nb Goldberry

[brassman]

I have been reading the posts on CWDF for many years but no longer having a boat and my involvement with the canals being confined to towpath walks nowadays I have not felt qualified to contribute. My interest in canals however dates back to my first canal holiday with my parents in 1967 when my mum had the inspiration to hire "Maureen" from Deans at Christleton. That holiday and many subsequent adventures led my parents to buy Goldberry. She was 46ft and had a green fibreglass moulded top on a Shropshire Union or Dartline hull.  Powered by a Lister SR3, she had been bought and partially fitted out by an airline pilot in the early 70's but not finished and my dad and I finished the interior between us over many happy weekends. She was used by the family and friends until my parents became too old and my busy life with a heavy job and children meant she had to be sold, probably around 1990.   

A walk along the towpath near Shrewley yesterday in the beautiful evening sunshine sent me reminiscing and I wonder if Goldbery still exists. There are so many happy memories. She was moored at Napton bottom lock and I remember the local lengthsman, Esme Dowling listening to his fascinating stories over a cup of tea.  Such a fascinating man and I feel so privileged to have known him.  There are so many memories now returning which is probably a sign of my advancing age!

I guess Goldberry would now be about 50 years old. She may be rotting somewhere or scrapped but is would be good to know if anyone here knows of her fate. 

 

David

 

 

[Ray T]

From Canal Plan:

 

Goldberry Built by Shrops Union Bt Bldr - Length : 13.41 metres ( 44 feet ) - Beam : 2.07 metres ( 6 feet 9 inches ) - Draft : 0.01 metres ( 0 feet ). Metal hull N/A power of 19 HP. Registered with Canal & River Trust number 62453 as a Powered Motor Boat.  ( Last updated on Sunday 29th May 2011 )

 

 

[brassman]

Thank you Ray   - so she survived at least until 2011 !

I realise how fortunate I was to experience the canals in the late 1960's and the 1970's. Our first trip was on the Llangollen. Maureen was already elderly and powered by a Stuart Turner inboard petrol engine. Somehow the smell of petrol permeated everywhere.  I recall the sea toilet and thinking I would avoid falling in.  Wheel steering meant navigating the narrow bridge holes was interesting and my aunt would perch at the bow with the mop to fend off the worst of collisions.  It was busy at Llangollen even in those days. 

The following year we hired Anna Marie from Deans and tackled the Macclesfield canal.  Maintenance at that time was also apparently on a shoestring and finding which of the double locks on the T and M was working was a matter of trial and error.  It was rare for both paddles to be working and I remember just hoping that the rotten looking gates would not give way.  

The fascinating thing was meeting and listening to the stories of the old lock keepers. I so wish I had recorded them in some way.  

 

[Ray T]

1 hour ago, brassman said:

Thank you Ray   - so she survived at least until 2011 !

I realise how fortunate I was to experience the canals in the late 1960's and the 1970's. Our first trip was on the Llangollen. Maureen was already elderly and powered by a Stuart Turner inboard petrol engine. Somehow the smell of petrol permeated everywhere.  I recall the sea toilet and thinking I would avoid falling in.  Wheel steering meant navigating the narrow bridge holes was interesting and my aunt would perch at the bow with the mop to fend off the worst of collisions.  It was busy at Llangollen even in those days. 

The following year we hired Anna Marie from Deans and tackled the Macclesfield canal.  Maintenance at that time was also apparently on a shoestring and finding which of the double locks on the T and M was working was a matter of trial and error.  It was rare for both paddles to be working and I remember just hoping that the rotten looking gates would not give way.  

The fascinating thing was meeting and listening to the stories of the old lock keepers. I so wish I had recorded them in some way.  

 

 

@brassman

A few wise words in hindsight there!

 

Up until he passed away last year, I used to visit a retired NarrowBoat Captain who came from six generations of Oxford boat people. The history he had in his head was incredible. I recorded much of his story so it is not lost. My research will go to an archive in due course.

Edited September 30, 2023 by Ray T

[brassman]

I am so glad you have been able to preserve some the amazing oral history of the canals. 

