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Seventies boating


antarmike

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I do hope there's another Fincher family 1970s slide show tomorrow.

 

Is it too much to hope for cheese and pineapple on sticks?

 

Paul

 

Classic - the pineapple hedgehog..

 

Supported by Ritz crackers.

 

Memories of coming down to breakfast on New Years day in the 70's - happy times.

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The things parents had in their back gardens...

tablecupboard.jpg

This table cupboard was the one I put into Bilster when I rebuilt the cabin.

 

It was liberated from one of the maintenance boats going down to Bulls Bridge for scrapping, I am fairly sure it was Ayr, as she travelled down to Bulls bridge, after the Dakin/ Browns moved off Ayno and Ayr and into housing in Marsworth.

 

It was in a poor state when it fell off the back of a narrowboat, and I found it laying on the towpath looking for a new home. (Honest m'lud)

 

The Castle had been painted by Sam Brooks many years before, and whilst Ayr was lying unlocked below Broadwater, vandals had gone in and carved "Skins" right across it and over all the roses. The roses could not be saved, but I touched up Sam's castle (consenting adults and all that)

 

We knew Ayr was going for scrapping. However in a big hush hush, the butty Berkamstead had been sold but then scrapped in error. In a quick cover up Ayr was hurriedly repainted with the name Berkamstead, and the buyer who thought he had bought Berko had ended up with Ayr.

 

Had I known Ayr was not going to be scrapped, I might not have picked up the table I found "laying there"

 

I bet that post opens up a debate!

 

We knew Ayr very well, (I often went aboard to talk to Dolly and her family, and I worked regularly with Bill Brown, so I always called in when passing)

and recognised the boat claiming to be Berkhamstead, to be Ayr from all the familiar dents., so don't tell me I am wrong.

Edited by antarmike
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We knew Ayr very well, (I often went aboard to talk to Dolly and her family, and I worked regularly with Bill Brown, so I always called in when passing)

and recognised the boat claiming to be Berkhamstead, to be Ayr from all the familiar dents., so don't tell me I am wrong.

Ah, but if you are right, then the current owner of the Bainton/"Berkhampstead" combination would not after all have that Holy Grail of an original GUCCCo pairing, would they ? I can't see them being in a hurry to admit that what they really have is "Ayr" and that "Berkhampstead" is no more, (except in the unlikely event they ever get it sign-written, and will be charged by the letter!).

 

Someone, (Warrior Woman, I think), asked about known innacuracies in "The George and the Mary".

 

In my (red cover!) edition, butty number 234 is listed as "BERKHAMSTED", which is how the town has generally been known since well before these boats were built. However in it's BW days the boat actually carried the name "BERKHAMPSTEAD", a spelling that had fallen largely out of use long before it was built.....

 

Berkhampstead.jpg

 

I see Mike has gone for a version that compromises between the two!

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Ah, but if you are right, then the current owner of the Bainton/"Berkhampstead" combination would not after all have that Holy Grail of an original GUCCCo pairing, would they ?

Don't Arcturus and Sirius count, then?

 

I thought Indiana Jones discovered that the Holy Grail was wooden.

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I've heard a story about that brass wheel. Will check it out in the pub later and report back.

 

As I understand it the 'brass' wheel on Bilster is thought to have been cast in some other alloy, bronze, gunmetal, rather than brass. The pattern used was the original wheel from the 'Nuneaton'. This wheel was known to be still on the Bilster in august 1997, but was later removed by the then owner before the boat was sold on and is thought to have then been fitted to his new 'noddy' boat, later destroyed in a fire.

 

The Nuneaton original from which it was cast was subsequently sold through Andy Boucher and fitted to the GU 'Capricorn', currently owned by forum member Paul H.

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Don't Arcturus and Sirius count, then?

Sorry,

 

I didn't mean to imply that Bainton/Berkhampstead were the only pair currently (claimed!) as an original one.

 

My other brother's butty, Angel, (on which I am modelling my 1970s hair in these pictures), certainly still seemed to still be with its original pair of Aldgate last time I saw it.

 

Back when these pictures were taken the Humpries' Badsey and Barnes were one of our local "original" pairings, but there is anyway another depicted in Mike's pictures, namely Aynho and Ayr, which firstly Sam and Gladys Horne worked for BW, or, by the time of these pictures Billy Brown and Dolly Dakin.

 

With a bit of work re-finding 30 feet, (or so), to put back in Aynho, it sounds like an Aynho/Ayr combination could still be possible, so all is not lost!

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Sorry,

 

I didn't mean to imply that Bainton/Berkhampstead were the only pair currently (claimed!) as an original one.

 

My other brother's butty, Angel, (on which I am modelling my 1970s hair in these pictures), certainly still seemed to still be with its original pair of Aldgate last time I saw it.

 

Back when these pictures were taken the Humpries' Badsey and Barnes were one of our local "original" pairings, but there is anyway another depicted in Mike's pictures, namely Aynho and Ayr, which firstly Sam and Gladys Horne worked for BW, or, by the time of these pictures Billy Brown and Dolly Dakin.

 

With a bit of work re-finding 30 feet, (or so), to put back in Aynho, it sounds like an Aynho/Ayr combination could still be possible, so all is not lost!

 

Re original pairings, Bilster of course hardly worked as a pair. It was one of the first boats taken out of the carrying fleet, and was a maintanance boat during the war. It was put back into carrying briefly during WW2 when it was used for moving stockpiled food to an emergency Buffer depot set up in Lttle Tring Pumping station, and as such probably has the destinction of being amongst the last boats to have carried cargo on the Wendover arm. She was one of the first GU boats used for ice breaking, again starting this work during WW2, although never shortened or having the modified strengthened front ends of Sickle, Renton and the others.

