Willow Wren

[tomkeeling]

I am friends with a chap who's ladyfriend is Tilly who used to crew Belfast paired with Belham (Belham may be incorrect info as i can find no trace). Her family used to crew at various times Sandpiper, Tern, Bittern, Edgeware, Banbury, Buxton, Moorhen, Quail, Kingfisher, Shovellor.

 

I have been gathering photographs for Tilly from the net as she has none and is not computer literate. She may be willing to talk to you to assist with your page but I'm not sure. If you think it may be helpful then let me know. It may be a golden opportunity to include some first hand experiences.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tom

[Hairy-Neil]

Guess you mean Balham..... Large Woolwich butty Gu No. 225

[Ros P]

I did wonder if I should copy it out ... here are the basics if what was what (he also gives construction and engine)

 

It's an excellent book, highly recommended. (more of my views on it here)

 

Motors:

Avocet = FMC Raven

Bittern = FMC Lion

Crane = FMC Crane

Curlew = GU Seaford

Dipper = GU Bristol

Egret = GU Mimas

Flamingo = GU Letchworth

Grebe = FMC Antelope

Mallard = GU (Erewash) Elm

Moorhen = FMC Briar

Rail = GU Hadley

Redshank = GU Reading

Quail = FMC Quail

Swan = GU Dunstable

Warbler = GU Libra

Widgeon = GU Thaxted

Tern = FMC Emu

Sandpiper = FMC Falcon

 

Butties:

Bunting = GU Dudley

Coot = GU Ursa

Cygnet = unknown Saltley FMC

Dabchick = LMS railway boat

Drake = GU Taunton

Dunlin = GU Hadfield

Godswall = GU Denton

Greenshank = GU Bawtry

Heron = LMS railway Caleb

Kestrel = GU Triangulum

Kingfisher = FMC Florence

Smew = GU Norton

Snipe = FMC Kildare

Teal = FMC Minnie or Grimsby

Shoveller = FMC Bascote

Wagtail = FMC Freda

Elton = GU Elton

[Ros P]

Just found this thread - sorry about previous posting, clicked wrong button, please ignore!

 

On this site's Home page (the winner of the May 2007 photo of the month) is Warbler, WW's first boat - now back in WW colours and still with the Bolinder 1052 as fitted in 1963/4 when it became a camper. We bought if from them in Nov 1972.

 

As Alan Faulkner describes, there were two Willow Wren carrying companies: 1953-63 Willow Wren Canal Carrying Co and then 1963-69 Willow Wren Canal Transport Services (CTS). All the boats in the first company were renamed and kept in smart livery. After the big freeze in 1962/3, they lost a number of contracts and the first company was wound up. Four boats (Warbler, Sandpiper, Crane and Tern) were converted to campers for the new WW Hire Cruisers Company based at Rugby wharf. The remainder were transferred to CTS which also leased some of the BW Southern fleet but they retained their original GU names and BW livery. When WW CTS folded after the death of Leslie Morton, BW re-possessed these boats and sold them at Wendover.

 

Ros

[Liam]

Hi Ros,

 

Lovely boat you have...

 

How come Stirling was painted in the WW livery but was not renamed? Was it just a one off?

[alan_fincher]

How come Stirling was painted in the WW livery but was not renamed? Was it just a one off?

Liam,

 

Quite a few of the un-renamed leased boats did make it into WW colours, though not always sign-written with the WW name.

 

I can't remember for certain all the second batch of Wendover boats in WW colours, but I think the split was roughly 50/50 with those retaining BW blue and yellow, and there were no renamed boats there, I think. (I'm confident of at least Coleshill and Sudbury for the motors, but after that I'd be guessing).

 

Quite a few published pictures also show unrenamed boats in WW colours - a random look produced Hawkesbury and Virginis, for example.

 

A previous thread reported them as being painted in whatever was available at the time, and (I think) instances where boats that had been in WW colours got changed back to BW blue, (I may be remembering that wrongly, though ?....)

