Steve Priest

It’s a little Woolwich so it can’t be Water Sprite, but for my money it is a normal water bus, the roof is too rounded and the front windows aren’t right for Rambler

IMO that can was painted by Dennis Clarke’s brother Colin, but interestingly enough the example that David refers to as being by Frank Nurser is actually by Dennis himself

And just to make it clear, this was not Nelson’s steamer Jason, which had been sold on prior to the Jason ll being built. Jason ll was a diesel boat

As far as I know, the original Jason of Jason’s trip was built by Nurser’s in 1924 for Charles Nelson & co., the cement manufacturer from Stockton, as Jason ll. On disposal of the Nelson fleet in 1935, Jason ll went to Samuel Barlow in Braunston, and entered the Barlow fleet as Jason

Yes, that’s right, there is still a picture of the completed hull of Gorse above Charles Watts trade counter

Likewise I’ll reply to this on both threads, Well said Pete, I had intended to make the same points myself this evening - you beat me to it

Well said Pete, I had intended to make the same point myself this evening, you beat me to it.

Which , as far as I know, were a waterways addition. I think it is likely that this is in the GUCCC era, if it is waterways it must be fairly early, I wouldn’t doubt 1940’s myself. The motor still has a full size breastwood, the later Waterways replacement ones stopped further forwards, with the deck lid mounted on separate blocks of wood. The butty, seemingly still loaded, doesn’t have much weight in it, but it must have taken a long time to unload if they are doing it one stick at a time Kit Gayford did have a big Woolwich with a big Ricky butty - Battersea and Uttoxeter, but I am not suggesting that is what they are. Has anyone else noticed the poser in the motor’s back end?

Yes, that’s the one

About five years ago we built a 70’ Northwich shaped working boat which ended up in Ian Rothen’s fleet as a crane boat under the name Hebe ( I think ). It was built for a private customer as a carrying boat, but never was used as such, and whilst still not a carrying boat in the conventional sense it is out doing a job of work. I haven’t and recent photos though Steve

No problem, David, Newbury was built at Braunston for Roger and Jackie Barnes in about 1980. Simon and Rex both worked there, but Simon had not long started boatbuilding at the time. I didn’t work there, I started my boatbuilding career at the WFBCo in 1982. John and Madeleine Forth bought Newbury when they started coaling, first using the Newbury as a single boat but later with the butty Meteor. They decided that working with two motors would be better for them, hence they sold Meteor and ordered Newdigate from me. I am pretty sure that I built it in 1993, and whilst John did work on several jobs for or with me, he didn’t have any physical input into Newdigate as he was away coaling whilst it was being built. When they started to wind down the coaling they converted Newbury which was eventually sold on, and since John died Madeleine has converted Newdigate which she still owns Steve

I didn’t realise that I had changed my name to Barry Morsde

I’ll have to own up, Hasty was built at Brinklow Boat Services, it’s one of mine. I wouldn’t call it a replica myself though, there are significant differences between this and the old ( second ) Hasty ( length, sheer to hull and cabin etc) - built to resemble I think sums it up better. It does have and old stem iron and t stud though, if my memory serves me correctly ex Clevanda, which was formerly Alfred Matty’s tug Susan? Does that make it historic?

I never knew what it was called, but it was a fibrous board material half an inch thick, it was fitted between, not over, the steel framing which was left exposed. It was fitted with brass machine screws which were drilled and tapped through the cabin sides and roof, and then ground flat on the outside. If anyone has stripped the paint off an original Northwich cabin and wondered what all the brass dots are - that’s it.. The furniture was then fitted using deal boarding. With all the exposed steel framing they must have run with condensation, hence the reason that BW cut most of the cabins off the big Northwiches and replaced them with wood. Many that did survive were re- lined with t&g in a more conventional manner, which seems to me a far better idea than cutting them off, but the t&g lining was a later modification and not as original. This was not only true of little Northwiches, but of all the Northwich Grand Union boats. When Ian Kemp restored Sculptor he lined the cabin in the original fashion, as we did at Brinklow when we did the Scorpio. I believe that the butties Leo and Malus were done in that as well.