History Afloat – Traditional Boat-Building Skills for the Future, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Skills for the Future programme, to develop traditional boat-building and conservation skills." February 2011: "Museum general manager John Inch said: “Mendip is an important part of our collection and we’re delighted that Cadbury are supporting its restoration with this generous grant. Mendip, Chocolate Charlie and his cargo of chocolate crumb was a real fixture of the canal scene in the Midlands in the 1950s and we’re excited to be able to re-create the journey in September.” Are we talking lack of money - or lack of management? Or both?

It seems when such things get in the way of a developer, they are left to the vandals as eyes are turned another way. History and Heritage are too costly by far. They want profit. There is another slant on that. Many who worked in such places might feel aggrieved at having spent so much time - along with perhaps their forefathers, in poor conditions within those buildings, that following generations, bred on the stories of capitalists and forced labour, might just think good riddance, let something new take its place. Great shame, as there are many such buildings still existing that hold some huge pieces of machinery, vandalised of course, that could with money and effort be turned into historic attractions. I suppose we should be thankful for the likes of Beamish, the BCM, Blists Hill and others however we may feel they could be better. Battersea Power Station was a cathedral of engineering once. There remains much in the way of control equipment, and in appailing condition. The bulk of course is a shell.

Your steam generator is looking a little like the monotube steam generators as used in Doble steam cars. I have a full article on the latter, tricky piece of kit, but very efficient. Had dreams of a steam powered narrow boat back in 1980 using such a generator with a 'V' twin double acting engine. Ended up with a BMC 2.2. Ah well. Single handed steaming and fitting of complicated shapes. Think there's an MBE lined up here.

Luverly! Condemned was all we ever used on strawberries when we had them as a kid. No fridge back then. And dilapidated on tinned fruit salad, or sometimes jelly, or peach slices in 'cling' syrup! No disrespect intended to Jeannettes relatives - it's just that sometimes these 'adapted' words fit better.

Did you make it with condemned, or dilapidated? Something else I must try.

That must have been the "Welcome" boat, another Aylesbury resident, and a warm welcome from Beryl if I'm not mistaken.

Looks like we are talking about two PEARL's. That which Binky Bush owned and was in Aylesbury basin for some time, we went to view in the late seventies. Kitted out as a hotel boat with cabins along one side and three pot Bolinder in the stern, we decided not to. This is the PEARL that was formerly BARON to our understanding which was gained from HNBOC members who were 'in the know' at the time. Later, the cabin had gone, and it was moored below Denham Deep for some time in the hands of the Wakehams (Haven't seen Roger and Fran for ages). So maybe there is another PEARL as owned and lived aboard by PearlyGeoff?

Questions best answered by Googling. Nibbs spent most of his life in Sussex and specialised in marine subjects. Fine art auction rooms abound in London; Sotheby's, Christie's, Phillip's, Bonhams - as do restorers. Around the canals he will hardly be a household name, unless there's someone who is directly or otherwise associated with fine art. Best of luck.

Link courtesy of Jake crew. The answer is surely loadsamoney from certain quarters, and loads of skill from others. In between time, there would have been many years of neglect and decay. Wooden boats of such vintage experiencing similar degrees of neglect would (in the main) have returned to nature, with a few exceptions being worked on such as PROGRESS, but ongoing work is definitely a necessary factor for without that, we are left with only photographs of boats that once were. And then there is the 'luck' factor, in which they were not bombed into pieces, or cut into pieces for maintenance, pleasure, or as the boats on the Basingstoke - business, in turning boats into homes. But I think we knew that! Edited to add: Not suggesting PROGRESS was of 1905 vintage!

A course in computer science is now begining to look a little easier . . . Cost so far? No - let's not go there.

Was the yard not there before the warehouse was erected? I seem to recall seeing photos of Samson Road depot with and without.

I has such a mouse once, and consigned it to the bin after replacing with a conventional one. Right clicking should bring up a drop down menu as described. Di, that's a wonderful piece. Brilliant - well done. That's getting shared around. I'm hankering after Jeannette's Trouser Leg Pie now - and I've just eaten! (Hope that doesn't sound too risque?)

