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Historic Canal Film


Tim Lewis

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Seem to have missed out on at least a fortnight of the Forum and am catching up slowly. I agree with Archie that the photo is the 'other' Tony Miles. I believe when Grace was broken up the knees and stem post were incorporated into a new build so are still around. Wooden boats do not like being lifted out of the water!

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11 hours ago, zenataomm said:

 

I've not heard of that, what is/was it?

A project by Coventry City Council's Education Department primarily to give the city's schoolchildren holidays on the waterways. They used the boats 'Dresden Lady' and 'Dove of Belgrade' (both approx. 65' and built by Hancock and Lane in about 1975). The project was based at Canal House, Drapers Fields (the big Victorian house next to  bridge 1 at Coventry canal basin), and some of the rooms there were also used as classrooms to be used by schoolchildren for canal based projects/lessons. The project started about 1975 - I think it finished in about 1990, but I can't be certain about that. I helped with the boats briefly in 1981 and some of the people involved at the time were Tony Miles, Baz Slowen, Andy Boucher and Barry Skinner.

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4 hours ago, John Brightley said:

A project by Coventry City Council's Education Department primarily to give the city's schoolchildren holidays on the waterways. They used the boats 'Dresden Lady' and 'Dove of Belgrade' (both approx. 65' and built by Hancock and Lane in about 1975). The project was based at Canal House, Drapers Fields (the big Victorian house next to  bridge 1 at Coventry canal basin), and some of the rooms there were also used as classrooms to be used by schoolchildren for canal based projects/lessons. The project started about 1975 - I think it finished in about 1990, but I can't be certain about that. I helped with the boats briefly in 1981 and some of the people involved at the time were Tony Miles, Baz Slowen, Andy Boucher and Barry Skinner.

It finished Easter 1997

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
On 06/07/2021 at 08:13, John Brightley said:

A project by Coventry City Council's Education Department primarily to give the city's schoolchildren holidays on the waterways. They used the boats 'Dresden Lady' and 'Dove of Belgrade' (both approx. 65' and built by Hancock and Lane in about 1975). The project was based at Canal House, Drapers Fields (the big Victorian house next to  bridge 1 at Coventry canal basin), and some of the rooms there were also used as classrooms to be used by schoolchildren for canal based projects/lessons. The project started about 1975 - I think it finished in about 1990, but I can't be certain about that. I helped with the boats briefly in 1981 and some of the people involved at the time were Tony Miles, Baz Slowen, Andy Boucher and Barry Skinner.

I've just come across a photo of the Dresden Lady in the Bert Dunkley collection - here: https://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/bw197.2.20.15

v0_web.jpg.24c3837a765456e9c25dc70ae26a91a5.jpg

 

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Just watching "Take Me High" on Talking Pictures TV (FV channel 81),  a 1973 Cliff Richard film I had never heard of,  set around the Birmingham canals. Cliff converts a working narrowboat to a live-aboard, and is seen driving a small hovercraft on the canal underneath spaghetti junction while a business rival is stuck in his broken-down car in a traffic jam on the flyover above.The  plot is a bit corny but some nice views of the canals.

Edited by Ronaldo47
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Yes, although the hovercraft is really on the river Rea which runs underneath the canal at Spaghetti Jct. Mostly filmed around Gas St and we were nearly thrown out of the cinema in Staines because we burst out laughing every time there was a change of direction. For example, Cliff is seen heading off towards Smethwick and the next scene shows him near Hockley Heath. My childhood next door neighbour felled the tree that supposedly fell in front of the Landrover in the woodland scene. The Brumburger Restaurant was the church hall of the demolished church that stood on top of the Broad Street Bridge/Tunnel.

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1 hour ago, Ronaldo47 said:

Just watching "Take Me High" on Talking Pictures TV (FV channel 81),  a 1973 Cliff Richard film I had never heard of,  set around the Birmingham canals. Cliff converts a working narrowboat to a live-aboard, and is seen driving a small hovercraft on the canal underneath spaghetti junction while a business rival is stuck in his broken-down car in a traffic jam on the flyover above.The  plot is a bit corny but some nice views of the canals.

 

Extracts can be seen here:

 

Cliff Richard - Hover (Instrumental) - YouTube

 

Cliff Richard - Life - YouTube

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  • 4 months later...
25 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Going to Youtube to see Andy Tidy's latest production this came up as recommended for me, I don't suspect it ever went far with a front door like that.  

 

Interesting to see that again.

