Popular Post dave moore Posted October 3, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 I hung around Gas St in the 60s, helping out with the newly formed Birmingham & Midland carrying Co. One evening I was in the cabin of Ash with Eddie Hambridge and Dave Hogg. Things were not always going well for the company and consequently their boatmen. We put the following together, a parody of “ Bloody Orkney “ a song composed by a disgruntled soldier from WW2. I’ve just discovered it in an old notebook... The bloody pay is bloody bad The bloody boss is bloody mad It makes the brightest bloody sad In bloody Gas Street. The bloody folks are bloody poor They throw their crap out on the shore We’ll slide about for evermore In bloody Gas Street. The bloody water’s full of muck And Waterways don’t give a fuck There ain’t enough to float a duck In bloody Gas Street. The bloody gaffer’s on the drink Goes down him like a bloody sink Bank statements they are all dark pink In bloody Gas Street No bloody cash, they’ve stopped the dole We’ll starve to death in this dark hole We’ve burnt up all our bloody coal In bloody Gas Street. No bloody sun, no bloody sky The stench is getting somewhat high We’ll rot here till we bloody die In bloody Gas Street. 11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerbeerbeerbeerbeer Posted October 3, 2020 Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 I guess John Cooper Clarke got his Beasley Street from the same source ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWM Posted October 3, 2020 Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 4 minutes ago, Goliath said: I guess John Cooper Clarke got his Beasley Street from the same source ? Evidently chicken town, not Beasley street. The bloody cops are bloody keenTo bloody keep it bloody cleanThe bloody chief's a bloody swineWho bloody draws a bloody lineAt bloody fun and bloody gamesThe bloody kids he bloody blamesAre nowehere to be bloody foundAnywhere in chicken town The bloody scene is bloody sadThe bloody news is bloody badThe bloody weed is bloody turfThe bloody speed is bloody surfThe bloody folks are bloody daftDon't make me bloody laughIt bloody hurts to look aroundEverywhere in chicken townThe bloody train is bloody lateYou bloody wait you bloody waitYou're bloody lost and bloody foundStuck in fucking chicken town The bloody view is bloody vileFor bloody miles and bloody milesThe bloody babies bloody cryThe bloody flowers bloody dieThe bloody food is bloody muckThe bloody drains are bloody fuckedThe colour scheme is bloody brownEverywhere in chicken town The bloody pubs are bloody dullThe bloody clubs are bloody fullOf bloody girls and bloody guysWith bloody murder in their eyesA bloody bloke is bloody stabbedWaiting for a bloody cabYou bloody stay at bloody homeThe bloody neighbors bloody moanKeep the bloody racket downThis is bloody chicken town The bloody pies are bloody oldThe bloody chips are bloody coldThe bloody beer is bloody flatThe bloody flats have bloody ratsThe bloody clocks are bloody wrongThe bloody days are bloody longIt bloody gets you bloody downEvidently chicken townThe bloody train is bloody lateYou bloody wait you bloody waitYou're bloody lost and bloody foundStuck in fucking chicken town Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerbeerbeerbeerbeer Posted October 4, 2020 Report Share Posted October 4, 2020 Of course it is, ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartland Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 I would think Gas Street was a bit different in those days and Graham was getting the business into shape, it was a hidden place in those days with former warehouses on one side and old canal buildings on the other. There was enough inspiration for Night Clubs, though and Broad Street had a longer tunnel. I wonder if the gates were still on the Bar Lock then. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Heartland said: I would think Gas Street was a bit different in those days and Graham was getting the business into shape, it was a hidden place in those days with former warehouses on one side and old canal buildings on the other. There was enough inspiration for Night Clubs, though and Broad Street had a longer tunnel. I wonder if the gates were still on the Bar Lock then. What's the date of that picture? By the time I knew Gas Street in the early 70s the warehouse in the background was painted white and the bar was lined with boats, including BMCC craft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave moore Posted October 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 Like David, I don’t recall Gas St as quite so empty, I first knew it from the mid 60s. I think the gates were still in place, no balance beams though, access to the bar from the towpath was originally a plank on a pivot on the bar side, later replaced with a pivoting and counterbalanced swingbridge with handrails. Broad Street Tunnel was about twice as long as today, the church above still standing. What is now Regency Wharf was then the Rum Runner nightclub’s rear exit, while the Opposite Lock, another, was in the old stables. My friend Jim Marshall causes consternation there when he turned up, with horse, demanding stabling! Later in the 60s private craft mingled with the BMCCC fleet, the Mintons, Peter and Paula White on Calstock ( he went on to become BW’s chief architect ) and Mr Royle on the then converted Cassiopeia. On the other side, among the fleet was a very tired Joey, home to brothers Phil and Tony Cochran. Strangely, I met up with Tony in Sydney in 1977, though it took a while for the connection to re-surface. Happy days.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pluto Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 Taken from Andy Millward's roof in 1970. How many can you recognise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archie57 Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Pluto said: Taken from Andy Millward's roof in 1970. How many can you recognise? Is that the "Chertsey" between the "Cypress" and the "Tay"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave moore Posted October 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 I was away by 1970, but I think that Calstock is on the other side of the bar, to the right. I remember the windows in the conversion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Brightley Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, dave moore said: I was away by 1970, but I think that Calstock is on the other side of the bar, to the right. I remember the windows in the conversion. Hi Dave. This film https://www.macearchive.org/films/atv-today-05051967-gas-street-basin from 1967 features Peter and Calstock - it's not the same as the boat on the right of the photo above, though it is approximately the same mooring. I wonder what happened to Calstock ? Edit: the green