Ashby Canal Cruisers Brochure 1971

[magpie patrick]

Been clearing out the loft at the ancestral Castle and found this. Of particular personal interest as the first boat holidays I recall were on Joanna, although I recall Magpie the Elder saying many years later that the family used to squeeze five onto one of the others, with me and @1st ade sharing one berth head to toe: we'd be about 2 and 5 at the time.

 

I'm aware others are also interested in the history of leisure boating and hire boats. 

And finally - some customers must have been quite ambitious in their cruising plans judging by this paragraph!

[Pluto]

Joanna photographed in 1963 by Geoff Wheat whilst descending Farmers Bridge Locks.

[David Mack]

16 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

And finally - some customers must have been quite ambitious in their cruising plans judging by this paragraph!

I had already noted that Anker is stated to be suitable for the Welsh canal - some trip for a hireboat from Shackerstone!

[BilgePump]

If only those rents were today's prices, I'd get rid of my own boat and hire the whole year round. Really like the looks of some of these old hire cruisers.

[Pluto]

1963 or 1964, and a young Paul Lorenz waits for a level so he can take Anker out of Watford Locks.

[1st ade]

From the Ian Moss archive - however (as with most of Dad's slides) absolutely no idea of date or place!

 

Likewise...

 

[BuckbyLocks]

The upper of Ian Moss' photos looks rather like Beckets Park in Northampton just below the lock.

[David Mack]

4 minutes ago, BuckbyLocks said:

The upper of Ian Moss' photos looks rather like Beckets Park in Northampton just below the lock.

My first reaction on seeing that picture was Northampton, although I haven't been there by boat since 2007, so not sure why I would remember it!

[magpie patrick]

37 minutes ago, BuckbyLocks said:

The upper of Ian Moss' photos looks rather like Beckets Park in Northampton just below the lock.

Quite possible - we went there on Joanna in 1971

4 hours ago, 1st ade said:

 

 Steel balance beams,gate paddles only, no ground paddles, concrete wing walls - must narrow it down a bit. 

[Richard T]

6 hours ago, 1st ade said:

From the Ian Moss archive - however (as with most of Dad's slides) absolutely no idea of date or place!

 

 

 

 

This looks like a lock on the river Soar. By a process of elimination the original Ratcliffe looks a possibility. Failing that is there a lock on the Leicester line without ground paddles - I can't think of one.

[1st ade]

It looks like a Tingay boat but no name visible (and, again, no markings on the slide to help)...

 

If I was a betting man I'd bet that standing watching is a very junior @magpie patrick!

 

[Stroudwater1]

On 23/04/2024 at 18:24, magpie patrick said:

 

And finally - some customers must have been quite ambitious in their cruising plans judging by this paragraph!

What a lovely brochure and some great images too .
 

They are ambitious for current times of course but these sort of journeys were not that uncommon in those days. 
 

Venturer is pictured in Worcester basin and 58 miles would be from Stourport to some way up the G&S. Though these boats didn’t have whopping engines it’s possible to have done that distance with a bit of fresh and tide as the Severn locks and bridgekeepers were available most hours then IIRC. 

 

Someone here recently mentioned a hired Canal Pleasurecraft trip from Stourport  up to Trevor (due to the breach) then across Middlewich up the T&M then back to Stourport via the S&W in I believe 2 weeks.  Canalplan makes the return from Stourport to Llangollen 16 days but I’m pretty sure we used to do it in one week, once also calling into Chester. 

 

There was seldom need to slow as there were so few moored boats or slow for boats coming to bridges or oncoming in difficult stretches and apart from the very occasional working boat few locks to wait around at whilst other boats went through. Mooring spaces at nice places weren’t a premium so you wouldn’t need to stop early to get a rare mooring spot. 
 

[magpie patrick]

3 hours ago, 1st ade said:

It looks like a Tingay boat but no name visible (and, again, no markings on the slide to help)...

 

If I was a betting man I'd bet that standing watching is a very junior @magpie patrick!

 

 

I think you're right! And I'd say that lock is on the river Nene, which makes it 1971 and makes me 5 at the time. 

 

To add, the boat would be Joanna. 

[1st ade]

On 23/04/2024 at 18:24, magpie patrick said:

And finally - some customers must have been quite ambitious in their cruising plans judging by this paragraph!

There is an Apocryphal story (I couldn't possibly comment whether myself and @magpie patrick were on the crew) who picked up a hire boat and commented on doing the Cheshire Ring [which, paradoxically, is longer than the four Counties Ring]. The boatyard smiled wisely, "I hope you know what you're doing, that's a long way in a week"...

 

The boat was returned on time - "how did you get on?" - "We did the Cheshire Ring.... Twice...."

 

We used to make a habit (probably non-PC now) of deliberately leaving "Tide Tables for Liverpool" or "Tidal Streams around the Mersey" on the table when we vacated a hire boat...