 

EDIT:

 

Found it. According to Neil the NBT's Nuneaton was in WW colours at one time but had been repainted in BW colours before it ended up as a Wendover boat. Sounds right to me - I think I remember it being Blue down the arm.

Edited June 24, 2008 by alan_fincher

[Derek R.]

I am friends with a chap who's ladyfriend is Tilly who used to crew Belfast paired with Belham (Belham may be incorrect info as i can find no trace). Her family used to crew at various times Sandpiper, Tern, Bittern, Edgeware, Banbury, Buxton, Moorhen, Quail, Kingfisher, Shovellor.

 

I have been gathering photographs for Tilly from the net as she has none and is not computer literate. She may be willing to talk to you to assist with your page but I'm not sure. If you think it may be helpful then let me know. It may be a golden opportunity to include some first hand experiences.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tom

 

Hi Tom, couple of shots from about twenty years ago:

 

Norton Junction

 

Braunston, late eighties also.

 

Derek

[Hairy-Neil]

How come Stirling was painted in the WW livery but was not renamed? Was it just a one off?

 

There were two (or more) Willow Wren companies...... Only the boats owned by Willow Wren Canal Carrying Co. were renamed. Stirling was in use by BW until they ceased trading after the big freeze up in 1963.

 

Willow Wren CCCo. was also wound up at this time, but reformed as Willow Wren Canal Transport Services Ltd. Basically the new company was little more than a clearing house, having taken over the remaining contracts from BW. The boaters, now self employed, leased their pairs from BW and carried traffics arranged by Willow Wren CTS.

 

and there were no renamed boats there, I think.

 

That is because the Wendover boats were all BW owned. The renamed ones always belonged to WW so reposession doesn't enter into it.

[Paul H]

There were two (or more) Willow Wren companies...... Only the boats owned by Willow Wren Canal Carrying Co. were renamed. Stirling was in use by BW until they ceased trading after the big freeze up in 1963.

 

Willow Wren CCCo. was also wound up at this time, but reformed as Willow Wren Canal Transport Services Ltd. Basically the new company was little more than a clearing house, having taken over the remaining contracts from BW. The boaters, now self employed, leased their pairs from BW and carried traffics arranged by Willow Wren CTS.

It was Willow Wren who leased the boats from BW at £25 each a year (those were the days!) and then they leased them on to the boaters for a nominal amount.

 

And the painting of the boats was the responsibility of the boater - many couldn't afford to or be bothered and others were painted in a rudimenatry WW livery. The fact that hired boats such as Coleshill, Cygnus, Hawkesbury and few others were painted up smartly may have something to do with their being crewed by enthusiasts rather than boating families and who perhaps paid for a proper job to be done themselves. However as it was these boats that tended to be used for campaiging, rallies etc maybe it was Leslie Morton (the MD) who put his hand in his pocket.

 

The suggestion that Nuneaton went through WW livery and back to BW is an odd one. Does anyone have a picture of Nuneaton in WW livery?

 

Paul H

[Hairy-Neil]

The suggestion that Nuneaton went through WW livery and back to BW is an odd one. Does anyone have a picture of Nuneaton in WW livery?

 

Paul H

 

It's not a suggestion, it's fact....

 

There's a series of photo's taken at Braunston by Mike Webb and others taken at Hatton by another well known photographer (more noted for railway photos) who's name currently escapes me. Both photos have appeared in Waterways World over the years. Waterways World also published the Mike Webb one as a freeby postcard, given away in a series to subscribers IIRC...

 

The pairing in both pictures is Nuneaton & Alperton, the steerer being Ted Beck/Beckerton/Beckington.

 

There's also a photo published in Alan Faulkner's, Willow Wren Story, of an unidentified Large Northwich that I'm 99% sure is Nuneaton in Willow Wren guise. The picture were taken the same period as the Hatton/Braunston ones. The Butty is noted as the 'Alperton'. The motor boat has a brand new stern fender..... the Hatton photos show the Nuneaton to have a severly damaged fender.