and red painted boat at the bottom of the photo above is KUBINA - identified by the distinctive overhang to the front cabin roof. Edited October 5, 2020 by John Brightley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Schweizer Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 5 hours ago, dave moore said: Like David, I don’t recall Gas St as quite so empty, I first knew it from the mid 60s. I think the gates were still in place, no balance beams though, access to the bar from the towpath was originally a plank on a pivot on the bar side, later replaced with a pivoting and counterbalanced swingbridge with handrails. Broad Street Tunnel was about twice as long as today, the church above still standing. What is now Regency Wharf was then the Rum Runner nightclub’s rear exit, while the Opposite Lock, another, was in the old stables. My friend Jim Marshall causes consternation there when he turned up, with horse, demanding stabling! Later in the 60s private craft mingled with the BMCCC fleet, the Mintons, Peter and Paula White on Calstock ( he went on to become BW’s chief architect ) and Mr Royle on the then converted Cassiopeia. On the other side, among the fleet was a very tired Joey, home to brothers Phil and Tony Cochran. Strangely, I met up with Tony in Sydney in 1977, though it took a while for the connection to re-surface. Happy days.... We spent one lunch time in the Opposite Lock in 1969 whilst we were at the IWA rally/, From recollection the club had a sports car theme, however, my main memory was chatting with Ian Campbell the folk singer, who was expounding his views on the perfoming capabilities of some other (albeit un named) Folk singers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartland Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 The image of Gas Street is in the Waterways Archive, although I did see it some years previous at Gloucester The date is 1959 and is ref BW 197-2-13-5 It is useful for showing the buildings at the end of the branch. By the time of 1961 when this image was taken, the former glassworks buildings had been demolished. The ref is BW 200/1/10/65 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckbyLocks Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 15 hours ago, archie57 said: Is that the "Chertsey" between the "Cypress" and the "Tay"? My first thought was 'Hyperion', but we didn't appear there until after this was taken. Someone will know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHutch Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 Some excellent memories and photos. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Schweizer Posted October 9, 2020 Report Share Posted October 9, 2020 On 06/10/2020 at 12:08, Heartland said: The image of Gas Street is in the Waterways Archive, although I did see it some years previous at Gloucester The date is 1959 and is ref BW 197-2-13-5 It is useful for showing the buildings at the end of the branch. By the time of 1961 when this image was taken, the former glassworks buildings had been demolished. The ref is BW 200/1/10/65 Does the photo informtion give the name of the water bus? Allthough it's detail is not clear, it looks as if it could well be Water Sprite (Pisces) which I know operated in Birmingham in the late 1960's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dav and Pen Posted October 9, 2020 Report Share Posted October 9, 2020 I can’t be sure of the date but late 60s or early 70s but I stand corrected 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckbyLocks Posted October 9, 2020 Report Share Posted October 9, 2020 3 hours ago, Dav and Pen said: I can’t be sure of the date but late 60s or early 70s but I stand corrected Mid 70s because the buildings on the right were demolished by 77 and I didn't moor on that side of the Bar until 74 after the trip to London. I can see Bodmin, Otley, Victoria and, I think Bognor, but not sure of any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Nicoll Posted October 10, 2020 Report Share Posted October 10, 2020 22 hours ago, BuckbyLocks said: Mid 70s because the buildings on the right were demolished by 77 and I didn't moor on that side of the Bar until 74 after the trip to London. I can see Bodmin, Otley, Victoria and, I think Bognor, but not sure of any more. I cannot be 100% but it is a good chance that of the row of bows together boats 7 & 8 from left could be Hawkesbury & Sirius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckbyLocks Posted October 10, 2020 Report Share Posted October 10, 2020 8 from left Is Victoria. Hawkesbury and Sirius were normally on the other side of the Bar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dav and Pen Posted October 10, 2020 Report Share Posted October 10, 2020 On 09/10/2020 at 15:45, BuckbyLocks said: Mid 70s because the buildings on the right were demolished by 77 and I didn't moor on that side of the Bar until 74 after the trip to London. I can see Bodmin, Otley, Victoria and, I think Bognor, but not sure of any more. Thanks for the information, I transferred this and other photos from 35mm slides. The Agfa ones don’t have any dates but I think 1974 just before we brought Tadworth as we didn’t go to Brum on her until much later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartland Posted October 10, 2020 Report Share Posted October 10, 2020 Mid 1970's that was when the New Rep Theatre was built- that is the white building with distinctive windows and 1974 would be about right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Schweizer Posted October 10, 2020 Report Share Posted October 10, 2020 3 hours ago, Heartland said: Mid 1970's that was when the New Rep Theatre was built- that is the white building with distinctive windows and 1974 would be about right. A it earlier than that. It was there in Broad Street when I moved to Birmingham in September 1971. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted October 10, 2020 Report Share Posted October 10, 2020 (edited) 49 minutes ago, David Schweizer said: A it earlier than that. It was there in Broad Street when I moved to Birmingham in September 1971. Yup. The New Rep opened in 1971 (so the building might have been visible from the basin a little before that). Edited October 10, 2020 by David Mack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartland Posted October 11, 2020 Report Share Posted October 11, 2020 (edited) I have a picture of the New Rep after it opened, but that does not mean that the Gas Street image was taken then. But then it would be from when the Rep was built through to when the warehouse on the right was demolished. There was a campaign to save that building and the other adjacent warehouses, but that campaign failed. Does anybody remember the details? Edited October 11, 2020 by Heartland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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