Passing Cook's Wharf 1958

[Derek R.]

A little lad aged ten years, and a box Brownie. Geoff Hudspith's parents would take him from home for a pic-nic by the canal, and close to the railway embankment for a day out. One of his favourite spots, as he could watch trains on the West Coast main line hauled by Duchess Pacifics, Scot's, Jubilees, Patriots, Black Fives and the usual LMS classes - and also the canal boats. Above the pair in the middle distance, is the runway of RAF Cheddington opened in 1942 and taken over by the USAAF in September that year. The layout of the base can still clearly be seen today from the aerials.

 

This shot was taken from the bridge that takes Wellington Place over the cut beside Cook's Wharf. Motor TERN, and butty KESTREL are running empty back to the pits most like. These were formerly the FMC motor EMU, and GUCC Middle Northwich TRIAGULUM.

 

 

Derek

Edited December 5, 2009 by Derek R.

[Keeping Up]

A lovely shot, thanks for posting it.

 

Interesting to see how it highlights the difference in the bow shapes of the two boats.

[carlt]

A lovely shot, thanks for posting it.

 

Interesting to see how it highlights the difference in the bow shapes of the two boats.

Are you sure that's Kestrel?

[Derek R.]

Are you sure that's Kestrel?

 

The actual print was very small being taken with a Brownie Box. I haven't seen that, but Geoff assures me it is, and having taken many myself as a nipper can vouch for the size around 2" x 1.5", some were square. I think the developers and printers around that time thought people looked at photo albums with magnifying glasses! Maybe they were saving paper and ink!

 

The scan he took and posted me by snail mail, is 6" x 4". This is quite a bit clearer than what you see on the screen, but whilst the name on TERN was a bit difficult to discern, a process of elimination through the book lists saw TERN as the most likely, and with a magnifying glass the individual letters can be distinguished even though a bit of fender rope is laying across the top bend. With KESTREL the name is very clear. This is Willow Wrens re-naming of TRIAGULUM, it's not very clear on the transference from the copy I have to the computer. Middle Northwich rubbing strakes I believe are quite distinctive too, though I ought to know, I'm afraid I haven't made a study of them.

 

Derek

[Chris Pink]

The actual print was very small being taken with a Brownie Box. I haven't seen that, but Geoff assures me it is, and having taken many myself as a nipper can vouch for the size around 2" x 1.5", some were square. I think the developers and printers around that time thought people looked at photo albums with magnifying glasses! Maybe they were saving paper and ink!

 

The scan he took and posted me by snail mail, is 6" x 4". This is quite a bit clearer than what you see on the screen, but whilst the name on TERN was a bit difficult to discern, a process of elimination through the book lists saw TERN as the most likely, and with a magnifying glass the individual letters can be distinguished even though a bit of fender rope is laying across the top bend. With KESTREL the name is very clear. This is Willow Wrens re-naming of TRIAGULUM, it's not very clear on the transference from the copy I have to the computer. Middle Northwich rubbing strakes I believe are quite distinctive too, though I ought to know, I'm afraid I haven't made a study of them.

 

Derek

 

Is it possible to get a higher resolution pic of this, I don't think it's Kestrel either although the angle is tricky.

 

 

edit: why does it matter? it obviously did to me which makes I laugh. Of course it doesn't.

Edited December 6, 2009 by Chris Pink

[carlt]

Is it possible to get a higher resolution pic of this, I don't think it's Kestrel either although the angle is tricky.

 

 

edit: why does it matter? it obviously did to me which makes I laugh. Of course it doesn't.

It matters a lot.

 

It is a wonderful picture that it enjoyable to look at, not least because of the motorbike that, owing to the blurriness, looks remarkable similar to a time traveller's Suzuki Katana.

 

The anorak in me demands that the true identity of the boat be revealed, though.

 

I'm no expert on matters metal but the bows just don't say Middle Northwich.

[Chris Pink]

bows just don't say Middle Northwich.

 

Completely agree and it it matters to you then I'll allow it to matter to me too - i rather thought it did, i just found it amusing that it should.

 

Actually i am a little less certain now having blown the picture up, it is a strange and angle and the silhouette of the butty against Tern's bend is a lot more Northwich curvy than the rather flat face presented by the port quarter. So Kestrel becomes possible.

 

I'd hazard the motorcycle as a BSA, C15 or maybe A50 with a common seat mod in the 60s and 70s.

 

Don't see what people see in trains though, although i suppose you could see them a grown up sewing machines.

Edited December 6, 2009 by Chris Pink

[Timleech]

I'm no expert on matters metal but the bows just don't say Middle Northwich.

 

First impression is much more Large Woolwich than anything Northwich.

Any possibility that the name was transferred within the fleet? I haven't checked but that must have been rather early in WW days.

 

Tim

[Paul H]

First impression is much more Large Woolwich than anything Northwich.

Any possibility that the name was transferred within the fleet? I haven't checked but that must have been rather early in WW days.

 

Tim

Going by Alan Faulkner's book "Willow Wren" the only GUCCC boats in service with Willow Wren up to 1958 were Greenshank and Kestrel and it is clearly a Northwich boat so it must be Kestrel. I think its the rather strange camera angle which is misleading.

 

That all relies on the date being right but the only other GUCCC butties WW had in their original fleet were wooden anyway.

 

Paul H

[Timleech]

Going by Alan Faulkner's book "Willow Wren" the only GUCCC boats in service with Willow Wren up to 1958 were Greenshank and Kestrel and it is clearly a Northwich boat so it must be Kestrel. I think its the rather strange camera angle which is misleading.

 

 

Paul H

 

Yes having been out and compared with a real Large Northwich bow it becomes clearer, the pic makes the forefoot look much fuller than it really is but in other respects it is 'right'.

 

Tim

[carlt]

Don't see what people see in trains though, although i suppose you could see them a grown up sewing machines.

I've got 3 old Singers and have just finished reupholstering the camper van

[Derek R.]

Suzuki Katana????

 

Most likely a BSA C12, it has that BSA dual seat with the pronounced dip. I tried with high resolution for the bike, but it's too fuzzy, it's here anyway.

 

 

 

 

Trains grown up sewing machines? Steam, oil, smoke, heat, huge pieces of reciprocating metal, giants at work, teamwork rewarded.

 

Derek

 

PS This would have been about four years after the start of WW.

Edited December 6, 2009 by Derek R.

[Laurence Hogg]

It is definatly a middle Northwich boat as the second lower full length rubbing strake roughly lies mid way up the sides. This was a hallmark of those boats, otherwise they were similar to ordinary small Northwich boats.