Tadworth

[AndrewGVT]

Hi all,

 

I'm trying to build up the history of large Northwich Tadworth which, in partnership with Jules Fuels, I have just brought. We picked her up last weekend from South of Milton Keynes and brought her up to get lifted out for some fairly urgent hull work. The long term plan is to restore her and have her working along side Towcester and Bideford and the rest of the jules fuels fleet on the grand union.

 

She is in wonderfully original condition, still retaining her Yarwoods steel cabin. Unfortunately the originality also means shes also completely knackered but over the next couple of years we'll hopefully complete a sympathetic restoration retaining as much originality as possible.

 

I've love to hear from anyone with any information and pictures from her past, so far from digging through the forum I've started to build a bit of a time line:

 

1937 - Built, Registered and Gauged 

1960s - Paired with Bakewell working on the barrels 

1963 - Paired with Berkhamsted (BBC's "look af life" program)

Circa 1970 - brought from Waterways by Dave Warren. Towed Bakewell to Braunston for UCC before going to Atherston to load.

1970s - worked for Ashby Canal Carriers doing various jobs including carrying coal down the Oxford and T&M during winter. Working as a camper during the summer.

1990s - paired with Argo working for Argo Canal services on domestic fuel trade (reputed to be the first boat to carry a diesel tank for domestic sale)

2000s - Brought by previous owner Richard 

2019 - Brought by myself and jules fuels for use as a domestic fuel boat.

 

I've attached a couple of pictures from last weekend.

 

Cheers,

Andrew 

 

 

 

[Chris Williams]

September 1974 at Aynho.  Both in old liveries.  Coal to Thrupp.

 

 

[matty40s]

Good luck with your future venture, you came past us over the weekend, I thought the front end was very high, and now I know why !!

[Paul H]

Tamworth and Bakewell were still “on the barrels” up until the early 70s.  I don’t know why it would have been seen with Berkhamsted which I remember on maintenance on the South Oxford in the 70s.

 

Paul Monahan who had Tadworth and Argo is still around and now owns the Madeley.

 

Paul

[archie57]

The late Phil Garrett had it for a while in the 1950s, paired with the "Betelgeuse", and in this period appears in many of Will King's  ( - his Uncle)  excellent photos.

[AndrewGVT]

1 hour ago, Paul H said:

Tamworth and Bakewell were still “on the barrels” up until the early 70s.  I don’t know why it would have been seen with Berkhamsted which I remember on maintenance on the South Oxford in the 70s.

 

Paul Monahan who had Tadworth and Argo is still around and now owns the Madeley.

 

Paul

It was in this bit of video at about 3:40:

 

 

Maybe they took tadpole up to Cowley lock with a smarter butty just for the film? Or maybe it was a change boat? Shes certainly well turned out especially if she wasn't a permanent home.

[magnetman]

Nice boat. An escapee. 

 

New uxter plate needed?

[alan_fincher]

5 hours ago, AndrewGVT said:

1960s - Paired with Bakewell working on the barrels 

1963 - Paired with Berkhamsted (BBC's "look af life" program)

Circa 1970 - brought from Waterways by Dave Warren. Towed Bakewell to Braunston for UCC before going to Atherston to load.

1970s - worked for Ashby Canal Carriers doing various jobs including carrying coal down the Oxford and T&M during winter. Working as a camper during the summer.

Those dates sound quite a bit off to me.

I think BW continued to work the three last pairs on the barrels beyond 1970, probably not disposing of them until maybe 1973.  I saw Tadwoth & Bakewell in ex Waterways condition in Braunston in 1974, and think they had only just moved on from BW.

 

As the new owner, have you contacted Pete Harrison.  Pete's records are based entirely on actual carefully researched facts, not peoples memories, and he is usually prepared to share them with people now owning the boats.   Any date he can supply you has the maximum chance of being the right one.

[David Mack]

Dig back through the forum and there's quite a lot about a previous owner's dispute with BW/CRT in relation to licencing Tadworth. And also how the said owner was apparently very keen to sell the boat, but not at a price which reflected the amount of work required.

 

Glad to hear Tadworth will now be getting some long overdue tlc.

[matty40s]

16 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Dig back through the forum and there's quite a lot about a previous owner's dispute with BW/CRT in relation to licencing Tadworth. And also how the said owner was apparently very keen to sell the boat, but not at a price which reflected the amount of work required.

 

Glad to hear Tadworth will now be getting some long overdue tlc.

