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Ovaltine boat on Oxford.


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May be irrelevant but  the Superintendent of the Wolvercote paper mill told me that coal was delivered by 'barge' to his wharf.

The wharf is on the part of Duke's Cut where you turn right to get onto the Thames proper. It's now quite overgrown - there was a tree blockingthe wharf when we last looked.

I was much younger then (!) and knew nothing about canals or water transport. To fit your story it makes more sense for coal to be delivered by canal than by river as that's the more direct route. 

Wolvercote is a very straggly  village - I guess there to service the Mill - so does it extend to the canal as well?

Aha Wikepedia to my rescue  - my recollection above has been given some credibility. At the time I was more concerned about fishing in the mill stream and salvaging maps from their recycling input.

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The William (ex-Beauchanp Lodge) was worked on at this location but much later, probably mid 1980s.  I know it wasn’t earlier because I owned it from 1977-79.  Unfortunately the couple rebuilding it split up and restoration ground to a halt.  I believe Jem Bates of Puttenham took away the ironwork but when I asked a few years ago couldn’t put his hand on it.

 

But maybe another Ovaltine boat was here earlier.

 

Paul

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The late Hugh Compton looked into the Wolvercote Paper Mill traffic. He had pictures of narrow boats on that trade. Not sure what happened to them, but they did not come to the RCHS, although many of his images did.

 

Narrowboats also travelled onto the Thames and headed up to wharves and cuts upstream. 

 

This is one of his, at Cassington Cut.

 

54907.jpg

Edited by Heartland
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1 hour ago, OldGoat said:

May be irrelevant but  the Superintendent of the Wolvercote paper mill told me that coal was delivered by 'barge' to his wharf.

The wharf is on the part of Duke's Cut where you turn right to get onto the Thames proper. It's now quite overgrown - there was a tree blockingthe wharf when we last looked.

I was much younger then (!) and knew nothing about canals or water transport. To fit your story it makes more sense for coal to be delivered by canal than by river as that's the more direct route. 

Wolvercote is a very straggly  village - I guess there to service the Mill - so does it extend to the canal as well?

Aha Wikepedia to my rescue  - my recollection above has been given some credibility. At the time I was more concerned about fishing in the mill stream and salvaging maps from their recycling input.

We used the Duke's Cut when going upstream to Lechlade, but went through Isis Lock and the Sheepwash when going downstream.  Fully loaded both ways, with no problems.  

I have spoken to old boatmen who delivered to the Paper Mill. Boats had to back into the Mill, there was nowhere to turn.

55 minutes ago, Paul H said:

The William (ex-Beauchanp Lodge) was worked on at this location but much later, probably mid 1980s.  I know it wasn’t earlier because I owned it from 1977-79.  Unfortunately the couple rebuilding it split up and restoration ground to a halt.  I believe Jem Bates of Puttenham took away the ironwork but when I asked a few years ago couldn’t put his hand on it.

 

But maybe another Ovaltine boat was here earlier.

 

Paul

That could have been the one - not sure of the date.

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4 hours ago, Chris Williams said:

I have spoken to old boatmen who delivered to the Paper Mill. Boats had to back into the Mill, there was nowhere to turn

Confirmed by article in Canal Boat, 1 Jan 2018, by Roger Wickson, viewed on www.pressreader.com. Talking about the 1940's and 1950's, he says that Barlow boats were at that time delivering coal to Wolvercote Paper Mill. The article includes a photo of an SE Barlow pair, operated by the Littlemore family, doing this. I also seem to recall reading somewhere that Joe and Rose Skinner on Friendship delivered to the mill as well.

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6 hours ago, Paul H said:

The William (ex-Beauchanp Lodge) was worked on at this location but much later, probably mid 1980s.  I know it wasn’t earlier because I owned it from 1977-79.  Unfortunately the couple rebuilding it split up and restoration ground to a halt.  I believe Jem Bates of Puttenham took away the ironwork but when I asked a few years ago couldn’t put his hand on it.

 

But maybe another Ovaltine boat was here earlier.

 

Paul

 

We often accompanied the William to IWA Rallies. In 1971 on the last day of the Northampton rally we received a message that the river was in flood, and we needed to make a swift escape. Here are a  couple of photos of the William being coaxed under a sluice lock gate after we had helped them remove roof top equipment (including the water tank!!)

 

1729980971_RNene1971.jpg.df112c668df0b9a29a5bdc18d46901d4.jpg

 

2116933187_1971WilliamR_Nene.jpg.8028075f822cdd8a0dc7a1551a2e22f4.jpg

 

1950689681_1971WilliamR.Nene(2).jpg.4a74a896742a01f98c685072714938ed.jpg

 

 

Edited by David Schweizer
  • Greenie 2
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6 hours ago, Paul H said:

The William (ex-Beauchanp Lodge) was worked on at this location but much later, probably mid 1980s.  I know it wasn’t earlier because I owned it from 1977-79.  Unfortunately the couple rebuilding it split up and restoration ground to a halt.  I believe Jem Bates of Puttenham took away the ironwork but when I asked a few years ago couldn’t put his hand on it.

