Union Canal Carriers Working Boat Fleet From the 1970s.

[keithbo]

Attached is also a poor picture of Petrel & Moon moored at Braunston

 

 

 

The following pictures were taken at Soulbury Three Locks where Helen was on here own with a group of Guides

 

 

 

 

 

 

not sure of the exact date but mid 1970's

 

Keith

[no.341]

I seem to remember one that was a powered Butty, I can't remember the name though, is my memory deceiving me, does anyone else remember this? it must have been in the early 70s.

James

[alan_fincher]

I seem to remember one that was a powered Butty, I can't remember the name though, is my memory deceiving me, does anyone else remember this? it must have been in the early 70s.

James

I have reasonably vivid memories of the UCCCo fleet in the early 1970s, and have no recall of any of the boats being a powered butty.

 

Most boats, IIRC, were in fairly original condition, although I seem to recall Kimberley had a forward cabin extension, didn't it ?

 

The only genuine butty conversion used for hire that sticks in my mind from this period was Wyvern Shipping using the former Barlow's Nurser butty Hazel as a full length boat, still with the butty elum, and only a couple of boards on the outside of the hull as an anti-cavitation measure, (of sorts!).

 

[Paul H]

I seem to remember one that was a powered Butty, I can't remember the name though, is my memory deceiving me, does anyone else remember this? it must have been in the early 70s.

James

 

I think this was the 62ft ex-BCN Eileen which I think was owned by the Vedmores at the time. Jim McDonald owned it until fairly recently.

 

Paul

[no.341]

I think this was the 62ft ex-BCN Eileen which I think was owned by the Vedmores at the time. Jim McDonald owned it until fairly recently.

 

Paul

Yes that rings a bell, I think it was called Eileen

James

 

Most boats, IIRC, were in fairly original condition, although I seem to recall Kimberley had a forward cabin extension, didn't it ?

Yes Kimberley had the cabin that had been put on when it was used as a trip boat on the K&A. This was the wrong way round i.e. the engine was at the back with a boatmans cabin and a Kitchen in front of this. It was also lower than normal presumably to get under the bridges on the K&A

James

[Speedwheel]

I think this was the 62ft ex-BCN Eileen which I think was owned by the Vedmores at the time. Jim McDonald owned it until fairly recently.

 

Paul

 

Now based at Great Haywood.

[Derek R.]

I remember Eileen being lived aboard by Paul, Paul who I don't remember but this was back in 1981 and on a Thames backwater. Whilst in need of considerable work at that time, it was a charming boat. The engine was where the back cabin should be, and forward of that was a 'back to front' back cabin with a pair of side hatches around where the side bed would have been. Access to the rest of the conversion in the hold was direct from there. All that was removed for major work after change of ownership.

 

Derek

[alan_fincher]

Yes Kimberley had the cabin that had been put on when it was used as a trip boat on the K&A. This was the wrong way round i.e. the engine was at the back with a boatmans cabin and a Kitchen in front of this. It was also lower than normal presumably to get under the bridges on the K&A

James

Not a great shot, but here is Kimberley at base with the UCCCo fleet.

 

1973, IIRC.

 

The young man walking on the tow-path up towards the bridge appears to be me, so I can only assume one of my two brothers was holding the camera for this one.

 

I suspect it was taken on one of those cheap entirely manual Russian "Cosmic" cameras that cost a princely £4, but which actually had a half-way decent plastic lens, and a fair degree of adjustability. (I think my Zenit B had colour slide film at the time, so it can't have been taken on anything as expensive as that!).

 

Edited April 8, 2010 by alan_fincher

[alan_fincher]

Some further Union Canal Carriers photos.....

 

All from a trip we made in (I think 1973)

 

Bilster the boat we had hired, and which my brother Mike later owned. In the event we were sent out instead with Bexhill.

 

 

Yours truly with Bexhill

 

 

General view taken from Bexill's top plank

 

 

I think the mechanic here must be Ted Ward - it certainly looks like him.

 

Can anybody confirm, please ?

 

I guess it's Bilster to the outside of the boat he is on ?

 

Edited April 8, 2010 by alan_fincher

[antarmike]

Some further Union Canal Carriers photos.....

 

All from a trip we made in (I think 1973)

 

Bilster the boat we had hired, and which my brother Mike later owned. In the event we were sent out instead with Bexhill.

 

 

Yours truly with Bexhill

 

 

General view taken from Bexill's top plank

 

 

I think the mechanic here must be Ted Ward - it certainly looks like him.

 

Can anybody confirm, please ?

 

I guess it's Bilster to the outside of the boat he is on ?

 

Re last picture, that look likes Ted's hat! and judging by the large plates under the dollies, that is Bilster on the outside. ( These plates spread load, four bolts per plate, because top of counter was as bad as the bottom!). Note that Bilster then had no anser (ansel) pins. compare with previous photo.

What happened to the butty back end c/w cabin, lying on offside, just below the bridge.

Edited April 8, 2010 by antarmike

[no.341]

What happened to the butty back end c/w cabin, lying on offside, just below the bridge.

I remember a man living in this, and in Spring edition of NarrowBoat it mentions him, It says his name was Jimpy Golby, mentioned in the article on last traffics 'the Wilsons &Willow Wren'.

James

[antarmike]

I remember a man living in this, and in Spring edition of NarrowBoat it mentions him, It says his name was Jimpy Golby, mentioned in the article on last traffics 'the Wilsons &Willow Wren'.

James

That's it, Jimpy, I remember now, thta was him, but what of the back end?

[Tam & Di]

 

 

not sure of the exact date but mid 1970's

 

Keith

 

and then Helen (and George) in their present mode ...... For the working boatman campers had the advantage that they loaded and discharged themselves, but freight is more peaceful, and dare I say it more worthy. (sorry, I might have put this up before)

 

[pete harrison]

and then Helen (and George) in their present mode ...... For the working boatman campers had the advantage that they loaded and discharged themselves, but freight is more peaceful, and dare I say it more worthy. (sorry, I might have put this up before)

 

 

Its good to see Helen again, even if it is only in photographs.

 

My lasting memory of Helen is being tied with her at the top of Farmers Bridge locks, Birmingham in about 1983. By that time Union Canal Carriers had sold PETREL and although Helen still had the butty MOON it was paired with the Large Woolwich motor ALTON which was on hire from the Narrow Boat Trust. The actual memory relates to two youths riding a motor cycle along the towpath and being physically dismounted by Helen who simply grabbed the bike as it went past - very impressive !!!

 

Then there was the time (also 1983 I think) when the remnants of Alfred Matty & Sons Ltd. day boat fleet were being removed from Coseley and taken to Warwickshire Fly Boat Company at Stockton for conversion into luxury liners. I was involved in moving a couple of these boats and Helen was following us with ALTON and MOON. Everything went well until we got to Radford Locks, near Leamington Spa where the stem post of one of the 'double enders' caught under the balance beam whilst going up. Neither Helen or I could believe how easily the gate was lifted off its pintle, and Helen was caught below the lock !!! I was equally amazed how easy it was to re-place the gate with nothing more than a small bottle jack - and B.W.B. knew nothing about it.

 

Shortly after these occassions Helen left Union Canal Carriers and went to work on a modern pleasure boat for Lewisham Council, and I packed in camping and moved to Bristol.

Edited April 9, 2010 by pete harrison