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Ray T

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Everything posted by Ray T

  1. With regard to "credible history" I do miss my meetings with Mike Humphris. He had a fabulous memory and was always willing to talk to me about the boating life, warts and all! Not the pastiche we get on TV now!
  2. It was the effect of the railways which caused the operators and owner boatmen having to lower their charges to retain traffic and hence couldn't afford to keep a house on the land. The captain was the only one who was paid so his wife and children were "free" labour. Often boat families were quite large and children were "loaned" out to other boat owners who may not have had children. William Humphris "loaned" Jeanne, one of his daughters, to Jack and Rose Skinner but when she fell off the boat in a lock William blamed them and had his daughter back. I think the programme meant that older boys and girls were separated into the fore and aft cabins for obvious reasons, Not just children from other families.
  3. @Graham_Robinson Graham, best photo's I have. At least Pontcysyllte was pronounced correctly. Unlike in the BBC "The Golden Age of Canals" Where the narrator pronounced it "The Pontyselect!"
  4. I believe the term is "Weapon of opportunity." A "weapon of opportunity" (also known as an improvised weapon) is any object not normally associated as being a weapon, being used as a weapon out of necessity.
  5. There is of course Henry Grantham's Forget Me Not. http://nurser.co.uk/construction/boats-repaired-converted-/forget-me-not.html
  6. I seem to recall there was an incident where two young girls were poisoned by carbon monoxide from a fire in the front cabin, a third survived. Thereafter the authorities banned stoves in the front cabin. I think this was in the 1930's, I stand correction.
  7. From the book "Care on the Cut" by Dr. Sadler-Moore, Lorna York & Chris M Jones. Also I believe the word Cratch is derived from the French word crèche meaning amongst other things manger, where straw & hay were stored i.e. the bow area of horse boats. The fitting which supports the top plank is as far as I am aware a deck board as it sits on the deck beam Although to compound the issue Edward Paget-Tomlinson refers to it as a Cratch. From here: Historic Narrow Boat Features - The Inland Waterways Association 12. CRATCH BOARDS The ‘cratch’ is the name given to the area at the front of a narrow boat’s hold, protected by a ‘cratch board’ (also known as a ‘deck board’). The shape is triangular with the top of the triangle cut off. Often highly decorated, it supports the top planks and protects the cargo.
  8. Mike Humphris always called the 3 locks at what is now Calcutt, “The Wigram’s Three.” Never Calcutt locks. Bearing in mind he came from 6 generations of Oxford boat people. When ever I spoke to Mike I had to use place names and terms he recognised otherwise he would say “I don’t know what you are talking about Ray.” E.g. the Ashby Canal was always “The Moira ( prounounced ‘Moiree’ by Mike) Cut.” I always loved listening to Mike speak, he would say Oxford with a lovely drawl and in almost the next breath come out with ‘tis arr in a perfect Black Country accent.
  9. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-68447601
  10. Mabel was originally owned and run by John and Mary Wilson nee Humphries. Mabel was later sold to Michael Rogers who ran her as a working boat before converting her to a hotel boat at Tooley's yard Banbury. See A Canal People page 122 Longden / Rolt. There was a Forget me Not run by Rose & Jack Skinner, horse boat. I'm not sure if this is the same boat. There is also a Forget me Knot originally owned by Henry Grantham which became Golden Boy and the rebuilt Sunny Valley in the film Painted boats.
  11. Speaking to a neighbour who is into his 90's recently. He said "It is no fun growing old Ray, there's little future in it!" I won't go into the nitty gritty but 6 months ago I decided to voluntarily surrender my driving license due to an "Asymptomatic" head issue discovered by pure chance. The problem is slowly curing itself but I will have to wait and see. It is not only physical issues you may have to deal with but hidden ones that suddenly appear as well. I can still steer the boat but at the moment I have to either get a bus, taxi or rely on Mrs. T to ferry me around. I'd be well and truly "stuffed" if I didn't have bricks and mortar to fall back on. To miss quote Buzz Lightyear "To infirmity and beyond." 😁 Check if a health condition affects your driving: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk
  12. Definitely Oxford Canal towards Napton Junction. Towpath hasn't changed much. Offside foliage leaves a lot to be desired though. (Please excuse the unintentional pun.)
  13. Was this the Barlow's Neptune which Seymore Roseblades then had? What were the circumstances of the fire please?
  14. We have these by B J Freeman.
  15. The boat museums at Ellesmere Port, Stoke Bruerne and Gloucester Docks. If you are interested in canal heritage, that is. eta Foxton and of course Milton Keynes!😳
  16. I didn't record which lock this is, but it is The Rochdale on the way to the Summit. A bit further up we met this, boat grounded and we had to let water down.
  17. Not necessarily, a maintenance regime could be instituted, which BT /Openreach does with its existing poles. Bearing in mind the official "enthusiasm" I was met with by the various authorities I contacted, a Rhet Butler quote comes to mind. https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=frankly+my+dear+i+don't+give+damn&mid=1F0DE0DE3E6D43D062FA1F0DE0DE3E6D43D062FA&FORM=VIRE
  18. In and around the 1800's to late 1900's telegraph pole routes were common along canals. A strong possibility for them sited thus, was that Telegraph Companies, before and including latterly, the G.P.O., would only have to negotiate one wayleave with the canal company. If the routes went via local authorities / land owners several wayleaves would have to be negotiated, along with additional costs, time involved etc. There is one remanent of these mighty structures along the Coventry Canal between bridges 25 and 26. I did present a case to Historic England to have a preservation order placed on this pole. Whilst Historic England were impressed with the case I presented they said the pole was beyond their remit. I also contacted BT, Warwickshire County Council and Nuneaton & Bedworth District Council, none of them were interested. So when it eventually rots and falls over, that is it gone!
  19. Not worth £160 with the badly stamped printing on them. IMHO the printing actually devalues them.
  20. I don't know why the myth persists that Ham Baker paddle gear is hydraulic, it is not. Improvements in or connected with penstocks, sluice valves and the like United Kingdom Patent 387951-A 387951-A is referenced by 1 patents. 387,951. Sluice valves. BENCE, E. H., Municipal Engineering Works, Langley Green, Birmingham, HAM, P. S., 70, Victoria Street, London, and MORGAN, E. I., 8, Wolverhampton Road, Sedgley, Birmingham. Aug. 24, 1932, No. 23694. [Class 68 (ii).] A sluice valve is operated by screw gearing of such a pitch that the valve, when raised and released, will descend by its own weight. The Figure shows a gearing for raising a flat sliding valve, not shown, at the lower end of a non-revolving rod 14. It comprises a gear case 19, 20, containing bevel wheels 23, 24 rotatable so that the nut 35 raises the rod 14. When raised, it is retained by pawls 33a, 33b engaging with ratchet wheels 30, 31 ; these may be released by overturning a link 34, and the valve then descends. The stop 37 is fitted with a buffer 38, or may function as a dashpot.; In a modification, the rod 14 is keyed to the wheel 23, and rotates in a nut at the upper end of a tube attached to the valve rod. Buffers are fitted at the lower edge of valve ; they may be removed to enable the valve to be removed. Title Improvements in or connected with penstocks, sluice valves and the like Application Number GB19320023694 19320824 Publication Number 387951 (A) Application Date August 24, 1932 Publication Date February 16, 1933 Assignee Edwin Ivor Morgan Paul Sison Ham Edgar Henry Bence IPC F16K 31/44 F16K 31/53
  21. A local artist painted these for us. Millie, left and Belle right.
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