 

I am pretty sure the man with glasses and beard is Philip Dresman who founded Floating Homes with John Frawlaw as the financial backing. I visited Philip c.2000. He was not in good health, but was happy to chat about the boats and conversion. I also had a fairly long conversation with his ex-wife. This was part of tracking down what if any history there was relating to GUCCC Hagley which I co-owned at the time and is, so far as I am aware, the only one of the houseboats to be restored.

 

Alec

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Not quite sure what is being portraid there. The jumpy flickering is just a modern overlay on recent horse boating reconstruction with the Horseboat Society. Nothing 'old' about it film wise. I doubt there were many mobility scooters and mobile phones on belts in the late 19thC or early 20thC.

 

The Basingstoke floating homes lasted quite a while. Some images I took in the early eighties.

 

2083669605_BasingstokecanalGen172(Medium).jpg.6476e7e31e8ee610c2350be3cb8fc499.jpg

Basingstoke canal Gen 178 (Medium).jpg

Basingstoke Gen 176 (Medium).jpg

Basingstoke Gen 177 (Medium).jpg

Basingstoke Gen 180 (Medium).jpg

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1 minute ago, Derek R. said:

Not quite sure what is being portraid there. The jumpy flickering is just a modern overlay on recent horse boating reconstruction with the Horseboat Society. Nothing 'old' about it film wise. I doubt there were many mobility scooters and mobile phones on belts in the late 19thC or early 20thC.

 

The Basingstoke floating homes lasted quite a while. Some images I took in the early eighties.

 

2083669605_BasingstokecanalGen172(Medium).jpg.6476e7e31e8ee610c2350be3cb8fc499.jpg

Basingstoke canal Gen 178 (Medium).jpg

 

When I went up there some of the hulls were wrapped in plastic sheeting to keep them afloat or the water out

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That is correct. The ADELINA was one such. This boat featured in a story book, but I cannot now find a reference.

 

There's batoning just above the water line holding the plastic sheeting in place.

It was a very tranquil back then.

 

1160399596_ADELINAWByfleet82Gen122(Medium).jpg.a0d2f029b943f84f94af05f245a001e7.jpg

ADELINA W Byfleet 82 Gen 173.jpg

Edited by Derek R.
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Old Ricky boats. 

 

There was one of the floating homes on the GU just past fisheries lock going north for years. Offside after the bridge. Boat called Jester. 

 

I recall the location as used to stop there on the towpath quite regularly around 2005. 

 

I always thought it was a wide beam but it was just the way they had done the cabin made it look wide, plus perhaps the hull had spread a bit as well. Bilge pump going off regularly.

 

Not been there since 2009 so don't know if it's still there. 

Edited by magnetman
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33 minutes ago, Derek R. said:

That is correct. The ADELINA was one such. This boat featured in a story book, but I cannot now find a reference.

 

There's batoning just above the water line holding the plastic sheeting in place.

It was a very tranquil back then.

 

1160399596_ADELINAWByfleet82Gen122(Medium).jpg.a0d2f029b943f84f94af05f245a001e7.jpg

ADELINA W Byfleet 82 Gen 173.jpg

 

 

Stella & Rose's Books : ADELINA OR THE CANAL MEMOIRS OF A COAL WASHING MAN Written By D.W. Horsfall, STOCK CODE: 2121109 (stellabooks.com)

1 minute ago, Tim Lewis said:

 

Tis an excellent read. The last chapter is about exploring the underground canals at Worsley

 

1 minute ago, Tim Lewis said:

 

 

Edited by Tim Lewis
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9 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Going to Youtube to see Andy Tidy's latest production this came up as recommended for me, I don't suspect it ever went far with a front door like that.  

 

 

There is also an out takes version:

 

Out Takes / Cuts From Cp 320 - New Barges For Old - British Pathé (britishpathe.com)

 

Edited by Tim Lewis
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2 hours ago, Derek R. said:

Thanks for the book link Tim. I have a recollection of it being online to read. Might be a sign of 'age' though . . .

 

Those outakes make the craft look quite homely.

 

The book used to be able to be read online on the Basingstoke Canal Society web site but it, and most of the useful information on the site, has disappeared from the updated site.

Edited by Tim Lewis
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I've been watching these films over the evenings and there is a lot to see - tantalisingly almost identifiable boats in most cases!

 

There is one in particular which I am intrigued by. In this film at 14.05 is a narrow beam tug operating near Southall in London. Anyone able to shed any light on what it might be? Its cabin roof profile and general external appearance are surprisingly similar to Oates!


Alec

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUIhtcNr4vQ

 

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