Canal Capers

[pig]

Spotted a programme on Talking Pictures TV: "Canal Capers" - "A charming short film featuring a picturesque journey on a barge down the Grand Union Canal."

Recorded it, haven't had a chance to watch it through, but looks interesting. 

Available to stream here:

 

https://www.tptvencore.co.uk/Video/Canal-Capers?id=3ce8bc83-365b-4e8b-bda4-5a29ec82bb3c

 

 

[Ray T]

Interesting film, thank you.

[pig]

Had a chance to watch it through - some interesting period shots.

Braunston stop lock/toll house recognisable. Passage through tunnel interesting meeting a working pair going the opposite direction.

Worth a watch especially if you know the area (Leighton Buzzard to Braunston).

[stagedamager]

Canada Goose was the Anderton company horse boat "Winifred" which was converted into the motor "Warsaw" in 1939 before heading to Wyvery Shipping after her carrying ended. She's very obviously a knobstick, with the very deep and angled top hull plank, running into the deck beam, barreled hull sides and the unique industrial looking T stud, sister boat to our "Norway" project.

 

Kind regards

 

Dan

[Tim Lewis]

Can anyone take a guess at the year?

[MPR]

According to NarrowBoat she was sold out of Wyvern in 1967.

[PeterScott]

 

at 22.14 there's a consultation of a map on the old BW Cruising Guides. It's not in brilliant focus, but it looks to be P21 of GRAND UNION CANAL Part 1 Brentford to Braunston with Wolverton Aqueduct in the middle, and the paragraph shapes look to be the same... THis format, it says on the back cover, was first published in 1965...

 

[archie57]

2 hours ago, PeterScott said:

 

at 22.14 there's a consultation of a map on the old BW Cruising Guides. It's not in brilliant focus, but it looks to be P21 of GRAND UNION CANAL Part 1 Brentford to Braunston with Wolverton Aqueduct in the middle, and the paragraph shapes look to be the same... THis format, it says on the back cover, was first published in 1965...

 

 - but the BTW carrying fleet (largely) finished in 1963....

[stagedamager]

does anyone know when and where her final demise happened?

[David Schweizer]

28 minutes ago, archie57 said:

 - but the BTW carrying fleet (largely) finished in 1963....

 

Not completely, there were still quite a few BW  working pairs on the southern GU in the 1960's

[archie57]

27 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 

Not completely, there were still quite a few BW  working pairs on the southern GU in the 1960's

Thats why I said largely - There were still Barrel boats, pile boats and cement boats in the SE division, but any long distance GU boats at Braunston after 1963  would have been Willow Wren

[Lady M]

or Barlows?

[Ogwr]

Wasn't Canada Goose owned by Lord Lucan  (the missing earls father) who had an interest in Wyvern Shipping?

A young Ernie Kendall steering Raymond

I think the film dates to the late 1950.:s 

[archie57]

Having referred to the Braunston lock keeper's log book, I think this sequence at Braunston is 6th Sept 1961 - but am awaiting Mr Harrisons response!

Edited August 17 by archie57

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, archie57 said:

but am awaiting Mr Harrisons response!

 

That nice Mr Harrison don't come here no more, sadly.

 

@pete harrison

[David Schweizer]

An interesting film. Several scenes were out of sequence, but it certainly reminded me of what the Grand Union between Leighton Buzzard and Braunston looked like in the early 1960's. Quite a few working boaters portrayed, but the only ones I recognized were Arthur Bray and Ernie Kendall on Roger and Raymond.

 

Edited August 18 by David Schweizer

[alan_fincher]

Excellent stuff - thank you for bringing it to our attention.

Amongst the many things noted, (the Grand Union is my home patch), were:---

 

First small plywood boat they pass was a British Waterways "Water Baby" hire boat.  The first boat my family owned was one of these - it could even have been that one

 

Strange reference to 8 locks close together - the biggest number is surely the 7 at Stoke Bruerne.

House still in situ above the Southern tunnel mouth at Braunston Tunnel.

 

The humongously large gear wheel on motor TARPORLEY - try getting into and out of the back cabin with that in the way!

 

I suppose what surprised me most was the immaculate condition of all the BW, Willow Wren and Samuel Barlows hire boats- if there was an untidy one, then I missed it.  The only slightly scruffy boat seemed to be CANADA GOOSE.

I'd love it if someone could find more like this, particularly if of this quality.

[archie57]

On 18/08/2024 at 17:16, David Schweizer said:

An interesting film. Several scenes were out of sequence, but it certainly reminded me of what the Grand Union between Leighton Buzzard and Braunston looked like in the early 1960's. Quite a few working boaters portrayed, but the only ones I recognized were Arthur Bray and Ernie Kendall on Roger and Raymond.

 

Alf Best's boats Tarporley, Bakewell and Elstree, Mrs Frances Best in charge of the pair. Alf Best had won the prize for the best turned out boats at the 1950 rally I believe, and his boats here were still immaculate!  Modern historic boat owners should take note of some of the finer details - eg scrubbed Ash strips, size and position of plaits on the helm etc.  Mr Best latterly was at Stocker's lock where you may have met him!

[CIEL]

For reference this is late July 1967.

Plover out of Willow Wren at Rugby to Market Harborough and back in just a week.

We encountered several working pairs between Braunston and Norton Junction out & back.

[alan_fincher]

3 hours ago, archie57 said:

Alf Best's boats Tarporley, Bakewell and Elstree, Mrs Frances Best in charge of the pair. Alf Best had won the prize for the best turned out boats at the 1950 rally I believe, and his boats here were still immaculate!  Modern historic boat owners should take note of some of the finer details - eg scrubbed Ash strips, size and position of plaits on the helm etc.  Mr Best latterly was at Stocker's lock where you may have met him!

 

Alf went on to eventually work as BW maintenance staff.  In the pictures I took of our SICKLE in the 1970s it is Alf on the tiller in each case, and my understanding is that he was a regular steerer of SICKLE.

[PeterScott]

On 17/08/2024 at 14:19, PeterScott said:

 

at 22.14 there's a consultation of a map on the old BW Cruising Guides. It's not in brilliant focus, but it looks to be P21 of GRAND UNION CANAL Part 1 Brentford to Braunston with Wolverton Aqueduct in the middle, and the paragraph shapes look to be the same... THis format, it says on the back cover, was first published in 1965...

 

 

 

Richard Fairhurst article in Waterways World of July2006 identifies the first editions of the BW Cruising Guides were published from 1956. It seems that they had the canal line in black, as in the film, while the later editions were coloured ...

[magpie patrick]

20 minutes ago, PeterScott said:

 

 

Richard Fairhurst article in Waterways World of July2006 identifies the first editions of the BW Cruising Guides were published from 1956. It seems that they had the canal line in black, as in the film, while the later editions were coloured ...

 

Thanks Peter, I was going to question the 1965 date as I have copies earlier than that with the canal line in brown, but none to hand to check exactly how old they are (they're in the office, and as that's being redecorated I'm working from home). 

 

I don't know of any with the canal line in black, but that may mean I just haven't found them yet!