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Roses and Castles

Gary Peacock

By Gary Peacock
in General Boating

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Gary Peacock Veteran

Gary Peacock

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I can't remember the last time we did anything emblazoned with the so called canal art of "Roses and Castles". Are the waterways finally escaping the days of tackily painted Buckets, Milk churns, Watering cans and various junk that used to litter the roofs of a certain genre of boaters roofs.

Or are the ROSIE and JIM types just enjoying there twilight years on some quiet back water arm of the system?

 

 

Gary

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John Orentas Veteran II

John Orentas

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Gary

 

I think the watering cans and dippers have been taken over by the forests of foliage and miscellaneous botanical specimens, I wonder how they avoid bumping into things. With liveaboards of course it is still the rusty bicycles, heaps of logs and scrap metal.

 

I am not sure which looks worst.

 

Rossie and Jim were last heard of living in a 15th floor council flat in Manchester, they go out busking most days to support their drugs habit and the two year old twins.

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David Schweizer Veteran II

David Schweizer

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Are the waterways finally escaping the days of tackily painted Buckets, Milk churns, Watering cans and various junk that used to litter the roofs of a certain genre of boaters roofs.

My boat has carried Roses and Castles painted by Ron Hough for 23 years, and for anyone to suggest that they are tacky is to demonstarte their complete ignorance of Folk Art and tradition. I personally have no problem with people painting their boats in other traditional styles (eg Scrolls) or in a completely modern style, and I certainly would not publicly describe their boats as tacky even if I didn't like them.

 

I wonder how insulted you would feel if people started to describe the square backed wide boats the you build as ugly Gary ?

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Gary Peacock Veteran

Gary Peacock

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My boat has carried Roses and Castles painted by Ron Hough for 23 years, and for anyone to suggest that they are tacky is to demonstarte their complete ignorance of Folk Art and tradition.  I personally have no problem with people painting their boats in other traditional styles (eg Scrolls) or in a completely modern style, and I certainly would not publicly describe their boats as tacky even if I didn't like them.

 

I wonder how insulted you would feel if people started to describe the square backed wide boats the you build as ugly Gary ?

 

Well I for one wouldn't describe them to be things of beauty they are purely functional, roses and castles wouldn't improve that in any way.

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Yamanx Rising Star

Yamanx

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People buy old houses and restore them to a sort of orignal style. Strip the wood, relay the tiles and re-fit the fire place etc.

 

I think there is a renaissance with regard to the traditional way of things in general and I dont see why this wont be extended to include narrow boats. Maybe not right now but I think there will be a generation of boat owners that will like things in a traditional manner, even if its modifyed slightly.

 

I dont have roases and castles but I do like to see it on boats, I like the boatmans cabin, the wood burning stove and other traditions. I also like the fashions that appear, not only in narrow boating, like the tiller pin thing and the drover hats. They all go to make it a wonderful and weird experience.

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David Schweizer Veteran II

David Schweizer

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Well I for one wouldn't describe them to be things of beauty they are purely functional, roses and castles wouldn't improve that in any way.

Good point, all the pictures of boats you have posted are replica barges which would never have had roses and castles on them. However some of us have narrowboats which closely copy an original Working Boat style (mine is based on a Nurser) and roses and castles are terefore an appropriate traditional style of decoration. Apart from which I actually like them.

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John Orentas Veteran II

John Orentas

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I go along with David (my last reply was a bit of artistic license) it may seem a bit naff to outsiders but the traditions of roses and castles fit in very well with even newly built narrowboats. The scale and internal dimensions work just as well with primary colours and robust decoration as the boatman's cabins did a hundred years ago, what does not work is the "modern" bland, single timber finishes devoid of colour or contrast that seeks only to ape the interior of a trendy apartment in Kensington.

 

When I built my first boat I made a point of learning some of the traditional decorating techniques and boats in general, though I say it myself it works well. Narrowboat decoration did not come about by accident, the signwriters who originally developed the style, and incidentally were only allowed one day to do a boat interior, knew what they were doing, they had the task of turning a space that was smaller than a prison cell into a pleasant habitable environment for an entire family.

 

It has stood the test of time, a technique that was developed to lighten drudgery of Victorian working class life makes a very pleasant environment in the 21st century.

Edited by John Orentas
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Ted Cooper Gongoozler

Ted Cooper

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Also, whats all this "Fellows, Morton and Clayton" all about? I can well understand it on a boat that was once a working boat, belonging to FMC, but, on a new boat that was designed purely to carry nothing more than people? What nonsence!

 

Roses and castles? utter crap!, belongs to history.

 

You don't see too many caravans, or motorhomes painted in the style of Gypsy wagons, or Showmans wagons, do you?, no, because they probably realised a long time ago, just how naff and tacky it all looks.

 

Ted Cooper

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Big COL Proficient

Big COL

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Roses and castles? utter crap!, belongs to history.

 

You don't see too many caravans, or motorhomes painted in the style of Gypsy wagons, or Showmans wagons, do you?, no, because they probably realised a long time ago, just how naff and tacky it all looks.

 

Ted Cooper

 

By the same token you don't see too many narrowboats painted all white, with no shades on any of the light fitting promoting the latest fashion the minimalist look. Naff and tacky is only your opinion,of other people's preferences, they no doubt disagree with your thinking, and are too polite to say so. I run a modern boat and have a great respect for those that run a traditional boat with all the work involved with such a boat, at least keeps alive the traditions and culture of the cut in some ways. Otherwise it will be lost forever.

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steveh Collaborator

steveh

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Ted

 

That's all a bit negative what style of fittings and decoration do you prefer, to say something is inferior in some way because it belongs to history is an odd argument to say the least. That would make the Acropolis a bit of a dump.

 

I can't imagine a Bailey caravan being towed by a horse down the M5 to Weston Super Mare can you?

 

Did you know you can hire old style gypsy caravan's complete with horse in Ireland for a holiday? So that tradition hasn't completly died

 

When we finally have a boat built i'll have a certain amount of traditional decorative symbols painted on the vessel a little more than one coat and a coach line, even though the interior will be modern.

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nb maggie Collaborator

nb maggie

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I like the traditions its one of the attractions and I don't see that trying to keep them alive even in a watered down or modern version is at all wrong - its a matter of taste and personally I like it.

 

Anyway I always thought Rosy was a bit of a looker but too much of a tease for my liking – Ohhhh Jim (sigh)

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