It's an interesting subject, and one we will never really know the definitive cause of due to so many factors being involved. Not least is the state of the canals, loading facilities, and perhaps the pallet and the container - two items that were to see the end of London Dock work, and for which the railways and roads were perfectly ready for with vehicles able to carry same. But that was in the future as seen from 1930, the biggest folly in my view, was the optimism in the face of canalside infrastructure falling into decay, too much bottom and not enough top. The economies of size had not hit back then, but must have surely been on the horizon. Bulk carrying in narrow boats just wasn't 'big' enough. But they thought they could make a difference. "One more push and we'll be through". Small gains - great losses. All so familiar somehow. Edited to add: Graham mentions finance. There may well have been finance available for improvements, but where government is concerned, there is an underlying thread that reaches beyond the roots of government trees, a fungi called Banking. Wherever huge funding is supplied, there will be devious means set in play that ensures failure of a scheme so as to benefit initially from the loan interest, and later from the collapse. Now that’s a bucket of worms we could ‘speculate’ on for a very long time given the entrenched beliefs of most people, but the bottom line is - Money controls the World.

Hindsight. Its benefit is a dubious element, for who today can determine what we do today will benefit us or anyone else in the future to our best abilities? We try of course, but perhaps those folk in the 1930s were also trying - to create something against the odds. There are failed policies all around us today in all walks of life, the successes are in the minority. Why? Grandiose ideas mixed with optimism and I dare say a little hubris. We can see the mistakes of the past clearly. But those made today are always challenged by what is called the 'kill-joys' of life, the unadventurous knocking all the spontaneous actions of youth and optimism, yet some of those people will go on to succeed in 'unforseen' ways. The future as seen from 1930 on must have been one filled with optimism and hope, tinged I am sure, with an underlying suspicion of what might happen with Germany as they were far from being idle after 1918. Were they optimists - or grasping at straws? We know now, but did they know back then. And their optimism was not confined to that period in time as can be seen in the films made during the sixties such as and Broad Waterways. There would almost certainly have been many who would have seen folly in pushing such ventures, but at the time it was their bread and butter on the table - wouldn't you try and protect yours as much as you could? Transport was changing, their attempts were to be part of that change.

No - I cheated - it is suffixed with Bridge. There's a huge list of Stations closed in 1936 here, you would be hard pushed to use up all the available names for certain - and that list does not include the open ones. And here's Aber! Welcome Lazyletters (?) must be a story behind that, and thanks for the inclusion of the WW piece. So no definitive allocation as to name source. No matter, the probabilities remain - Stations, and likely from a published list.

London Bridge?

No, It's not. Begin at page one.

The quandry seems to be, why do some want 'proof' of a certain hypothesis for it to be contemplated at all - and why others are quite prepared to accept the 'probability' based upon certain hypothesis that can neither be disproven nor proven, but having an understanding of human nature and information likely to be available in a time now past, are prepared to accept said probability. Grey areas exist in many fields of knowledge for many different reasons, but when reasonable doubt points one way or another - why fight it demanding the unprovable - negative or otherwise? Is the light on? - or is the light off? Or has someone fitted a dimmer switch, and at what point of 'dim' is it set?

I can show you many negatives, they came back along with the prints.

Logic would appear when someone suggested a source of place names might be from a railway gazeteer. In the thirties railways were the prime movers of people and goods. Timetables and gazeteers were commonplace - more so than road maps. I doubt the thought of choosing names from what might have been conceived as a competitor would have entered anyones mind - they just wanted place names. Seems a logical idea to me. Why Aber? It would have been high on the alphabetical listing, and short enough to have been accurately spelt and painted on though many were not of course. A proposition to fit the facts need not necessarily be wrong. There is more chance of it being right given the era and its transport network. Ah - proof! There appears to be none. But does that make it unacceptable as a theory? Can you prove it not to be so?