1985

[MPR]

I recently acquired a 1985 Staffs & Worcs guide published by Waterways World.

How many of these hire bases do you remember or have even patronised?

Anglo Welsh Great Haywood

Teddesley Boat Company Park Gate Lock

Bijou Line Penkridge Wharf

Gregory’s Canal Cruisers Autherley Junction

Double Pennant Newbridge

Mermaid Hire Cruisers Wightwick

Stroudwater Cruisers Stourport

Dartline Cruisers Stourport

Severn Valley Cruisers Stourport

[ditchcrawler]

Our first hire was from Bijou Line

[IanD]

We hired from Gregory's Canal Cruisers once. Worst boat ever, broke down on the first day and then regularly for the rest of the week... 😞

Edited October 21, 2022 by IanD

[Chris Lowe]

I remember most of those and used Anglo Welsh Great Haywood several times

[cuthound]

Hired from Teddesley a few of times.

 

Run by Peter & Linda Millward until.Petwr's untimely death and Linda for many years after that.

 

Nice people with nice boats. Theirs were the first semi-trads I recall seeing.

[dixi188]

Used AW at Great Haywood this year with some friends.

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, IanD said:

We hired from Gregory's Canal Cruisers once. Worst boat ever, broke down on the first day and then regularly for the rest of the week... 😞

The University Canal Club hired from Gregory's Canal Cruisers, as it was the cheapest boat for eleven impecunious students we could find. First week of the University Easter break, and before the school holidays (when the prices would be higher), and supposedly the week when all the winter stoppages had finished, but most had overrun so we had to modify our route several times. 

We set off on the Saturday afternoon in freezing sleet conditions and a few hours later we were all sodden and frozen. The single catalytic gas heater on board couldn't even dry a single glove! Thank heavens for the pub!

[John Brightley]

I remember all of them. Most lasted quite a long time except for Stroudwater. The sign for Mermaid Hire Cruisers is still on their building at Wightwick even though they haven't hired out boats for about 30 years !

[MPR]

On 21/10/2022 at 17:11, ditchcrawler said:

Our first hire was from Bijou Line

What year was that?

Our first hire was in 1976 from Tillerman (?Shipping Company?) Upton on Severn .  An 8 berth 40 foot Springer.

[ditchcrawler]

5 minutes ago, MPR said:

What year was that?

Our first hire was in 1976 from Tillerman (?Shipping Company?) Upton on Severn .  An 8 berth 40 foot Springer.

We shouldn't have gone from Penkridge, we should have gone from  Dunhampsted, but they said the boat was bust and had arranged one from Penkridge for us. It was in the 80s

[Stroudwater1]

Dateline (Dartline with spell checker off 🤣) were based elsewhere up the Shroppie (Possibly Beeston ?) they ran for many years up there. They took on Canal pleasurecrafts base above York Street Lock in Stourport. They used Holt Abbots fleet for a short while.
 

Most of Dartline  fleet were mostly Blue White and a small amount of  red, for quite some years with GRP tops. 

 

Anglo Welsh are still going at Great Haywood. I believe  Double Pennant used GRP boats? 

Edited October 23, 2022 by Stroudwater1

[Hotspur]

I hired from Bijou Line in Penkridge circa 1980 and still have and use one of their souvenir mugs.

Edited October 23, 2022 by Hotspur
ETA image

[Mike Todd]

2 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Dateline (Dartline with spell checker off 🤣) were based elsewhere up the Shroppie (Possibly Beeston ?) they ran for many years up there. They took on Canal pleasurecrafts base above York Street Lock in Stourport. They used Holt Abbots fleet for a short while.
 

Most of Dartline  fleet were mostly Blue White and a small amount of  red, for quite some years with GRP tops. 

 

Anglo Welsh are still going at Great Haywood. I believe  Double Pennant used GRP boats? 

and 20 other places as well

[David Mack]

4 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Dateline (Dartline with spell checker off 🤣) were based elsewhere up the Shroppie (Possibly Beeston ?)

Bunbury.

[Heartland]

Bijou Line for me as well will colleagues from British Rail.

[pearley]

Remember most of them but AW at Great Haywood the only one we hired from. The second worst boat we hired.

[IanD]

1 hour ago, pearley said:

Remember most of them but AW at Great Haywood the only one we hired from. The second worst boat we hired.

Ooh, go on, do tell -- what was the worst one? 😉

[pearley]

2 hours ago, IanD said:

Ooh, go on, do tell -- what was the worst one? 😉

Coles Morton Marine from Wigan.