Well the owner did quite a lot of work himself to keep the boat afloat and stop BW scrapping it, and then CRT...., and reduced his price - and accompanied Tadworth with along with Jules, to probably to the best dock to do any restoration work needed.

If that helps you, or him come to a satisfactory happiness.

 

 

[alan_fincher]

I am pretty confident that this badly degraded negative is from not long after BW had sold off Tadworth and Bakewell, and also fairly confident it us from as late as Summer 1974.

 

 

[alan_fincher]

The brief message shouted across to me from the owner where Tadworth was craned out a few days ago was "it's not that bad, and certainly not as bad as people have been saying".  There wasn't time for him to elaborate further though.

[MtB]

6 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

I am pretty confident that this badly degraded negative is from not long after BW had sold off Tadworth and Bakewell, and also fairly confident it us from as late as Summer 1974.

 

 

 

Can't see anything much wrong with that negative Alan... llooks fine to me. 

 

What planet is it on? 

 

[alan_fincher]

7 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

What planet is it on? 

 

Planet Kodachrome, I think.......................

[Chris Williams]

1 hour ago, alan_fincher said:

I am pretty confident that this badly degraded negative is from not long after BW had sold off Tadworth and Bakewell, and also fairly confident it us from as late as Summer 1974.

 

 

I Think this has been posted somewhere by Dave Warren.  See previous.  Be nice to see her teamed up with 'Jaguar' again,

[AndrewGVT]

7 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

I am pretty confident that this badly degraded negative is from not long after BW had sold off Tadworth and Bakewell, and also fairly confident it us from as late as Summer 1974.

 

 

 

If I recall correctly from the last time it was posted Tadpole had just towed Bakewell up to Braunston as UCC had just brought it from the same tender list. Tadpole was on the way up to Atherston to start working again.

 

9 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

As the new owner, have you contacted Pete Harrison.  Pete's records are based entirely on actual carefully researched facts, not peoples memories, and he is usually prepared to share them with people now owning the boats.   Any date he can supply you has the maximum chance of being the right one.

 

Yup I've PMed him and am looking forward to hearing from him.

 

7 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

The brief message shouted across to me from the owner where Tadworth was craned out a few days ago was "it's not that bad, and certainly not as bad as people have been saying".  There wasn't time for him to elaborate further though.

 

There are certainly worse boats out there, I'd struggle to describe her as "not that bad" I managed to poke a hole though the bottom by gently rubbing it with some toilet paper, and there is daylight under the counter and fiberglass blocking up holes in the swim, she is definitely ready for some work.

 

[pete harrison]

1 hour ago, AndrewGVT said:

Yup I've PMed him and am looking forward to hearing from him.

And I have PM'd a reply.

 

We used to call this boat TADPOLE 40 years ago - some things never change

[carlt]

1 hour ago, AndrewGVT said:

 

I managed to poke a hole though the bottom by gently rubbing it with some toilet paper.. .

 

 

Ouch!! 

 

[alan_fincher]

2 hours ago, AndrewGVT said:

There are certainly worse boats out there, I'd struggle to describe her as "not that bad" I managed to poke a hole though the bottom by gently rubbing it with some toilet paper, and there is daylight under the counter and fiberglass blocking up holes in the swim, she is definitely ready for some work.

 

I think you are using too aggressive a brand of toilet paer.  Have you tried Cushelle?

47 minutes ago, pete harrison said:

And I have PM'd a reply.

 

We used to call this boat TADPOLE 40 years ago - some things never change

What year did BW dispose of Tadworth and Bakewell, please Pete?

[carlt]

2 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Have you tried Cushelle?

 

Or Preparation H

[alan_fincher]

Back in the day you could rub a sickly boat bottom with full strength Izal, and you wouldn't go right through!

[sans allumette]

10 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

I am pretty confident that this badly degraded negative

Hope you don't mind, but I had a bash at correcting the image. ?

 

 

[Athy]

So much for the people who reckon that lines of moored boats stretching as far as the eye can see are a new phenomenon. Where was this taken?

[alan_fincher]

3 minutes ago, Athy said:

So much for the people who reckon that lines of moored boats stretching as far as the eye can see are a new phenomenon. Where was this taken?

This was, and still is, Union Canal Carriers just below Braunston locks.

[MtB]

14 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

This was, and still is, Union Canal Carriers just below Braunston locks.

 

I'm struggling to make sense of this scene.

 

Is it taken with the Ivybridge workshops just behind you, so none of the UCC buildings are in shot? (Or is it your Brother Mike's photo?)