Derek R.

Well the hatch shape theory is blown away. A mail from the HKSPS secretary suggests this is not an indication of rig: Dear Derek, I will check with others who may know more than me but I think the type of hatch covers were just the preference of the skipper or owner who had the Keel or Sloop built. The two types of hatch boards used, the curved boards on our Sloop "Amy Howson" are full width and need two men to move them whilst the smaller boards on the Keel "Comrade" can be moved by one man. The one thing that may throw water on Tony,s theory is that when "Amy Howson" was built in 1914 she was named "Sophia" and was rigged as a Keel until 1916. Seasons greetings from the misty Humber. Keith Sivertsen sec HKSPS So that buries that one. Best for Christmas - Derek

Yes Tim, they were flat, rising to meet at the ridge. I haven't found any other reference to one or other type being defined as a Keel or a Sloop as defined by their hatch arrangement so far, so it may be a case of Chinese whispers. I've mailed the Humber Keel & Sloop preservation soc. they may be able to say if it's coincidence, nonsense, or otherwise. It may be the generic term is Keel, but with fore and aft rig they become Sloops. All little things sent to tease us. A little aside; the hatch boards we had on the Dutchman could be stood on their edges along the top of the coming and connected with vertically mounted steel flanges that slotted over the coming edge, thus increasing the height of the coming by a good three feet. It took me ages of head scratching to discover what these strange lumps of metal in the lockers were!! Seems they may have been used when carrying light bulky cargo - big bales perhaps. Derek Now that sounds far more likely an account. Thanks for that. Derek

Contradict? Support surely. But being no expert, I shall ask the horse - back later. Derek

Not a lot in it, but Tony Woodward, who for years lived aboard Daybreak on the Thames (and still might) confidently told me that Sloops always had curved hatch covers and the Keels, square rigged, had two sets of sloping covers like Turog. Reading Waterways Festival 1981. Sloop Daybreak, with Keel Reliance alongside: Swopped places: A bridge too low. Brentford High Street. After some contemplation, we flooded the foc'sle bilge and recruited a dozen souls from the boatyard who all crammed into the foc'sle to get the fore end down a bit: Under - by that much! Golden moments: (They always are when it's someone else's boat)

Book a trip with the Humber Keel and Sloop Preservation Society http://www.humberships.org.uk/html/to_book_the_ships.htm

Pedant alert, as Mr Fincher might say. Which is the Keel and which is the Sloop? I know they're mostly called Keels once the sailing gear has been removed, and the difference is more than sail rig. http://www.humberships.org.uk/index.html Oh! - and love the CA dormobile! Wonderful colours.

Yes! If only as a child and into my youth I had taken the lens to everyday events and familiar places, what a treasure trove that would now be. Thank heaven there are the Laurence Hoggs and John Huntleys of this world who have made and sought to collect such data. It's always the same - regular exposure to the commonplace breeds complacency and contempt, then along comes redevelopment, replacement of the 'obsolete' and suddenly no-one can remember exactly what was where or how things were. Some will say 'Who cares', but I think most people do. It happens every day.

BW speak perhaps. i.e. vague and inaccurate. I believe you will find that by 'Small unpowered craft' they mean canoes and rowed boats. And in the case of Dudley tunnel, engines are not to be used. Boats must be electric powered, or towed by an electric powered boat. Contact Dudley Tunnel Trust (?) for details of passage. That's not gospel, but I'm sure greater knowledge will be along soon.

The Anny sequence are mine. You recognise that below Shepperton correctly, and the others are indeed just before Coxes Mill. The little Dutch bunker boat Gerarda Elizabeth is tied offside. This went on to become a service boat on the tidal Thames taking rubbish from the piers. Derek PS Shots taken 1981/2

Coh! Trust a train spotter! All of those titles contain the word Midland, and the bridge carries a railway, which goes through the Midland Shires, and Euston is but little more than a quarter of a mile from St Pancras which also sent trains off through the Midlands, so if it's a railway and it goes to the Midlands, it's a Midland railway - yah boo.

