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The Prendergast File


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4 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

I watched some of "The Two Ronnies" the other night - it was bloomin' cringeworthy and ruined my memories!  Thanks for posting, but I'll need more convincing before I watch anything from that era. ;)

 

 

I found them cringeworthy at the time, much of the time.... 

 

 

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The 'Four candles' sketch is classic.

Buster Keaton is still King of silent comedy.

 

Back to Prendergast - an excellent film showing some locations that many will recognise, Aylesbury basin with the old buildings for one, and whose cafe racer (BSA possibly) on the working boat? Good stuff. A 'spoof', but a lightly cynical dig at authority in the main.

Edited by Derek R.
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13 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

I watched some of "The Two Ronnies" the other night - it was bloomin' cringeworthy and ruined my memories!  Thanks for posting, but I'll need more convincing before I watch anything from that era. ;)

 

I don’t know if the Two Ronnies ever did a canal-based sketch but this is a canal forum and “The Prendergast File” is 15 minutes of canal history gold.

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1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

I'm sorry - I didn't intend to derail! :)

I will find those 15 minutes.

Just in case you were expecting to see either of the Ronnies in the PO's film link - you won't. But it's an excellent piece of filming - and acting, as is the narration. Classic 1960's. David Hutchings even gets a Look in. I'm hopeful someone can put a name to the grab driver at Brentford.

Edited by Derek R.
Typo
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2 hours ago, buccaneer66 said:

The Ministry of Apathy isn't real then, because it seems like it 

We have many Ministries; Noise; Bluster; Deceit; Obfuscation; not forgetting The Ministry of Utter Gloom (as depicted by Giles, the cartoonist). Churchill had a Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29635592-churchill-s-ministry-of-ungentlemanly-warfare

 

But I digress. let's not go there, here. 

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Excellent. This is not about the comedy but gold dust historic canal film.  ;)

 

What was the Willow Wren bote(s) shown?

 

I saw Malta?

 

There was Guccc #240.

 

And others.

 

 

Edited by mark99
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Nice film. I was on the work party when that was filmed, didn’t realize at the time as there were often reporters about and odd film crews.

good to see old Jack James at Stoke Bruerne and the pub in those days. 

Willow wren loading wheat for Wellingborough and the Lime juice barrels on the quay. Lot of history in that film even if it was meant to be a spoof.

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Brilliant film, some good GU scenes, Aylesbury basin particularly. Mid 60's I used to 'avoid' school dinners and walk to Jackson's bakery near the basin, get some grub and eat by the basin. Often a working boat was in the process of being converted into a house boat, The nearby Aylesbury Brewery was still in operation, great sites and smells.

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If it was all filmed about 1964 I would say some of the boats are:

 
British Waterways butty BORDESLEY (240)
Willow Wren (ex Fellows Morton & Clayton) motor towing hired British Waterways butty SATELLITE loaded
Willow Wren motor RAIL (ex Grand Union Canal Carrying Co HADLEY) with butty running light
Blue Line motor MALTA (Ex Barlow's still in their livery) with butty running light 
Willow Wren motor REDSHANK (ex Grand Union Canal Carrying Co READING) loading grain at Brentford 
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3 hours ago, Chris M Jones said:

If it was all filmed about 1964 I would say some of the boats are:

 
British Waterways butty BORDESLEY (240)
Willow Wren (ex Fellows Morton & Clayton) motor towing hired British Waterways butty SATELLITE loaded
Willow Wren motor RAIL (ex Grand Union Canal Carrying Co HADLEY) with butty running light
Blue Line motor MALTA (Ex Barlow's still in their livery) with butty running light 
Willow Wren motor REDSHANK (ex Grand Union Canal Carrying Co READING) loading grain at Brentford 

I agree with the above, and the exF.M.C. Ltd. motor running with SATELLITE is QUAIL under Mark Harrison's command. Mark Harrison swapped in QUAIL for CURLEW in November 1964.

 

British Waterways Board traffic records for 24/08/1964 list MALTA still being under Jack Monk (for Blue Line), but shortly afterwards he moved to Seymour-Roseblade :captain:

 

edit - clearly this film also features the 'Knobstick' motor BERGEN as a pleasure boat conversion - owned by Hugh Symons who played Samuel Prendergast in this film.

Edited by pete harrison
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