pete harrison

In my view the article in Waterways World (August 2004 pg 80) is open to interpretation. I quote "He (Denis Cooper - P.J.H.) also acted as an independant surveyor for people contemplating the purchase of a boat. His next venture was to convert an ex-Josher (formally France) into a skippered camping boat, again operating out of Brewood". It may be that Mr Cooper acquired ADDER directly from Leonard Leigh Ltd. and converted in it in about 1967 for his own business use (although he was not in full time canal business when this conversion was done !). Could it be that this conversion was carried out for somebody else ? Interestingly Max Sinclair mentions in Waterways World (March 2006 pg 103) that they used "Eric Pike's Bolinder powered ADDER to raise it" (BALINGER as a sunken day boat pre 1968). It appears to me that as usual it is the recent history that is so difficult to research and that Denis Cooper may well have been a previous owner, but then who was Eric Pike ? (and I have another late 1960's owner !)

FRANCE 08/1904 – built at Saltley, Birmingham by Fellows, Morton & Clayton Ltd. as an iron composite fore cabined horse boat FRANCE – fleet No. 46 @ £200. 21/09/1904 – gauged as B.C.N. 19442 (35 tons @ 49.77’’). 30/09/1904 – health registered as Birmingham 1140 (2 cabins / 4 persons). 29/11/1904 – gauged as G.J.C. 11225 (36 tons @ 49.97’’). 31/01/1911 – minor weight deduction given on B.C.N. 19442. 04/04/1921 - minor weight deduction given on G.J.C. 11225. 02/04/1937 - converted by W.J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd., Northwich (Yard No. 592) to a counter sterned motor for F.M.C. Ltd.. 05/1937 – completed by F.M.C.Ltd., Saltley – fleet No. 338 – fitted with a 9hp Bolinder semi diesel (later fitted into wooden B.C.N. TROJAN). 04/06/1937 – health registered as Birmingham 1606 (1 cabin / 3 persons). 11/06/1937 – gauged as B.C.N. 1963 (31 tons @ 50.10’’) 03/1940 – docked at Saltley. 07/1943 – docked at Saltley. 11/1948 – docked at Saltley. 01/01/1949 – sold to British Transport Waterways (Docks & Inland Waterways Executive), London. 18/11/1949 – Birmingham 1606 transferred to British Transport Waterways (Docks & Inland Waterways Executive), London (cancelled 01/08/1952). 12/1951 – sold to Thomas Clayton (Oldbury) Ltd. and converted to a decked tank boat. 04/07/1952 – health registered as Oldbury 25 as ADDER for Thomas Clayton (Oldbury) Ltd.. c1956 – sold to Jones & Powell, Wolverhampton. 06/06/1956 – gauged as B.C.N. 2376 for Jones & Powell, Wolverhampton. Tank deck removed (30 tons @ 49.69’’). 04/12/1957 – minor weight addition to B.C.N. 2376 – L. Leigh Ltd. also added to table. Pre04/1961 – sold to Leonard Leigh Ltd., Birmingham (boat not named but “2376” on cabinsides). (current owner 10/1963) 196? – sold (owners name with held). 29/07/1967 – attended rally of boats at Leicester as ‘house boat’ conversion named ADDER 2376. 15/05/1971 – sold to Mungo Park (later loaned to Warwickshire Fly Boat Company for use as a cabined camping boat). c1979 – renamed FRANCE. 1994 – sold (owners name with held). 11/07/1996 – sold (owners name with held) (often tied in Braunston Marina, just south of the Ladder Bridge – still there in 06/2003). The 9hp Bolinder from FRANCE / ADDER was later fitted into the wooden B.C.N. pleasure boat conversion TROJAN. It was removed from TROJAN in about 1965 and was for sale in Waterways World 11/1998. A 1951 Lister JP2 was subsequently fitted into ADDER but I do not have a date when it went in. Most of the above is a result of my own research. It is however supplemented with a few details supplied from the late Clive Guthrie who was working on a publication relating to the history of all ‘Yarwood’ built craft. If the current owner wishes to contact me directly with his real identity and the date of his acquisition I will be happy to confirm the names of the latter owners. The F.M.C. motor used as a Norton Canes / Brewood based camping boat during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s was PARROT (exPLOVER). This boat also ended up with the Warwickshire Fly Boat Company.

Where does the link with T. & S. Element come from ? I have only one EILEEN for T. & S. Element as B.C.N. 1038 (01/04/1925), and that was a cabined wooden boat with no previous gauge number listed on the table ! (I have just seen EILEEN for T. & S. Element is on The Waterways Trust, Gloucester version of B.C.N. 18791 [catalogue number BW 598.85], although it is not on either of the three versions I have - sorry I should have checked properly first !)

