Paul H Posted March 26, 2020 Report Share Posted March 26, 2020 1 hour ago, Captain Pegg said: I took the person stood on the gunwale of the motor to be one of the boat crew and it isn’t obvious to me that it’s a man. JP I understand that with one or two of the Idle Women it was not obvious that they were women! ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWM Posted March 26, 2020 Report Share Posted March 26, 2020 17 minutes ago, Richard Carter said: I'd agree, there's something about the stance, and the jaunty angle of the cap, and she(?) is certainly not dressed like the men doing the unloading - the 'Idle Women' did use a lot of what was then normally considered men's clothing. The way she seems to be holding the attention of the other ladies it is possible she is a trainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Pegg Posted March 26, 2020 Report Share Posted March 26, 2020 (edited) 17 minutes ago, Paul H said: I understand that with one or two of the Idle Women it was not obvious that they were women! ? I’m not going to rise to it ? They arguably dressed more sensibly for the job than traditional boat women. I think in many of today’s workplaces there are less obvious distinctions between male and female staff. Today’s society doesn’t view that in the same way as in the 1940s. 10 minutes ago, BWM said: The way she seems to be holding the attention of the other ladies it is possible she is a trainer. The person on the butty seems to be looking in the direction of the photographer. JP Edited March 26, 2020 by Captain Pegg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete harrison Posted March 26, 2020 Report Share Posted March 26, 2020 (edited) 4 hours ago, alan_fincher said: Looks about right from my memories, but CALDY I have no idea about. I can certainly easily find pictures for BATH, BEXHILL, BILSTER, CAMBOURNE DARLEY & EDGWARE. It hadn't occurred to me before that three of those that went to Union Canal Carriers were without the guards, (BEXHILL, BILSTER and EDGWARE). So were there no Northwich "Towns" that didn't get them? It appears probably not? And buttys? The photographs I have referred to are period photographs, and I have found it quite challenging. I have good photographs of every extant G.U.C.C.Co. Ltd. narrow boat as I carried out a survey of what remains of this fleet during the 1990's - the problem with modern photographs being that they can represent a boat post restoration / modification where bits have been removed or added, and all sorts have happened to these boats over the years ! As for the other large Grand Unions that were not fitted with the extra guards: large Norhwich motors: OTLEY (currently has very long extra guards that are welded in position that were not there in 1970) OAKLEY PADDINGTON READING RENTON RUFFORD ? (currently has very long extra guards that appear to be rivetted in position = very different to all others) SHIRLEY SOUTHALL TADWORTH I believe that PINNER has had its extra guards removed as part of its recent restoration, and this might also be the case for LADYBANK ? large Woolwich buttys: BANBURY ? (currently has more square section extra guards = very different to all others) BARRHEAD BAWTRY BINGLEY ? (I do not think it has extra guards but hopefully its owner will comment on this - EDIT = yes it has got them so delete BINGLEY) I have no note for the three scrapped large Woolwich buttys, which is obviously an oversight on my behalf. I am sure others will correct some of the above but as said earlier this is a very difficult list to compile Edited March 26, 2020 by pete harrison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Priest Posted March 26, 2020 Report Share Posted March 26, 2020 14 minutes ago, pete harrison said: BINGLEY ? (I do not think it has extra guards but hopefully its owner will comment on this) Yes, it has 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard T Posted March 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2020 (edited) 7 hours ago, David Mack said: I wonder if the Leicester Mercury could provide a higher resolution copy of the picture in which the writing on the motor cabin side is legible. I will ask. Email sent requesting high res copy. I've also done some more digging about Gimsons. They had a saw mill on Sanvey Gate (there is a receipt for sale on ebay which gives that address) which is only about 100yards from the Pasture Lane wharf. This means that timber could arrive by boat and then be transferred to the mill for ripping to size planing etc. The boats are pointing south - the towpath for most of the way through Leicester is on the west bank - it changes from the east to west at Belgrave lock. The chimneys in the photo could easily be part of the dye and gas works which are visible on the map of the area. The boats could have arrived from the south and winded at Memory Lane wharf/arm which is just north of the location of the image. As an alternative they could have loaded somewhere on the Trent. Edited March 26, 2020 by Richard T Further info added Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard T Posted March 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2020 I have now received the hi res image from the Leicester Mercury. See below. I'm not certain if this helps or not. The image does remain of interest, Hopefully someone will now be able to further enhance it and read the lettering on the motor. