Wonka film with some inland waterway boating.

[Stroudwater1]

Anyone seen the film? I’m sure some don’t like it but we did.
 

In it there’s a scene of a narrowboat which it seems from blurb was filmed at Sutton Bridge/Goring area, some mention of Mapledurham too. Does anyone know which nb it is? It could well not be an historic one but it would have been nice if it had been. 
 

Without giving too much away the shop has a large cherry tree with a very fictitious nb sailing in it. The tree being a representation of the memories of a cherry tree that Wonka and his mum boated past. 
 

Presumably boaters were temporarily stopped from passing during filming- anyone affected? 

[alan_fincher]

It's the RENFREW.

 

And yes, it is historic, being a "Large Northwich" built in the mid-1930s.

 

The boat, and its owner, are usually Braunston based.

Edited December 18, 2023 by alan_fincher

[Hudds Lad]

Makes a pleasant change from Cumberland Basin on the Regents Canal, that bloody floating Chinese restaurant seems to get in everything  

[Tim Lewis]

There is an article in the current HNBC magazine about the filming of the waterways scenes

[IanM]

3 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

It's the RENFREW.

 

And yes, it is historic, being a "Large Northwich" built in the mid-1930s.

 

The boat, and its owner, are usually Braunston based.

 

It's also still painted in the scheme used for the film.

[Stroudwater1]

5 hours ago, IanM said:

 

It's also still painted in the scheme used for the film.

Thanks all, I recognise it now, has the name been painted/ covered over on the side hatch?
 

I guess the obvious next step is to run Wonka experience cruises or visits through the garden it often moors at. 
 

Theres even lock gates suitable for Oompa Loompas in the garden (Only joking) 😱

 

All credit to those who bought this to fruition. It’s nice to see boating in such a film. 
Out of interest did it take long to film? 

[JoeC]

If he brings the Renfrew up to Harecastle Tunnel on the Trent & Mersey then he will have chocolate coloured water to go through!

[Tonka]

If you watch "A Haunting in Venice" the new Poirot film there is Blue rope seen.

What year was blue rope bought out

[doratheexplorer]

I haven't seen the film but I presume its a nod to the Cadbury boats which used to bring ingredients to the Bournville Factory from Knighton on the Shroppie?

[David Schweizer]

I remember Renfrew from the 1960's when it was operated by Blue Line and worked by the Whitlocks and Laura Carter, and later when it regularly passed our mooring at Napton Junction carrying the livery "Morton, Morton and Smith". I have to say, I would much prefer to see it in either of those liveries, rather than the somewhat imaginative livery shown in the picture by the OP.

 

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by David Schweizer

[Tonka]

There is quite a few wonka boats still out there

[David Mack]

21 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

I remember Renfrew from the 1960's when it was operated by Blue Line and worked by the Whitlocks and Laura Carter, and later when it regularly passed our mooring at Napton Junction carrying the livery "Morton, Morton and Smith". I have to say, I would much prefer to see it in either of those liveries, rather than the somewhat imaginative livery shown in the picture by the OP.

I think that livery was determined by the film people. I don't think it was something Pete would have chosen.

[alan_fincher]

I don't think anybody has yet mentioned the apparent presence of a brass porthole which, if it were real, would be illuminating the inside of a cupboard, and not the cabin itself.

 

I'm not sure if any working boats ever had a port hole in that position on the left hand side, but "Grand Union" boats like RENFREW most certainly did not!

 

[Tonka]

7 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

I don't think anybody has yet mentioned the apparent presence of a brass porthole which, if it were real, would be illuminating the inside of a cupboard, and not the cabin itself.

 

I'm not sure if any working boats ever had a port hole in that position on the left hand side, but "Grand Union" boats like RENFREW most certainly did not!

 

Yes but the film people wouldn't of known and if you were getting paid to have your boat in a fictional film you would forget to mention it

[ditchcrawler]

51 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

I don't think anybody has yet mentioned the apparent presence of a brass porthole which, if it were real, would be illuminating the inside of a cupboard, and not the cabin itself.

 

I'm not sure if any working boats ever had a port hole in that position on the left hand side, but "Grand Union" boats like RENFREW most certainly did not!

 

Was there really a chocolate factors staffed by little people and the rest of the magic

[magnetman]

The extra porthole is curious. It does look like its been glued on as it protrudes out from the side of the cabin.

 

It almost looks like it is held on by a large magnet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[David Schweizer]

2 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

I don't think anybody has yet mentioned the apparent presence of a brass porthole which, if it were real, would be illuminating the inside of a cupboard, and not the cabin itself.

 

I'm not sure if any working boats ever had a port hole in that position on the left hand side, but "Grand Union" boats like RENFREW most certainly did not!

 

 

The film people presumably felt that the left side should mirror th right side, which did have a porthole!😄

[Hudds Lad]

17 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 

The film people presumably felt that the left side should mirror th right side, which did have a porthole!😄

Probably to help with continuity in footage?? In case they mirror shots in post or something, i dunno, grasping at straws here  

[David Schweizer]

18 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

I don't think anybody has yet mentioned the apparent presence of a brass porthole which, if it were real, would be illuminating the inside of a cupboard, and not the cabin itself.

 

I'm not sure if any working boats ever had a port hole in that position on the left hand side, but "Grand Union" boats like RENFREW most certainly did not!

 

 

Pisces (a Small Northwich) certainly had a porthole in that position, but it was either added added when it was converted into a Waterbus, and the engine moved into the Back Cabin, or when it worked as an LFS Fireboat during WW11

 

 

 

Edited to add: I have just found this photo in my records which purports to be Pisces converted to a London Fire Boat - Note there is no rear porthole!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by David Schweizer

[matty40s]

We have recently taken 4 portholes off a boat at the back end, only one of which on the port side has a hole....which doesnt really let light through due to the muck and webs.

[magnetman]

Is this a similar thing to the mushroom vents stuck to the cabin top with sikaflex? 

[matty40s]

2 minutes ago, matty40s said:

We have recently taken 4 portholes off a boat at the back end, only one of which on the port side has a hole....which doesnt really let light through due to the muck and webs.

 

[magnetman]

 Fake chimneys etc. 

 

Crikey. 

[matty40s]

Just now, magnetman said:

Is this a similar thing to the mushroom vents stuck to the cabin top with sikaflex? 

One was aluminium, and had to be sledgehammered off, the other two were brass, hiding spaceinvader vent holes.

Boat has been on hard standing for 10 years, engine bay full of water, nothing working, it's our Winter project.

[David Schweizer]

11 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

 

Pisces (a Small Northwich) certainly had a porthole in that position, but it was either added added when it was converted into a Waterbus, and the engine moved into the Back Cabin, or when it worked as an LFS Fireboat during WW11

 

 

 

Edited to add: I have just found this photo in my records which purports to be Pisces converted to a London Fire Boat - Note there is no rear porthole!