Blakes International Holidays Afloat brochure 1975

[BilgePump]

1 hour ago, Halsey said:

 

I was saying to SWMBO over a glass two yesterday - just think how different our world would be were it not for 4 young Americans (there's a song title in there somewhere) Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg!

 

So much part of life now but lockdown makes you wonder do we really need any of it ..............we value our local greengrocer and local butcher far more ..............

The 'net and web are brilliant in concept and a connection is the one and only bit of tech I couldn't do without. Could do without a fridge freezer and central heating at home (as do on a boat) but an enormous online library and audio-visual communication window on the world feels pretty much essential now, no matter where I may be. Thankfully we don't have to rely on the afore mentioned billionaires and their tat-slinging online bazaars, privacy robbing sites or rip-off software for the internet itself and the gamechanging HTTP web protocol (which Tim Berners Lee, a Brit at CERN implemented and opened up to all, without charge, without interference). Sadly, the advent of all this connectedness was supposed to open up education to the world, level the global playing field and reduce our demands on the planet, but what the population was sold was a Keeping up with the Beckhams, Instagram ready house and cloud connected hairdrier lifestyle. Why the f$%k? Bringing it back to boats and simplicity, one could have a small GRP cruiser, a cheap Android phone and five dozen books from the charity shop for less than a new Apple iPhone and Amazon Kindle. I know which ones my money would be on still being useful in ten years time, yep the old boat and books!

[magpie patrick]

2 hours ago, Halsey said:

 

I was saying to SWMBO over a glass two yesterday - just think how different our world would be were it not for 4 young Americans (there's a song title in there somewhere) Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg!

 

So much part of life now but lockdown makes you wonder do we really need any of it ..............we value our local greengrocer and local butcher far more ..............

I haven't needed Mr Bezos - I don't use Apple but I realise Steve Jobs pushed the envelope for IT to be where it is

 

I'm using the local greengrocer and butcher even in lockdown  

 

 

16 minutes ago, BilgePump said:

one could have a small GRP cruiser, a cheap Android phone and five dozen books from the charity shop for less than a new Apple iPhone and Amazon Kindle. I know which ones my money would be on still being useful in ten years time, yep the old boat and books!

Agree except five dozen books would make Juno list a bit!  

 

The internet is a huge asset when used in a benign or benevolent manner 

[Derek R.]

Well, I could expand upon those names and their associations, but this will not be the place to do so.

 

The lockdown is not protective, it is destructive. Ditto the above.

[John Brightley]

6 hours ago, Halsey said:

 

Maidboats at Brinklow? were always my favourite hire fleet craft and they lasted well - saw one about 10yrs ago but not since..........

Yes, where Rose Narrowboats are now. Maidboats were the Rolls-Royce of hire boats in the 60's and early '70's.

[Paddle]

22 hours ago, Derek R. said:

Well, I could expand upon those names and their associations, but this will not be the place to do so.

 

The lockdown is not protective, it is destructive. Ditto the above.

Destructive doesn't even begin. Murderous. Politicians will have blood on their hands for decades to come as a result of the lockdown.

[Captain Pegg]

12 minutes ago, Paddle said:

Destructive doesn't even begin. Murderous. Politicians will have blood on their hands for decades to come as a result of the lockdown.

Please stop polluting boating threads with radical politic remarks.

 

JP

[Athy]

An extraordinary statement indeed, but to be fair to Paddle, he was answering someone else's post. That's enough politics, thank you.

[Chris Lowe]

Been trying to remember the name of the hire company I used in Burton in the 70's and a photo on Google Earth answered that for me, Jannel Cruisers in Shobnall marina but did I get the boat via Blakes or Hoseasons hmmm.

 

[John Brightley]

19 minutes ago, buccaneer66 said:

Been trying to remember the name of the hire company I used in Burton in the 70's and a photo on Google Earth answered that for me, Jannel Cruisers in Shobnall marina but did I get the boat via Blakes or Hoseasons hmmm.

 Jannel Cruisers were using the Blakes agency in 1975,1978 and 1979, so probably Blakes !

[Chris Lowe]

9 minutes ago, John Brightley said:

Jannel Cruisers were using the Blakes agency in 1975,1978 and 1979, so probably Blakes !

I just noticed the Jannel Iroqouis class what I hired from them was similar design but smaller and Yanmar diesel powered.

[Derek R.]

4 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Please stop polluting boating threads with radical politic remarks.

 

JP

Just like the canal, life is currently polluted. It's not something I will continue with here, other than to say Paddle has a PM. ?

 

On topic - I have never hired any boat other than a paddle boat on a childrens lake (Alexandra Palace early mid 1950's), so have nothing to add.

Edited April 22, 2020 by Derek R.

[Paddle]

Apologies for pollution, as unemployment heads back to 1975 levels so will living standards and life expectancy (murderous might have been a bit melodramatic). The 1975 hire brochure was showing a bright new future back then.

[Nightwatch]

7 hours ago, buccaneer66 said:

I just noticed the Jannel Iroqouis class what I hired from them was similar design but smaller and Yanmar diesel powered.

A friend of mine now owns Seneca. Got a lister engine as per the picture in the earlier ad.

[Captain Pegg]

On 21/04/2020 at 13:07, John Brightley said:

Yes, where Rose Narrowboats are now. Maidboats were the Rolls-Royce of hire boats in the 60's and early '70's.

That’s made me feel younger. I probably first visited Stretton (Brinklow) for a walk down the canal earlier than I generally have memories but I can’t remember anything other than Rose there. Although I’m sure that first visit would have been before the brochure above.

 

The family that lived directly opposite and one house up the road from us used to hire from Rose. I’m not entirely sure why for our first trip we drove from Longford to Napton and then proceeded to return to Longford by boat. It did allow us to pick up Granny for a boat trip to Coventry basin and back though. I recall it was a non-standard hire period so that could have been why.

 

JP

Edited April 22, 2020 by Captain Pegg

[Chris Lowe]

When I hired that Jannel Cruiser with the Yanmar engine it proved very unreliable, I was having terrible trouble starting it one frosty morning until ma friendly boater came along and told me to hold a lite cigarette lighter in the air intake, in soon started.