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete harrison Posted March 27, 2020 Report Share Posted March 27, 2020 1 hour ago, Richard T said: I have now received the hi res image from the Leicester Mercury. See below. I'm not certain if this helps or not. The image does remain of interest, Hopefully someone will now be able to further enhance it and read the lettering on the motor. The motor looks to be lettered as British Waterways to my tired eyes, and possibly in Grand Union colours - like how CHERTSEY is currently painted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose Narrowboats Posted March 27, 2020 Report Share Posted March 27, 2020 So the cabin sign writing is curved, and has too many letters to be GUCCCo. I think I can see an "ER___S" on the side but I may have been staring at it for too long. The lining looks like GU wartime livery though, so how many boats were painted in that livery with but with British Waterways on the side? I think the captain is in the hold looking at the camera, his wife is in the butty hatch, daughter on the motor and younger son(?) on the gunwale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddle Posted March 27, 2020 Report Share Posted March 27, 2020 I think I agree with the ER...S. I've had a bit of play with it, but I don't know if it's making it worse... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_fincher Posted March 27, 2020 Report Share Posted March 27, 2020 33 minutes ago, Rose Narrowboats said: So the cabin sign writing is curved, and has too many letters to be GUCCCo. Well I can't work it out. Lettering apart, it does appear to be painted in the GUCCCo wartime scheme. If it were lettered as such, would it not alo have the "Ltd", i.e. G.U.C.C.CO.LTD. (with the O of CO and the TD of LTD reduced in size, but still capitals)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted March 27, 2020 Report Share Posted March 27, 2020 Hard to tell, but it looks more like "WATERWAYS" than "G. U. C. C. Co Ltd" to me. There is also the boat name written above the engine room porthole, but no chance of deciphering it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dangereaux Posted March 27, 2020 Report Share Posted March 27, 2020 (edited) I know Seymour Roseblade, along with Birmingham & Midland and Willow Wren did some timber runs from Boston & Wisbech (later transhipped from barges at Newarke) in the early 60's. They delivered to Gimsons at Bede Island (where the rowing club is now) and also to Scotts Timber just below North lock, where this picture was taken. I think it's 1940's. Scotts must have taken over Gimsons yard. Here's a Leicester Mercury photo from 1965: Edited March 27, 2020 by Dangereaux grammar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry adams Posted March 27, 2020 Report Share Posted March 27, 2020 (edited) Engine room looks to have lift up hatches instead of slides. Have opened the original photo in photoshop to enlarge it as much as possible. Motor name looks to be six or seven letters. Motor fore end hatch cover is possible checkerplate and only curves a little bit over the underneath upstand. Edited March 27, 2020 by barry adams More information Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWM Posted March 28, 2020 Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 9 hours ago, barry adams said: Engine room looks to have lift up hatches instead of slides. Have opened the original photo in photoshop to enlarge it as much as possible. Motor name looks to be six or seven letters. Motor fore end hatch cover is possible checkerplate and only curves a little bit over the underneath upstand. Scuttle hatch is standard Woolwich (probably kicks up in one corner!) and can't see anything different with the slides, what makes you think that they lift? I keep looking at the name and wonder if it says Bath? