Pluto

I would suspect that they were similar to other northern narrow boats, so much less of the 'roses and castles', and more geometric shapes and scrolls. The attached poem was written by Reg Wood, whose family operated boats on the Rochdale Canal, and there would have been some influence from the wide boat companies mentioned. Each company had one main colour, though other colours would be used for decoration. Yorkshire boats had extensive varnished areas compared to Lancashire, and were less flamboyant in terms of colour, though some of the panel lining was highly detailed. Sam Yates, who did the painting at Whitebirk, near Blackburn, told me they only had five or six main stainers to make colour paints from a white lead base. Each yard had its own standard for red, yellow, green, black, and two blues, one light and one dark. It was possible to identify which yard painted a boat from the shades used, though there was no specific standard so each colour would be slightly different each time it was mixed. The colours could reflect the companies whose boats were docked, so at Whitebirk the dark blue was the main colour for the coal carriers Dean Waddington, though it would be used on other fleets in small amounts. Many boats on the Huddersfield Narrow would have worked onto the Calder & Hebble, so were only 57 feet in length, and some appear in the C&HN boat register 1793-1828, which would give some names to firms operating boats on the HNC at that time. I suspect that the use highly coloured liveries was something which developed through the 19th century. Early schemes would be much simpler than those for which photographs are available. Boats I have loved.pdf

The boat used as Flower of Gloucester belonged to Mike Sampson from Liverpool, who also operated a converted Appleby's short boat, renamed Peace, as a trip boat in Liverpool shortly after. The photos show Flower of Gloucester at Dutton in 1972, where it required almost continuous pumping to keep afloat. The next photo shows Peace descending the locks at Liverpool for a quick tour around the North Docks.

I couldn't agree more. The craftsmen working in a canal boatyard would know exactly what was wanted in general, and built it to fit each individual boat. I have found the same in maintenance yards, where lock gates were built just to outline measurements; the carpenters would have known what was wanted in detail. The only smaller canals where full lock gate drawings were provided were railway-owned, where they would have access to a drawing office. Perhaps this is another reason why many railway-owned canals worked at a loss.

You're right, but I still think people need to take responsibility for their actions.

You only have rights if you are prepared to take the responsibilities that come with them, which include the consequences and effects on others of those rights. After all, they have rights as well.

1967-71 first part 1971a.pdf 1967-71 second part 1971 b.pdf 1972 1972.pdf

You may find this report interesting, though I have had to compress it significantly so that it is small enough to be uploaded here. 1967-1971 Leisure report.pdf

No need for that, they have been called 'levers' for over 200 years. They are not used on many European waterways, and often a shaft from the bank fixed to the mitre post sufficed. Some old photos/drawings suggest that the 'outer' end oif beams was left as a trunk without being shaped to increase the balancing effect, though it was not sufficient for full balancing. Some engineers inclined the mitre post to cause automatic closing of gates.

A busy day at Stoke Bruerne, possibly 1963 or 1967. The photo was taken by Roger Lorenz, the boat on the left being Anker. Geoff Wheat was also involved, and I have several of his showing Joanna from the same era.

I hope so. Kennet is due to go down the locks tomorrow.

This gives a national overview of providers circa 1980. 1980c hire boats.pdf

These were the Trent boats which were tried unsuccessfully.

A report on Islington Tunnel from the Daily Mail in 1901. 1901-7-26 Daily Mail, Islington Tunnel.pdf

This was one of the early, c1796, plans for the terminus of the Wiener Neustadt Kanal in Vienna, the use of arms reflecting the canal engineer's visit to Birmingham in 1795. The eventual terminus was much shorter with fewer arms.

The idea of a Canal Trust came out of Royal Commission on Waterways circa 1910 and the waterway nationalisation proposals at the end of the First World War, and was widely discussed in the early 1920s.

This is from an 1866 paper for the IMechEng on Steam Power, where it discusses Inshaw's boat.

At canal speeds, the shape of the bow has little influence on how a wide boat floats. Out of gear, my old L&LC boat, with its bluff bow, would float much easier than a narrow boat, possibly because of the well shaped run to the rudder. In some cases, what does make a bluff-bowed boat more difficult can be installing an engine, as this increases the flow around the hull, in effect speeding the boat's passage through the water, an effect which increases in shallow/narrow waters. I can't see this as being a major problem on a wide, well maintained canal such as the Regent's in the 19th century.

Historically it is Handcock's, as he was the bridge keeper appointed after Lord Stanley complained that boatmen were leaving the bridge open.

As a Scouser, I regard this as a typical Tyke reaction. The problem is how some people interpret words of identity, and humour. Some can use them to show they understand difference, while others are just plain nasty. Complaining about the word is pointless, we should be looking to change understanding and what rights individuals have regarding their identity. Unfortunately we are living through a time when everyone seems to know their rights, but not the responsibilities which support those rights.

The two things you need to remember is that moving a boat in deep water is comparatively easy, and that once moving they do not require that much additional effort, particularly where distances are comparatively short. The middle lock at Johnsons Hillock (L&LC) has a bridge without a towpath immediately above, with a hook fixed to the wing wall for the tow-line to pass around so that a boat horse could pull the boat out of the lock whilst walking in the opposite direction. When school children visit Kennet, the L&LC Society's short boat, probably weighing 35tons including ballast, they are always amazed at how one child can move the boat. The other thing is that 200 years ago, time was relatively unimportant, and that the volume of traffic had not reached the sort of tonnages that were carried towards the end of the 19th century when steam towage and capstans were beginning to be used. The efficiency of historical structures need to be assessed using the conditions prevailing at the time, and not from modern ideals.