Excellent! He must be getting on a bit now - 65+? Dave Stewart I met (if you could call delivering him a package 'meeting') at his Church studio in Crouch Hill. Not much of a conversationalist, but then he was probably as busy as I was. Derek

COOL! Must have been in my late teens or early twenties when he hit the music world. I was never a great fan, only ever bought the Basement Tapes album and though little of it, but many others were great. I like 'Blood in my eyes' - hadn't heard that before. I know that bit of Camden fairly well, it's all shot around a two hundred yard radius of Camden Lock. Some shots in a cafe (there are many) and on the boat - and lo - Tycho as well!! From the shots, it's clear that those from within the boat cabin are taken from the boat tied in front of Tycho. Nice bit of chequered oil cloth on the table. The bridge carries Oval Road across the cut to its terminus at the old interchange yard, and Pirates Castle is on the bridge. The bridge not quite visible beyond carries the Midland Railway in and out of Euston. Nice one - thanks for that. Best - Derek PS I used to deliver to Jim Henson's in the old block beside where the boats are tied, and there's the chippie on the corner with Hawley Crescent.

I think you would soon have an entire community of people willing to live a retro lifestyle at the BCM, but cash rears its ugly head. Outside of that, there are quite a few folk living fifties and even forties lifestyles - including driving period cars, furnishing the house, as well as make up and clothing - quite a few in their twenties too. Just off for a perm in the Anglia . . . Ultimately it will be the private individual who becomes guardians of heritage. Multi-millionaires might be sought out for larger facilities, for who would trust government!

I wonder if part of the problem - that of attracting money - isn't something to do with the canal being available to walk along and see boats for free just about everywhere, and that those who are interested in the detailed histories of craft, carriers and customs are already immersed up to their necks with private collections and maintenance, in short - waterways anoraks. Railway museums house big shiny steel behemoths that attract, the various outings they take onto rails are highly patronised by young and old through their rarity, sounds and smells. Whereas boats are everywhere, yet how many other than the knowledgeable know the difference between something historic, a liveaboard 'Pot' farm, and a bow thrusted floating jacuzzi? Moreover, everyone has memories of USING the railways on an everyday basis - travelling to work, and on holidays - for many they were part of our formative years, many knew someone who worked 'On the Railway'. The boats and the people of the boats were a segregated community and lifestyle, as were the docks and dock life and I'll wager more people knew about being 'On the Stones' than on the boats. I wonder if it doesn't all boil down to knowledge and nostalgia. 'Archives - what archives?'

Waterways Industrial archives are in danger because they are insignificant to this or any former government. If Gloucester has had a major expensive revamp, it sounds like a move prior to selling off as does every household wishing to get the most for their pile of bricks. It is disgraceful how industrial heritage is treated, not just by those at the top, but even some grass roots users though worst of all the abusers with graffiti and damage. As money is always at the root, consider the MOD's costing of Iraq since 2003 - £7,836 Billion pounds - critics say that would be enough to fund 25,200 teachers for 10 years and to build 107 new hospitals. In comparison, that needed to support our industrial heritage would be a drop in the cut. Power and 'Face', at any cost. http://tinyurl.com/3gmgzk 75,000 homes to be re-possessed in 2009 compared to 49,000 this year. 'Woolies' goes along with 27,000 employees jobs. Industry in debt - Gov.plc legacy. Stock up on grub, bar the door, and prepare to rebel boarders.

I can relate to that, and wasn't even carrying. We had a big Tjalk and had been headed for Maldon from up-river to take a mud berth as residential - unconverted, so looked like a trader. Attempted to moor on the Esplanade pier at Gravesend only to be sworn at by a bloke waving his arms and saluting in the aforementioned manner. With the aid of the Harbourmaster over the VHF we moored against BG1, and old 'Oiler' on the tiers, and left her tied there for a day. There was no charge. Came back and all was well, set off down river. Had cause to anchor off Southend due to deteriorating weather and had a rough night. With the flood lifting us harshly, the anchor chain just gave - snapped clean as a whistle. Shackled the spare a bit quick, but we'd got steerage way by then so made deeper water, and back up with the flood. Back on the 'Oiler', left the Avon tied at the pier (with permission), came back next day. Avon upside down, outboard submerged, thwart and oars gone, fresh anti-fouling all over the Avon. No one knew a thing; the mate had to bribe the guard to let him on the pier with a can of fresh petrol; and I still maintain to this day someone had a go at our chain. ------------ The other half of the grain contract to Coxes, a few shots I took while on duty as an idler.

