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Old 1970s Negatives - Part 4


alan_fincher

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Another clutch of scans from old negatives.

 

We have a number of active members on the forum on the off-side linear moorings at Cow Roast. But a long while back BW trashed everything that was on that side of the cut, laid it bare, and left little more than a piled edge.

 

It has now matured into a very nice mooring, as sheds, trees, plants and gardens have appeared over the years.

 

But the "old" moorings had even more character.

 

I'm not sure many will know it had it's own slipway, mainly so as the resident "Major" who was kind of lord of the manor there could pull his boat out of the water for winters. He however allowed "his" slip to be used by others in the summer, albeit that it was a b***ard to actually get a boat up.

 

Here are a couple of views that show something of the place.

 

CowRoast_1.jpg

 

CowRoast_2.jpg

 

I know I have some more, but can't find them right now - I'll add them if I do.

 

The next image isn't too clever, being a photograph of a photograph, but shows an aerial view of Cow Roast long before the current marina was built.

 

CowRoast_3.jpg

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Another clutch of scans from old negatives.

 

We have a number of active members on the forum on the off-side linear moorings at Cow Roast. But a long while back BW trashed everything that was on that side of the cut, laid it bare, and left little more than a piled edge.

 

It has now matured into a very nice mooring, as sheds, trees, plants and gardens have appeared over the years.

 

Fascinating pictures, Alan. There must be thousands of pictures like this taken in the sixties and seventies which are just as much part of our waterway history as all the very well known ones taken in the thirties, forties and fifties. It’s a great shame that there’s no central archive or website where they can be stored for others to study and enjoy. I know there’s stuff stashed away at Gloucester, but access to that is well nigh impossible.

I was particularly interested to see that sheds were allowed on the site in the past, because when I moved onto the moorings ten years ago, BW said that this was not the case and that the shed which I inherited on my mooring was illegal. I argued with them that there had been sheds on the moorings for years, but without the evidence of your photo I couldn’t prove it. I arrived back to the moorings the next weekend to find that BW had trashed the shed, leaving a pile of matchwood in its place.

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I argued with them that there had been sheds on the moorings for years, but without the evidence of your photo I couldn’t prove it.

Ah, you should have asked, you see.... :lol:

 

I have somewhere some pictures of the far end of the moorings, near where Leo moors.

 

As the edges were not piled, people had constructed theit own staging out of anything they could. We eventually inherited a lovely little mooring, that today would I guess be constructed by going to the "decking" section of any big DIY store. It was shaped to fit a small cruiser, so we fitted snugly along the whole length of the boat, rather than pivoting about a single fender at the fattest bit of the boat.

 

If I can find them, I'll post them.

 

Also have somewhere a newspaper cutting about the shameful growth of boats at Cow Roast, clogging up all the moorings, so visiting boats couldn't moor. Sound familiar ?

 

Back then both sides were permanent moorings, so it was hardly surprising it was clogged up with moored boats. :lol:

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Also have somewhere a newspaper cutting about the shameful growth of boats at Cow Roast, clogging up all the moorings, so visiting boats couldn't moor. Sound familiar ?

 

Back then both sides were permanent moorings, so it was hardly surprising it was clogged up with moored boats. :lol:

 

I seem to remember that Peter Topping, who opened the Cow Roast Marina, negotiated a very good deal with BW which included a provision that no boats should be allowed permanent moorings outside his marina because they would take business away from him!

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Alan,

 

Great pictures!

 

The ariel one is excellent, a car dealership seem to have taken over from the scrapyard. Records indicate that a B17 crashed by the site where the marina gates now stand' whilst trying to land nearby (Bovingdon or Cheddington?).

 

Thanks.

 

Leo

 

PS - It looks as though the scrap yard is still there but tidier than I remember - any idea on dates?

Edited by LEO
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Leo,

 

The pictures of the moorings are almost certainly 1972.

 

I got the camera, a Russian Zenit B "clunker" with no light meetering, (hence so many crap negatives!), in 1971, but too late for these pictures

 

I can't remember when we "upgraded" from the Water Baby, but it can't have been much after that.

 

The aerial photos, I have no idea. My dad worked for the Rural District Council, and borrowed them one weekend. I simply laid them out and photographed them. Could well be quite a bit earlier, as I can't see certain large boats that would have been on the moorings before the 1970s, (like Scout, most prominently).

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Leo,

 

The pictures of the moorings are almost certainly 1972.

 

I got the camera, a Russian Zenit B "clunker" with no light meetering, (hence so many crap negatives!), in 1971, but too late for these pictures

 

I can't remember when we "upgraded" from the Water Baby, but it can't have been much after that.

 

The aerial photos, I have no idea. My dad worked for the Rural District Council, and borrowed them one weekend. I simply laid them out and photographed them. Could well be quite a bit earlier, as I can't see certain large boats that would have been on the moorings before the 1970s, (like Scout, most prominently).