This is the fore end 3/4 of the Small Woolwich butty ANDROMEDA. The current counter (as photographed) is the second to be fitted to this boat, the first having come off the wooden Seddon's motor SUNSHINE (latterly named BEATRICE MAY) in 1985. ANDROMEDA is one of four former G.U.C.C.Co. Ltd. butty's sold by British Waterways Board in 1979 having previously been used as landing stages in the north east (River Trent ?). For anybody who might be interested the other three were CORONIS, DIPPER and TAURUS.

DON was built by the Severn & Canal Carrying Company Ltd. at their Stourport yard as the horse boat DEE, fleet number 16. DEE was health registered as Gloucester 449 - 27/10/1910 (registration cancelled 10/1932) and B.C.N. gauged as 21179 - 05/11/1910. On 16/12/1932 the boat was health registered as Gloucester 522, No. 6 for Severn & Canal Carrying Company Ltd., and B.C.N. gauged as 1771 - 18/08/1933 as 6 for the same owner. These re-registrations were due to the horse boat DEE being converted to a motor boat, not named but known as No. 6 (sometimes MOTOR No. 6) and the second generation motor boat to carry this identity. It is most likely that No. 6 was powered by a 15hp Bolinder semi-diesel. Severn & Canal Carrying Company Ltd. sold No. 6 in 1948 to Thomas Clayton (Oldbury) Ltd. who decked the hold for use as a bulk liquid carrier and renamed as DON, fleet number 1. DON was health registered as Oldbury 22 - 02/06/1949. Thomas Clayton (Oldbury) Ltd.'s own records state that DON was sold to a Mr Andrews in 1961 but the last owner claims he bought the boat in 1962 from Thomas Clayton (Oldbury) Ltd. for £600. DON was subsequently converted to a house boat with much work being carried out by Tooley's at Banbury. One aspect of the rebuild was the fitting of a steel counter. A Russell Newbery DM2 was also fitted at some point but I do not have a date for it (but I do have the engine serial number - sad I know !). DON has been for sale several times over the years but I am sure it had the same owner from 1962 until 2005. I hope this goes some way to answering your questions.

NEWBURY was built by Braunston Boat Services Ltd. in 1980 (completed 05/1980 - B.C.S.Ltd. number 8) closely based on the lines of a Small Woolwich motor. It was originally built for Roger and Jackie Barnes, Basingstoke and fitted with a Lister HA2 taken from a motor fishing vessel at Hornchurch. I recall seeing NEWBURY numerous times tied at the north end of Newbold Tunnel, but before that it was based at Wyvern Shipping Company's yard at Linslade. NEWBURY was sold to John and Madeline Forth in about October 1982 who used it as a retail coal boat before fitting the cabin conversion a few years ago. Interestingly Braunston Boat Services Ltd. built two carrying boats in 1980, the other being based on a "Pimblotts Admiral" motor and was named NELSON. This boat, in the ownership of Mark Holtham was used to carry retail coal on the River Severn and Gloucester & Sharpness Canal, as well as assisting with the clearance of Alfred Matty's fleet of B.C.N. day boats in 1982 amongst other things. NELSON was bought by the Ackers Trust, Birmingham in 1985 and fitted with a cabin conversion for taking inner city kids on adventure holidays (like a camping boat). NELSON is now a house boat (last seen by me a couple of years ago on the Shropshire Union Canal).

I am unable to read the index numbers off the B.W.B. plates but for anybody who is interested MIMAS is 60812 and RAY is 72951 (formally 66638) - both from B.W.B. records. I am lead to believe that the Large Ricky COUGHTON is also amongst the boats at the end of the Troy cut and F.M.C. BEATRICE may be.

Back in 2002 British Waterways Board gave me access to their floating assett details. These include the assett number (normally a five figure number written on the boat in weld), boat name, acquisition date, division where based e.t.c.. I have also acquired the index number (normally displayed on a pressed aluminium number plate) of each British Waterways Board boat for the purpose of cross reference. I also have some specific details retrieved from various archives and private collections on many of the maintenance craft both still with us and those that are now disposed of (sold or scrapped). Clearly you are not alone in your interest of canal maintenance boats.

I think the name of the other "scratch-built Ken Keay leisure boat" is LINGUIST, built 1971. I believe another Keay's boat worthy of mention is the KEN KEAY which was started by Keay's but completed by Dennis Cooper, Norton Canes. I also recall THE HILTON (tied on lower Staffs & Worc's during early 1980's) and the H.F. TRUMAN which was used as a hire cruiser during the early 1980's, latterly for Associated Cruisers, Wolverhampton (along with USK)