 

By May 1967 the Nuneaton was back in Blue and Yellow. It was photographed by Alan Faulkner himself at Nash 2, in the charge of Ken Ward and appears on the cover of Wendy Freer's 'Women and Children of the Cut'

 

 

 

 

maybe it was Leslie Morton (the MD) who put his hand in his pocket.

 

I'd say it was more likely Captain Vivian Baulkley Johnson's money....

[Blossom]

The fact that hired boats such as Coleshill, Cygnus, Hawkesbury and few others were painted up smartly may have something to do with their being crewed by enthusiasts rather than boating families

Paul H

 

Just a couple of things to add to this thread that may be of interest:-

Rightly so Hawkesbury was 'painted up smartly' in fact it was always immaculately turned out to the point that other boaters used to call it a 'fair ground organ' It was operated (and in fact painted by) Roger and Jean Hatchard, nee Collins, Jim and Doris Collin's daughter (Blue Line's Stanton & Belmont amongst others) so certainly not 'enthusiasts'.

 

I bought my first boat, a big Woolwich butty Bingley off the second Wendover tender and below is a list of boats taken from my notes when I went to view them. Incidently Bingley was painted in WW colours but not sign written

Motors Tarporley, Alton, Halsall,Belfast, Sudbury, Coleshill, Nuneaton and Badsey

ButtiesSatelite, Toucan, Bingley, Baildon, Alperton and one unidentified butty.

[Paul H]

It's not a suggestion, it's fact....

 

There's a series of photo's taken at Braunston by Mike Webb and others taken at Hatton by another well known photographer (more noted for railway photos) who's name currently escapes me. Both photos have appeared in Waterways World over the years. Waterways World also published the Mike Webb one as a freeby postcard, given away in a series to subscribers IIRC...

 

The pairing in both pictures is Nuneaton & Alperton, the steerer being Ted Beck/Beckerton/Beckington.

 

There's also a photo published in Alan Faulkner's, Willow Wren Story, of an unidentified Large Northwich that I'm 99% sure is Nuneaton in Willow Wren guise. The picture were taken the same period as the Hatton/Braunston ones. The Butty is noted as the 'Alperton'. The motor boat has a brand new stern fender..... the Hatton photos show the Nuneaton to have a severly damaged fender.

 

By May 1967 the Nuneaton was back in Blue and Yellow. It was photographed by Alan Faulkner himself at Nash 2, in the charge of Ken Ward and appears on the cover of Wendy Freer's 'Women and Children of the Cut'

I have the Mike Webb pictures but Have not had the benefit of seeing the Alan Faulkner one. However it wouldn't be the first time that a publisher has put in a misleading date. A repaint in BW colours is possible but it is hard to see why this would have happened.

 

The NBT site has some interesting photos. It has a big northwich motor *what would it be if not Nuneaton?) with an engine room in WW colours but another picture of a boat roughly signwritten Nuneaton with a plain livery. There are also pictures of a northwich with an outboard attached which seems to show a plain livery with bits of beading applied to mark out the panels.

NBT site

 

Paul H

 

Just a couple of things to add to this thread that may be of interest:-

Rightly so Hawkesbury was 'painted up smartly' in fact it was always immaculately turned out to the point that other boaters used to call it a 'fair ground organ' It was operated (and in fact painted by) Roger and Jean Hatchard, nee Collins, Jim and Doris Collin's daughter (Blue Line's Stanton & Belmont amongst others) so certainly not 'enthusiasts'.

But Roger Hatchard was an enthusiast off the land. I think his brother Jack also worked for WW at one time. Interesting to have confirmation that the boat was actually painted by Roger as I had suspected. I imagine Ray White (another enthusiast) painted his boats Coleshill and Cygus as well.

 

Paul H

Edited June 27, 2008 by Paul H

[alan_fincher]

I bought my first boat, a big Woolwich butty Bingley off the second Wendover tender and below is a list of boats taken from my notes when I went to view them. Incidently Bingley was painted in WW colours but not sign written

Motors Tarporley, Alton, Halsall,Belfast, Sudbury, Coleshill, Nuneaton and Badsey

ButtiesSatelite, Toucan, Bingley, Baildon, Alperton and one unidentified butty.

