Alan Holden

[Pluto]

The many people who knew Alan Holden will be sad to hear that he died last Tuesday. The photo was taken in 2002, with Alan doing what he really enjoyed, talking about the L&LC. Here he is in Bootle, discussing the wartime stop planks fitted to reduce bomb damage.

[TheBiscuits]

Farewell Alan.

 

 

For those who never had the privilege of meeting our friend Alan, he was an international TV star before anyone had heard of Robbie ...

 

Hd version with English captions available.

 

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by TheBiscuits
Formatting.

[Derek R.]

What a fabulous film. Such a wide ranging view of life as it was, and as it changes.

Great character. R.I.P. Alan Holden.

[Pluto]

13 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

Farewell Alan.

 

 

For those who never had the privilege of meeting our friend Alan, he was an international TV star before anyone had heard of Robbie ...

 

Hd version with English captions available.

 

 

This is not the only German TV programme featuring Alan's boat. We did an earlier one for Bavarian TV after the hire boat they were offered did not materialise, the programme being called, if I remember correctly, 'Postcards from Britain'. 

[fanshaft]

On 03/03/2023 at 17:18, Pluto said:

The many people who knew Alan Holden will be sad to hear that he died last Tuesday. The photo was taken in 2002, with Alan doing what he really enjoyed, talking about the L&LC. Here he is in Bootle, discussing the wartime stop planks fitted to reduce bomb damage.

 

This is indeed sad news and apologies for the tardy response.  I first met Alan around 1971 when he was, with Geoff Wheat and Chris Oatway, involved in setting up a new carrying company (Northern Counties Carriers Ltd)  to operate principally on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.  The plan was to acquire L&L short boats as they became available in order to keep them in traffic - knowing that the coal traffics would be ceasing in 1972 .  Eventually the company purchased Irwell, to be joined by Weaver (Derek Bent) and Wye (Apollo Canal Carriers Ltd - myself), thus forming a small fleet.  Geoff Wheat bought Frank and  Lune independently, but these boats were used only for camping trips (joined by the others as needed).  Early cargoes included pipes and grain.  Alan was to be the senior boat captain and provide expert advice on navigation.  He'd often hitched a ride on the short boats while at school, and on leaving school he joined British Waterways as a mate on one of the short boats in the NW Division (northern) fleet around 1963.  For some reason this didn't last long, leaving before the fleet was dispersed in 1964,  and he then joined the 'Duker' fleet operated by Bridgewater Transport Services but again left before the fleet was sold off following the loss of the grain traffic to Kelloggs.  He did a few trips as captain of Irwell or Wye and had various jobs but eventually became  unable to work due to health issues so he had the famous replica narrow beam short boat built and cruised the system extensively, often single handed. He was a fount of knowledge on short boats and their operation and so it was no surprise that he set up a specialist group which was to become the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society in which he involved himself for some years - including the acquisition and operation of short boat 'Kennet'.       

Edited March 15, 2023 by fanshaft