 

 

Well I think your old piccies are great...much better than my Instamatic. :lol:

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If Alan was trolling to and from Aylesbury from Cow Roast by Green Line, or even 301, there's a good chance I might have driven him to it . . .

:lol:

I resent being accused of trolling on an Internet forum! :lol:

 

But yes, Green Line, (was it 706 / 707 ??), or 301 Bus both equally likely.

 

Some strange things got carried in the name of canalling!

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I resent being accused of trolling on an Internet forum! :lol:

But yes, Green Line, (was it 706 / 707 ??), or 301 Bus both equally likely.

Some strange things got carried in the name of canalling!

 

Ah! Yes - forgot the alternative use of that word! The first Mrs. Reynolds used that word as a description of to-ing and fro-ing, think it was a hang over from those days. Very mini skirts, Bibas, and legs!

Don't remember any outboards or boat shafts being fetched on board though. It would have been 706 during those years, the 707 had been withdrawn in February 1969, and the 706 went half hourly to compensate. Oh lore - don't start me on buses . . .

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OK, some more negatives found for Cow Roast moorings in days long before the marina, and before BW completely razed everything on the non-towpath side to start again.

 

Pictures from the era 72 to 74, I'm fairly certain.

 

Andy and Tim Collier's "Elstree" & "Lyra" head towards the lock with another group of campers.

 

Note the advantages of a butty on cross straps when crossing the summit - no steerer required.

 

Zen_026_021_CowRoast_Elstree_and_Ly.jpg

 

A general view showing the huge houseboat barge 'Scout', which I'm told subsequently sank.

 

It and the much smaller boat "Jimpy", (next along), were probably the only two houseboats officially recognised by the local council, although many others were occupied.

 

Zen_031_014_CowRoast_Scout_and_Wind.jpg

 

This view shows our boat Kerbau, (allegedly built 1898), an old Stewart's and Llloyds tube carrying boat, shortened to 40 feet. I don't know what the wooden butty next door was, I wonder if anybody does ?

 

Zen_031_015_CowRoast_Kerbau_and_Unk.jpg

 

This view is looking away past that butty towards Bulbourne & Marsworth. At the time both sides of the canal were permanent moorings.

 

Note a sunken cruiser on the towpath side - a not unusual situation. The boat "Betty" who's back end just makes into this picture was, I suspect, a Runcorn header, although I didn't know that then.

 

Zen_031_012_CowRoast_Unknown_Wooden.jpg

 

I have pictures taken much further up, on the small landing stages that were the norm at this time. I can't find the negatives though, and suspect they were on a roll film camera, rather than 35mm. If all else fails, I'll try scanning the prints.

 

Alan

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  • 2 months later...

Some more not very good pictures of the Cow Roast, but maybe of interest to those on the forum currently mooring on the spots pictured.

 

Also there is an unusually large contingent of "real" boats visiting.

 

The first is believed to show....

 

Elizabeth, (probably alongside Japonica)

Renown (alongside the barge Scout)

Colonel (moving)

Betty (inside), Badsey (middle) & Barnes (outside)

 

Cow_Roast_Visitors_1.jpg

 

and on the other side of the cut....

 

Unknown motor (outside, facing North), Bilster (middle) & Angel (inside)

 

Cow_Roast_Visitors_2.jpg

 

Between Renown and Betty/Badsey/Barnes is my old BCN boat in course of having it's cabin rebuilt.

 

Japonica, (probably hidden behind Elizabeth) was a modern steel boat, but otherwise these shots are notable for the total absence of any other modern steel. Everything else was wood or GRP.

 

No marina yet, at this stage, either.

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Nice pics Alan. I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of having a go at colour correcting the last two. They are still not quite right but the're a bit closer.

No problem at all.

 

They look 1000% better.

 

File size has gone up a bit though - even on my fast broadband they take several seconds to load, so might be a bit slow for anybody on 3G.

 

What software is that you are using, and is it easy, please ?

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No problem at all.

 

They look 1000% better.

 

File size has gone up a bit though - even on my fast broadband they take several seconds to load, so might be a bit slow for anybody on 3G.

 

What software is that you are using, and is it easy, please ?

I did it using Adobe photoshop (expensive, I have a copy through work) but any photo software that allows you to minipulate the Red/Green/Blue levels seperatly (ie one channel at once) will be fine plus colour saturation adjustments. It doesn't take long to do and is quite easy when you have had a go few times.

 

I can post some smaller images I guess.

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  • 2 weeks later...
It's just a hunch but that butty has a more "massive" look to it, than a Town Class. It may be a Royalty (possibly Adelaide, before her conversion was removed?).

 

My money (and no I don't have any) goes on this butty being WIDDICOMBE FAIR, originally named COUGHTON (Large Ricky). The fore end probably looks "massive" as the stern is down owing to its motor conversion (which retained the original butty stern) in the same way that an empty Large Woolwich motor looks much bigger than a empty Large Woolwich butty.