 

But maybe another Ovaltine boat was here earlier.

 

Paul

The one I seem to remember had the 'Ovaltine' script on the cratch - that's how I knew what it was.  I think I was passing on the Jaguar, thinking more about the River.

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37 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 

We often accompanied the William to IWA Rallies. In 1971 on the last day of the Northampton rally we received a message that the river was in flood, and we needed to make a swift escape. Here are a  couple of photos of the William being coaxed under a sluice lock gate after we had helped them remove roof top equipment (including the water tank!!)

 

1729980971_RNene1971.jpg.df112c668df0b9a29a5bdc18d46901d4.jpg

 

2116933187_1971WilliamR_Nene.jpg.8028075f822cdd8a0dc7a1551a2e22f4.jpg

 

1950689681_1971WilliamR.Nene(2).jpg.4a74a896742a01f98c685072714938ed.jpg

 

 

Was this in the days of Dennis Jewiss?

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10 hours ago, archie57 said:

Was this in the days of Dennis Jewiss?

Yes it was, or "Bo" as the boys used to call him - apparently shortened from "Bosun". Dennis Jewiss was a good friend of our captain, also a Dennis.

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7 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

 

Yes it was, or "Bo" as the boys used to call him - apparently shortened from "Bosun". Dennis Jewiss was a good friend of our captain, also a Dennis.

Did a camping trip with him and a group in 1973, by which time he'd finished with the "William" I seem to remember.

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Ray on the Troy Arm waiting TLC. Photo Chris CollinsTroycut024.jpg.46c07658e16d9a7dbee747efe7c2af87.jpg

 

In working days with her motor Mimas at the Market Harborough exhibition, 1950. Arthur & Nellie Stokes.

667448490_ArthurNellieStokesonMimasRayMarketHarboro1950.jpg.a22e53a1998697c4da1a408a4391f78a.jpg

 

Mimas Has been beautifully restored by Chris Collins.

At Braunston.

6593475243_25e2dd5a8a_o.jpg.0e6884ec2606a25d09b04b714be836ef.jpg

 

Edited by Ray T
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Assumed she had gone, happy she is in restoration.

Our photos from 1980 onwards have survived emigration storage on old wooden boats and bushfire. Have little damage. Whilst many are of our boats we travelled widely and there are many pictures of our contemporaries.

what is a shock is while the brasses are clean and boats washed, they are nothing like the standard many boats are in now. I suppose young owners working jobs and living on what were then characterful cheap  boats. Very few restorations, more maintenance done over weekends and evenings.

There is also hair... lots of it.

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Who paid the boatmen & women I don't know, probably Wanders', but the boats were owned by Wanders' (Ovaltine) and supplied the Ovaltine factory canalside in King's Langley until 1959, when the last loads were delivered by MIMAS & ENID, bringing coal from the Midlands.

 

Canalside. Unloading into the coal bunkers:

954978476_ovaltine0001(Medium).JPG.ecc050a740c5dc9421207cf4e2d6ddba.JPG

 

Wanders' went over to oil fired boilers (or maybe gas). This is the boiler house prior to demolition and about where the coal bunkers previously stood:

1598495337_OvaltineFactorypriortodemolitionOct2004(Medium).JPG.d9ac398d3a3654052e261440bcdbe76c.JPG

 

The roadside view much as it is today. The whole building is now a block of flats with canalside gardens at the back.

1491291578_Ovaltine08(Medium).JPG.e13af98af3ee14a3ab627b6d3c701b5a.JPG

 

PS MIMAS as restored has the most beautiful livery, especially with that dark scumble border. Perfect.

 

Edited by Derek R.
Added PS
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5 hours ago, Kudzucraft said:

Did they work for Ovaltine or what this just the first floating Advertisement?

In support of Derek R's comments above I can add:

 

A. Wander Ltd. were the manufacturers of Ovaltine and had their own fleet of narrow boats, 12 motors (4 of which were second hand) and 11 buttys (3 of which were second hand) - although not all were in operation at the same time. This fleet of boats operated between 1926 and 1959 carrying coal from the north Warwickshire coal fields to their Kings Langley factory and usually returned empty. A. Wander Ltd. narrow boats were noted for their high standard of decoration and for the use of product advertisement on the cabin sides and deckboard, and due to this advertising they were sometimes referred to as 'Ovaltine boats'. A. Wander Ltd.'s factory at Kings Langley was also supported by both independent carriers and established carrying companys as required :captain:

Edited by pete harrison
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