Another hire company goes under.

[WotEver]

19 minutes ago, Richard T said:

We hired from Valley Cruisers once many many years ago it was a two berth boat called Elan Valley - it was a strange and not very practicable layout. And the engine was governed such that it would only go about 2 1/2mph. Never went back. Having said that the boats were always well turned out and the livery was distinctive.

How long ago? I’ve seen Elan Valley going fast enough to have a water skier out the back. 

[Richard T]

1 minute ago, WotEver said:

How long ago? I’ve seen Elan Valley going fast enough to have a water skier out the back. 

20years or there abouts

[WotEver]

2 minutes ago, Richard T said:

20years or there abouts

My observations of it speeding would have been about 15 years ago so maybe they changed the engine, or removed the governor.  

[Bigal10]

In the early 1980’s they also ran a additional fleet out of Hoskin’s Wharf at Shardlow.

 

[Dharl]

Shame to hear this, not only for the loss of comapny and jobs, reduction in traffic to the Basin and arm (yes I know its the last few miles of the main rather than a branch) but also the boats them selves were alos nice to see about.    I particular liked the layout on NB Calder Valley, which was Semi Trad but also managed to have a small enclosed "master" cabin down aft too.   A neat design, not sure if it would work on a boat for more long term living mind you.

 

  

[Lily Rose]

On 29/10/2019 at 21:42, Richard T said:

We hired from Valley Cruisers once many many years ago it was a two berth boat called Elan Valley - it was a strange and not very practicable layout. And the engine was governed such that it would only go about 2 1/2mph. Never went back. Having said that the boats were always well turned out and the livery was distinctive.

Apart from a day boat a few months earlier, a week on Elan Valley was our first narrow boat experience too. It was September 2011 and we did Springwood Haven to Snarestone then down the Oxford about 5 or 6 miles and then back up to Atherstone. I don't remember it being particularly slow but I wasn't too keen on the layout. A huge covered catch area for such a short boat leaving the inside very cramped.

 

Nevertheless it got us into narrow boating so it can't have been too bad.

 

[cuthound]

Just seen Hope Valley speed past. 

[Ray T]

42 minutes ago, cuthound said:

Just seen Hope Valley speed past. 

"Hope" this isn't too off topic. 

Many years ago Tom Foxon set himself up with long distance carrying in a boat he named "New Hope."

 

 

Picture from here: http://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/bw197.2.24.5

[FredDrift]

Our first ever narrowboat holiday was on Taw Valley out of Springwood Haven.  If I remember correctly it was a 48/49 ft semi trad and we were surprised at just how smart and well appointed it was.  
 

We enjoyed the boat and our holiday enormously but for reasons quite unknown, and despite quite a number of years of three or four hires per year, we never hired from Valley again.

 

These days, I think hire company’s are pricing themselves out the holiday market.  Hopefully the staff of Valley will get some sort of pay / redundancy settlement and go on to find new employment opportunities.

[Mike Todd]

Our first hire was in 1967, for our honeymoon(!), from Canal Cruising in Stone. They, like us, are still in operation - are there any longer standing?

[cuthound]

21 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

Our first hire was in 1967, for our honeymoon(!), from Canal Cruising in Stone. They, like us, are still in operation - are there any longer standing?

 

I don't think so. According to their webpage they have been operating for 71 years.

 

https://www.canalcruising.co.uk/

[matty40s]

Chas Hardern must be about 143 years old now he's been hiring since the canals were built....

[Captain Pegg]

34 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Chas Hardern must be about 143 years old now he's been hiring since the canals were built....

The current company is only 14 years old whereas Canal Cruising in Stone is continuous since 1948 and Wyvern Shipping since 1954.

 

JP

[matty40s]

I remember hiring from Chas Hardern in 1982 or 3.