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete harrison Posted March 28, 2020 Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 29 minutes ago, BWM said: Scuttle hatch is standard Woolwich (probably kicks up in one corner!) and can't see anything different with the slides, what makes you think that they lift? I keep looking at the name and wonder if it says Bath? But I keep looking at the name and wonder if it says CHERTSEY ? - which would be too coincidental as CHERTSEY is painted in the Grand Union / British Waterways livery. If this large Woolwich motor is in the Grand Union / British Waterways livery then it can not be BATH, as BATH was sold to the Flixborough Shipping Company in September 1946 - and as you say this is a completely standard large Woolwich motor, slides and all. It did initially cross my mind that this could have been a Flixborough Shipping Company pair but the lettering on the motor does not appear to fit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyperion 53 Posted March 28, 2020 Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 14 hours ago, Paddle said: I think I agree with the ER...S. I've had a bit of play with it, but I don't know if it's making it worse... Bilster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete harrison Posted March 28, 2020 Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 6 minutes ago, Hyperion 53 said: Bilster? Unlikely as BILSTER was sold to the Grand Union Canal Company in November 1945 for use as a maintenance boat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWM Posted March 28, 2020 Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 1 hour ago, pete harrison said: But I keep looking at the name and wonder if it says CHERTSEY ? - which would be too coincidental as CHERTSEY is painted in the Grand Union / British Waterways livery. If this large Woolwich motor is in the Grand Union / British Waterways livery then it can not be BATH, as BATH was sold to the Flixborough Shipping Company in September 1946 - and as you say this is a completely standard large Woolwich motor, slides and all. It did initially cross my mind that this could have been a Flixborough Shipping Company pair but the lettering on the motor does not appear to fit I can see what you mean about Chertsey being the name when i look again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry adams Posted March 28, 2020 Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, BWM said: Scuttle hatch is standard Woolwich (probably kicks up in one corner!) and can't see anything different with the slides, what makes you think that they lift? I keep looking at the name and wonder if it says Bath? Looking at the engine room with the magnification as high as possible before the photo pixalates. The tops of the slides / covers appear to be a lot higher than the capping strip across the front of the engine room. Edited March 28, 2020 by barry adams spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_fincher Posted March 28, 2020 Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 I still want to see the end of the word "WATERWAYS" on that cabin side, and agree with some that have suggested you might be able to see "ER__S". However I'm just not seeing enough space between the possible "ER" and the possible final "S" to fit in the "WAY" part. There isn't enough space for 2 letters, I suggest, let alone 3, and the "W" also consumes more space than most! That said, I can no more easily see anything that fits with G.U.C.C.CO.LTD, so a bit of a mystery really! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose Narrowboats Posted March 28, 2020 Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 (edited) I agree the lettering looks the right shape to Chertsey. Given the condition of the paintwork it's certainly not recent, so date to the early 50s? Does anyone know who had Chertsey then, and which butties she was paired with? That might rule her in our out. The engine room slides don't look unusual to me. Coincidentally there's a picture elsewhere on the forum of Chertsey (presumably as built) which shows the slides well. Edited March 28, 2020 by Rose Narrowboats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWM Posted March 28, 2020 Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 2 minutes ago, Rose Narrowboats said: I agree the lettering looks the right shape to Chertsey. Given the condition of the paintwork it's certainly not recent, so date to the early 50s? Does anyone know who had Chertsey then, and which butties she was paired with? That might rule her in our out. The engine room slides don't look unusual to me. Coincidentally there's a picture elsewhere on the forum of Chertsey (presumably as built) which shows the slides well. That must be early, still got funnel and recessed panels. From what i've seen the slides often grew in height with the addition of extra layers of wood (repairs?) and strips of wood for finger grips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna Posted March 28, 2020 Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 18/5/1960 from Braunston Lock Keepers log 130 Chertsey steerer Withey loaded to Apsley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWM Posted March 28, 2020 Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 2 minutes ago, Lorna said: 18/5/1960 from Braunston Lock Keepers log 130 Chertsey steerer Withey loaded to Apsley This information does not refer to the above picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Featured Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now