You're correct, I should have qualified 'local' a bit better. 'Cut' vernacular would have been more appropriate. I wonder if the locals who lived thereabouts knew his homestead as anything different. If John Wiggerham carried out medicinal practices around and about, and with eight children to boot, I'm sure he would have been known as Mister or even 'Dr.' Wigg'rham by the agricultural population, hardly any step at all to abbreviate - especially in speech - to 'Wigram', and certainly not out of disrespect to his full name. In fact, I don't reckon there would have been a cats chance in hell of him being called anything but 'Wigram'! Thinking of the vernacular and books for a moment, most will know of Sheila Stewarts 'Ramlin Rose', another title 'Lifting the Latch' is a gem. A true story of an agricultural workers life around Enstone in Oxfordshire - 'Old Mont', 1902-1989. (Oxford University Press).

Excellent detail. May I join in thanking Laurence Wiggerham for supplying. In that simple function, the name of 'Wigrams' whenever heard, can now be related to the true origins of the name, the family, and their occupation that much is certain. As to whether it will be changed from 'Wigrams' to Wiggerhams is less likely, originating as it almost certainly has from local dialect and a lack of knowledge of spelling which has in itself become history in the vernacular, rather like 'Starrupsend' being returned to Star Tops End, and 'Maffas' Marsworth - but the knowledge is now more complete - many thanks.

All this seems to fit well with a sighting I had in Berko when first nosing around the cut. I was looking across at Bridgewater Boats in the late seventies, and saw a rather elegant stern poking out the end of the slipway. I walked around and introduced myself to Mike Foster who was working on the boat. He told me it was the Inspection Launch for the Canal Company. This may have been sometime during Mary's ownership, or perhaps in a phase of changing ownership. Nice to see it fully restored and cared for.

Cheers, I had a couple more but the program had told me I'd used up my allocation! I'll try again:- Forty three years down the line the Wartime camouflage paint was still crisp. The older date is now affixed to Sainsbury's supermarket wall fronting the canal. The roadside frontage almost had as many buildings. One that remains, and was the main staff entrance as I recall with the Dickinsons clock with not numbers, but the twelve letters of 'Basildon Bond' in their place, was the stage for a daily tsunami of employees. A great crowd would line up behind a white line, fags in mouth - lighters ready (strict no smoking in the mill) waiting for the siren and the nod from the watchful eyes of security. The 'Off' saw a mass of humanity charge across the road and board the fleets of buses - one of which I ocassionally drove - to begin the grind up through Hemel Hempstead and home. Many thanks to Alan & Catrin for filling in some gaps in my former knowledge.

These shots are twenty years apart. Despite their run down appearance, I've always found the industrial concentrations far more interesting than twee housing developments. Wanders is another example of disappearing heritage. The unloading arm at Apsley, late eighties. Today The old unloading crane a few yards further on and on the towpath side Today Apsley Bottom No.67 Today Looking North, back towards Lock 67 and from which windows the ladies were asking Ronnie "Where's Hemel?" Today Looking back through Bridge 154, the double arched one Today Nash Mills Today Nash unloading point. This coal was delivered by road. Today

Yeah - I mess up now and then.

Powys Princess (Scales). Later returned to fully cloth'd up butty and electric powered by all accounts. Was featured in the opening (re-opening) of the Welshpool section in a Waterways World issue way back - Prince Charles doing the ribbon cutting and viewing the boat. The rooves are from two Pre-War London Transport double deck RT's, known as 'roof box' RT's as they had a route number indicator box front centre. This was discontinued in the post-war production models. They also have the seats and vertical poles along with the wind up windows. Think they came from a scrappy. Bet you didn't want to know all that.

Not so much poor eyesight as poor photo. Here's a few more I did messing with resolution and scanner. It's printed on matt paper which doesn't help. Possibly a 'Water Miss' but more likely a lifeboat conversion, in which case it could be the front or the back! Petter type air outlet on the roof, blue and yellow water can? Waterways transfers on white doors? As good as it will get. Kick plate along the gunnel is there. Is that a big circle with a Wren on it? Really can't say. Someone will know it, and the steerers.

Here's another that 'fell out of an album' - 60's Stoke Bruerne - but which boat? WW? Is that Bill Whitlock setting his beret straight? Taken by a D. West. Converted butty on the towpath, and what could be a 'Water Baby' or a 'lifeboat' conversion between it and the white cruiser (very dark though).