Interesting - This aligns quite well with my memory of what was there.

 

Although it was previously stated they were all Towns, I thought I remembered more that Satellite as Star class butties there. Toucan sounds right to me now.

 

By the time I was looking at the Badsey was not there, and I think must have already been sold. I can't remember it being on the tender list. It was owned by Dave & Gill Humphhreys (or Humphries ?), so I assume they bought it from BW. They paired it with it's original pairing, Barnes.

 

Others there, but you haven't listed were....

 

Motors Buxton

Butties Aboyne, Banbury

 

 

The NBT site has some interesting photos. It has a big northwich motor *what would it be if not Nuneaton?) with an engine room in WW colours NBT site

 

Which picture, Paul ? (My experience is not good enough to know I'm definitely looking at a Northwich ). One Northwich there, definitely in WW colours was Sudbury.

Edited June 27, 2008 by alan_fincher

[Hairy-Neil]

I have the Mike Webb pictures but Have not had the benefit of seeing the Alan Faulkner one. However it wouldn't be the first time that a publisher has put in a misleading date. A repaint in BW colours is possible but it is hard to see why this would have happened.

 

I was as sceptical as you so, some 10 - 12 years ago I met with both Mike Webb and Alan Faulkner at their homes in Derby and Colchester. I've seen 'originals' of both photos, and others taken at the same time that were not published in Waterways World and discussed the return to blue and yellow livery with both and got them to check the dates the photos were taken. Around the same time I also got into correspondance with the photographer who took the shots at Hatton. I will attempt to dig out the Waterways World with the Hatton photo.

 

Further, when I joined the Narrow Boat Trust in 1994, one of the first jobs I did on the boat (around easter '95) was to sand the paint on the engine room and apply primer. Bare metalling it, the earliest livery found was the blue and yellow livery as in the Faulkner photos of 1967, followed by NBT repaints (in reversed WW red/green)

[Hairy-Neil]

There is a documented account of Nuneaton being removed from the Wendover arm and taken to the Northampton IWA rally with outboard engine power. The tunnel light for Blisworth was apparently a member's Honda motorcycle propped up on planks with the engine running.

 

BTW, the (Dusty Miller) colour photo on NBT's site depicting the town class Northwich at Suttons Stop in Willow Wren colours and paired with Brighton is definitely NOT the Nuneaton. Its almost certainly Flamingo (Letchworth)

[alan_fincher]

I was interested to note that the Alan Faulkner "Barlows" publication, which covers the Barlows fleet through to Blue Line days notes that CAPELLA, ABOYNE & TOUCAN were purchased from BW by Blue Line as planned replacements of firstly BELMONT, but then RAYMOND and LUCY.

 

It says refurbishment of CAPELLA was well advanced but halted by the closure of Kearley & Tonge factory.

 

That puts a bit of a twist on the story I had previously heard that Threefellows Carrying took Aboyne straight from the Wendover Arm.

 

Can anybody add anything else to the Faulkner story - did Blue Line briefly own all these three butties ?

Edited June 27, 2008 by alan_fincher

[carlt]

I was interested to note that the Alan Faulkner "Barlows" publication, which covers the Barlows fleet through to Blue Line days notes that CAPELLA, ABOYNE & TOUCAN were purchased from BW by Blue Line as planned replacements of firstly BELMONT, but then RAYMOND and LUCY.

 

It says refurbishment of CAPELLA was well advanced but halted by the closure of Kearley & Tonge factory.

 

That puts a bit of a twist on the story I had previously heard that Threefellows Carrying took Aboyne straight from the Wendover Arm.

 

Can anybody add anything else to the Faulkner story - did Blue Line briefly own all these three butties ?

The only documental evidence of this is from that booklet (unfortunately, it contains a few inaccuracies, so I'm not sure whether this is one of them).

 

Anecdotal evidence, picked up from talking to Blue Line folk, of that time, suggests that Lucy was scheduled for repairs and a refit, but only got essential maintenance, before being passed on to the Whitlocks.