I have a memory of sitting on a lock beam next to the lock keeper. It was a beautiful golden summer's evening - probably around 1970. Sound of the water and birdsong. The old man had me enthralled with his stories  and especially of the fly boats  with a knife mounted on the bow to encourage other boats to drop their line and let them pass.  We have lost so much of our culture and history.  I cannot remember the place- a vague memory that it may have been a broad lock so possibly the Grand Union.  

 

[J R ALSOP]

7 hours ago, brassman said:

I have been reading the posts on CWDF for many years but no longer having a boat and my involvement with the canals being confined to towpath walks nowadays I have not felt qualified to contribute. My interest in canals however dates back to my first canal holiday with my parents in 1967 when my mum had the inspiration to hire "Maureen" from Deans at Christleton. That holiday and many subsequent adventures led my parents to buy Goldberry. She was 46ft and had a green fibreglass moulded top on a Shropshire Union or Dartline hull.  Powered by a Lister SR3, she had been bought and partially fitted out by an airline pilot in the early 70's but not finished and my dad and I finished the interior between us over many happy weekends. She was used by the family and friends until my parents became too old and my busy life with a heavy job and children meant she had to be sold, probably around 1990.   

A walk along the towpath near Shrewley yesterday in the beautiful evening sunshine sent me reminiscing and I wonder if Goldbery still exists. There are so many happy memories. She was moored at Napton bottom lock and I remember the local lengthsman, Esme Dowling listening to his fascinating stories over a cup of tea.  Such a fascinating man and I feel so privileged to have known him.  There are so many memories now returning which is probably a sign of my advancing age!

I guess Goldberry would now be about 50 years old. She may be rotting somewhere or scrapped but is would be good to know if anyone here knows of her fate. 

 

David

 

 

As a youth club we hired "Shirley" from Deans in about 1958, only we had a bucket and chuck it loo, we were told to chuck it over the back, best not do it in a lock. We too went to Llangollen, I never drank water again in Crewe or Chester.

[davidg]

12 hours ago, brassman said:

She was moored at Napton bottom lock and I remember the local lengthsman, Esme Dowling listening to his fascinating stories over a cup of tea.  Such a fascinating man and I feel so privileged to have known him. 

 

Likewise. Esme had a vast amount of knowledge of his length of the Oxford Canal and could list long-forgotten wharves and other features. The camping boat I used to steer would stick coming down the top lock at Marston Doles and Esme had an unerring ability to know when I would be returning to Stockton and appear by magic to do the neccessary with the paddles to get me out, Easy to do if you had someone on the top paddles who knew what they were doing.

[Derek R.]

I remember Esme. I don't remember if he wore bicycle clips on the bottom of his trousers, or they were tucked into his socks, but he helped us down the Napton flight when YARMOUTH was spread a bit wider than some of the locks liked! The bottom lock or maybe it was the one above, was the tightest, YARMOUTH would NOT come out. But Esme knew what to do. With the bottom gates open, he repeatedly flushed water down from the pound behind, timing it perfectly such that the outgoing 'wave' when rebounding was met by another flush, each time increasing in size. YARMOUTH rose, and we shot out as if catapulted out - which we were. A cheery wave and Esme had disappeared, much the same way he appeared to begin with. That was in 1983.

[brassman]

Moored next to us was a chap called Colin Walker. I cannot remember the name of his boat but it was ex Harborough Marine. He had painted it lime green and white and totally white inside.  Colin was an arts lecturer at Warwick Uni  but had written books with photos capturing the last days of steam on the railways but also of the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth. He could recall being on the bridge of one of the tugs used on her last departure from Southampton.  Napton seemed to attract so many special and interesting people. 

[D Ash]

Wonderful stories. Thanks for those memories.

[davidg]

On 01/10/2023 at 07:29, Derek R. said:

With the bottom gates open, he repeatedly flushed water down from the pound behind, timing it perfectly such that the outgoing 'wave' when rebounding was met by another flush, each time increasing in size. YARMOUTH rose, and we shot out as if catapulted out - which we were.

That's how to do it. The reactions of anyone hanging about in the pound below holding on to their boats with bits of string were....interesting😀