 

COUGHTON was converted to the motor house boat WIDDICOMBE FAIR in 1962 by Willow Wren Canal Carrying Company, Braunston for a private owner and was fitted with a Seffle S14BF 7-8hp single semi-diesel (removed 1984). I have WIDDICOMBE FAIR as a house boat at Cowroast from at least 1966 to 1975 and possibly longer. WIDDICOMBE FAIR was renamed COUGHTON in 1984 and is now a sunken hulk at the end of the Troy cut (well it was on 25/08/2007).

 

I have the original 'British Waterways' list of boats deliberately sunk at Harefield (along with several not on the list that were subesquently sunk there and seen when the water level was low) and on that list is ADELAIDE along with two other named buttys of this type (enthusiasts call them 'Royalty Class'). Period 'British Waterways' documents do say how the other butty was disposed of and it must be this boat that is now called ADELAIDE (possibly renamed shortly after disposal). I did try to talk with owner about this ten years ago but she did not want to listen !

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I did try to talk with owner about this ten years ago but she did not want to listen !

Yes, I've repeatedly asked her if I can take accurate measurements, of the boat, but she has always refused.

 

I have, however, breasted Taplow up, with the boat and it certainly did appear bigger.

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Yes, I've repeatedly asked her if I can take accurate measurements, of the boat, but she has always refused.

 

I have, however, breasted Taplow up, with the boat and it certainly did appear bigger.

 

Does she still own it ?

 

Of course it could also be either DUCHESS or PRINCESS, both of which went off radar after the G.U.C.C.Co. Ltd. sold them so I still have them 'on my books'.

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  • 3 months later...
My money (and no I don't have any) goes on this butty being WIDDICOMBE FAIR, originally named COUGHTON (Large Ricky). The fore end probably looks "massive" as the stern is down owing to its motor conversion (which retained the original butty stern) in the same way that an empty Large Woolwich motor looks much bigger than a empty Large Woolwich butty.

 

COUGHTON was converted to the motor house boat WIDDICOMBE FAIR in 1962 by Willow Wren Canal Carrying Company, Braunston for a private owner and was fitted with a Seffle S14BF 7-8hp single semi-diesel (removed 1984). I have WIDDICOMBE FAIR as a house boat at Cowroast from at least 1966 to 1975 and possibly longer. WIDDICOMBE FAIR was renamed COUGHTON in 1984 and is now a sunken hulk at the end of the Troy cut (well it was on 25/08/2007).

Pete,

 

Sorry, I can't remember having seen this post when you first made it - I think we went boating about then - so maybe why.

 

Now I see that "Widdicombe Fair" name I am in absolutely no doubt at all that it is the wooden butty featured in my posts.

 

The name comes straight back to me now I've seen it - DEFINITELY what is pictured.

 

Here are some more shots of our first family boat, an ex BW "Water Baby" hire cruiser. They are taken towards the far end of extent of the Cow Roast linear moorings, and show non tow-path (i.e A41) side taken from the tow-path (i.e Railway) side. If I had to guess, about 1971, I think, but not sure. They're on 620 roll film, taken on my dad's old "bellows" camera !!

 

I wonder if Albi/Leo/Mike can recognise where he now moors - it is very different before all those personalised landing stages got flattened, and the banks piled by BW, although much of the character has come back slowly now, over time, as trees and bushes have grown as replacements

 

What some apparently called the "Cow Roast Arm", (in practice an incomplete attempt by BW to provide a replacement for the previous slipway), was later built at the extreme right of what is pictured. It is now no more, of course.

 

Gnat_001.jpg

 

Gnat_002.jpg

 

Gnat_003.jpg

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Pete,

I wonder if Albi/Leo/Mike can recognise where he now moors - it is very different before all those personalised landing stages got flattened, and the banks piled by BW, although much of the character has come back slowly now, over time, as trees and bushes have grown as replacements

 

Great pictures, things have changed, I think one small section of post and rail fencing remains on one mooring, the small elm trees have been replaced by blackthorn and in some instances the unbiquitous Leylandi.

 

One of the longstanding moorers who had a cruiser at this point died last year, I will (upon my return from holiday) show her copies of these pictures - may be their boat is pictured as they had a cruiser to start with.

 

The Cowroast arm was something of a joke, many people mistook the small slipway for the correct winding hole which is about 200 yards further on towards the lock, with inevitable and interesting results.

 

Thanks to the replaced GU mileposts I am pleased to report that this picture was taken exactly 58 miles from Braunston.

 

 

Leo.

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Now I see that "Widdicombe Fair" name I am in absolutely no doubt at all that it is the wooden butty featured in my posts.

 

I can confirm that Alan, I have a photo of Widdicombe Fair at Charity Dock on 19th Feb 1978 and it is the same boat. It was painted in light blue, with dark blue surround and lining-out.

 

 

Steve

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One of the longstanding moorers who had a cruiser at this point died last year, I will show her copies of these pictures - may be their boat is pictured as they had a cruiser to start with.

Am I misreading this ? Might that not be a bit difficult ? :lol: :lol: :lol:

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