[alan_fincher]

The only documental evidence of this is from that booklet (unfortunately, it contains a few inaccuracies, so I'm not sure whether this is one of them).

OK thanks.

 

I did wonder, I've never come across the story before.

 

I guess if they thought the traffic would continue for a while it would have at least made sense that they were seeking a Belmont replacement. (Assuming it was cheaper to buy and renovate a Wendover arm butty than to repair what they had, which I understand to have been in a poor way).

 

I wonder if anybody else has come across this, other than in the booklet.

 

Alan

[Liam]

Thought these would be of some interest...

 

Just had them sent through from my Uncle who has Stirling. He has recently been around the Audlem area where he met a bloke who leased Stirling from Willow Wren in the 60's to do a few runs.

 

He filled in some blanks about the boats history and, after a chat, returned with the below... he gave the originals to my Uncle.. very nice of the bloke, called Roger - no idea of his surname.

 

 

[Lizzy J]

I was interested to note that the Alan Faulkner "Barlows" publication, which covers the Barlows fleet through to Blue Line days notes that CAPELLA, ABOYNE & TOUCAN were purchased from BW by Blue Line as planned replacements of firstly BELMONT, but then RAYMOND and LUCY.

 

The remains of the stern end of Toucan appear to be on the bank at a Wharf on the Trent and Mersey close to Weston-uopn Trent. I thought I had taken a photograph but I can't find it, so I will try next time we are passing which should be shortly.There are quite a few other interesting boats there including what looks like several 'restoration' projects down the short arm. I understood that this was Malcolm Braines place but am not sure if this is correct.

Liz

[Liam]

Isn't Toucan the one which is on the bank, just near the Star pub at Stone?

[alan_fincher]

I understood that this was Malcolm Braines place but am not sure if this is correct.

Liz

Braine was based in Brum on the Cannock Extension Canal if I remember correctly.

 

I'm assuming it may be where Norton Canes Boatbuilders now are.

 

As they have a forum presence, I'm sure if they'll put me right, if I have it wrong!

[Hairy-Neil]

Isn't Toucan the one which is on the bank, just near the Star pub at Stone?

 

Thought that was a river class?

 

 

very nice of the bloke, called Roger - no idea of his surname.

 

Roger Hatchard perhaps? He was a Willow Wren CTS steerer.

[AMModels]

Malcolm was at Norton Canes but when he moved away from boatbuilding he did acquire a dock/some space at Weston which he did have some restoration projects on and also his trip boats and his sons carrying pair. I remember seeing a long string of projects being towed away from NC in the early nineties/late eighties presumably heading to Weston. It was under the Beechdale lane bridge in Bloxwich I saw them fwiw.

 

I think its axes stern on the bank there at Stone, aka REBEKAH after Roger Fullers daughter. The Toucan it could be mistaken for was one of the FMC motors demotorised for use as a butty in the 50s/60s I think one of them was renamed Toucan for a while.

Edited September 1, 2008 by AMModels

[Paul H]

Malcolm was at Norton Canes but when he moved away from boatbuilding he did acquire a dock/some space at Weston which he did have some restoration projects on and also his trip boats and his sons carrying pair. I remember seeing a long string of projects being towed away from NC in the early nineties/late eighties presumably heading to Weston. It was under the Beechdale lane bridge in Bloxwich I saw them fwiw.

 

I think its axes stern on the bank there at Stone, aka REBEKAH after Roger Fullers daughter. The Toucan it could be mistaken for was one of the FMC motors demotorised for use as a butty in the 50s/60s I think one of them was renamed Toucan for a while.

Malcolm Braine converted the Grand Union butty Toucan to a motor boat for Tony Grantham of BW. It is now moored at Braunston. The discarded back end of this boat is reputedly on the bank at Weston but I've never seen it myself.

 

The chap Roger who hired Stirling was Roger Wickson a well-known enthusiast of the 60s who used to own the ex-Elements boat Mayflower (now reverted to Fornax and for sale in WW) He also wrote a good book for children about canals which I had almost permanently out on loan from my school library.

 

Paul H

Edited September 1, 2008 by Paul H