 

There was very bad wear on her bow plates where ice had folded down the bow on run along the chine. This was the only part of the sides found in need of replating when the counter was put on. plates changed from below bottom guard. Incidentally I think it is because Bister came of the carrying fleet so early, that is why it doesn't have the extra guard on the bow, fitted to so many to protect that part of the hull and bow near the waterline when laden.

 

Information about early life c/o Jim Wallington, whose parents had her as an original paring I believe.

 

Jim wallington also assured me that Bilster's side bed was where he lost his virginity, but I didn't really need to know that!

Edited by antarmike
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My other brother's butty, Angel, (on which I am modelling my 1970s hair in these pictures), certainly still seemed to still be with its original pair of Aldgate last time I saw it.

 

Being seen together does not automatically mean they're in the same ownership.... :lol:

 

My understanding with Aldgate & Angel is that the last owner would only sell them as a pair. I believe the 'consortium' that bought them divided their assets and disbanded immediatly the deal was done, however, their current owners do often travel about together.

 

edited to substitute mostly with often.

Edited by Hairy-Neil
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Without trying to destroy Mikes 1970s theme, I thought some people might be interested to see the boats pictured in recent times.

 

Here is Bilster at Little Venice a couple of months ago.....

 

Bilster_1.jpg

Bilster_2.jpg

 

And delving back to summer 2008, here is how Angel looked......

 

Angel_1.jpg

Angel_2.jpg

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Hi Mike,

 

Brilliant piccies. I can't remember the year just now, but here is Bicester with view of the counter shortly after we bought it and I repainted it (and Cad rebottomed it) in Bulbourne dock.

 

1-2.jpg

 

I also put some of my shots of Collier/Fincher boats plus a couple of others on here a while back. At that time Nautilus and Fazeley were run by Rod Atkin and Jos.

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=20863

Edited by Tam & Di
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On 17th May 1947, Bilster was chartered from the GUCCC by the GWR to clear the path for Cressy on the Stratford cut, as described in Tom Rolt's "Landscape with Canals", part of his autobigraphy. Rolt describes how the sight he had "most feared" was "Bilster firmly wedged in a bridge-hole". I've got a B/W photograph of her, after she got farmed up, with an old Fordson snatching her through the bridge-hole.

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My other brother's butty, Angel, (on which I am modelling my 1970s hair in these pictures), certainly still seemed to still be with its original pair of Aldgate last time I saw it.

 

Without wishing to divert this most interesting thread, Angel's original pair was Alton, despite what "The George and The Mary" says.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

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Without wishing to divert this most interesting thread, Angel's original pair was Alton, despite what "The George and The Mary" says.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

George,

 

By that do you mean that the originally intended pairing was Aldgate/Angel, but delivery dates actually resulted in Alton/Angel instead.

 

Or are you saying it was always planned to pair Alton with Angel, and that the book is simply incorrect.

 

(Just curious, that's all!).

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George,

 

By that do you mean that the originally intended pairing was Aldgate/Angel, but delivery dates actually resulted in Alton/Angel instead.

 

Or are you saying it was always planned to pair Alton with Angel, and that the book is simply incorrect.

 

(Just curious, that's all!).

I've come to think of the 'original' pairings, based on fleet numbers, to be largely hypothetical - am I right in understanding that many of them never happened, and perhaps were never even intended to? After all, there was surely no guarantee - or even likelihood - that a motor boat and a butty (often from different builders) would be ready at the same time, even if built in the same sequence, and they wouldn't keep them hanging around, would they?

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George,

 

By that do you mean that the originally intended pairing was Aldgate/Angel, but delivery dates actually resulted in Alton/Angel instead.

 

Or are you saying it was always planned to pair Alton with Angel, and that the book is simply incorrect.

 

(Just curious, that's all!).

 

As I understand it, your first idea is correct. From the horses mouth, the crew went to collect Alton and Aboyne. Aboyne wasn't ready but Angel was, so they took that instead.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

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I've come to think of the 'original' pairings, based on fleet numbers, to be largely hypothetical - am I right in understanding that many of them never happened, and perhaps were never even intended to? After all, there was surely no guarantee - or even likelihood - that a motor boat and a butty (often from different builders) would be ready at the same time, even if built in the same sequence, and they wouldn't keep them hanging around, would they?

 

Original G.U.C.C.Co. Ltd. pairings (as per Alan H. Faulkner's "The George and The Mary") were only ever intentional. Although most of the 'Small' boats were delivered as pairs and started off together the 'Large' boats came from three different builders and consequently entered service as 'miss-matched' pairs. This is often proven by the masters names listed in the Health Registers.

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Original G.U.C.C.Co. Ltd. pairings (as per Alan H. Faulkner's "The George and The Mary") were only ever intentional. Although most of the 'Small' boats were delivered as pairs and started off together the 'Large' boats came from three different builders and consequently entered service as 'miss-matched' pairs. This is often proven by the masters names listed in the Health Registers.

 

Even within "The George and The Mary" there is a clue to more likely actual pairings of the large boats in the gauging and registration numbers. This clearly shows Alton and Angel together at both gauging and registration which helps to corroborate my "horses mouth" source (who has sadly since died).

 

George ex nb Alton retired

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On 17th May 1947, Bilster was chartered from the GUCCC by the GWR to clear the path for Cressy on the Stratford cut, as described in Tom Rolt's "Landscape with Canals", part of his autobigraphy. Rolt describes how the sight he had "most feared" was "Bilster firmly wedged in a bridge-hole". I've got a B/W photograph of her, after she got farmed up, with an old Fordson snatching her through the bridge-hole.

 

Can I just confirm here that BILSTER was chartered by the G.W.R. from the Grand Union Canal Company (Hatton Depot) rather than the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company Ltd. for the above trip.

 

BILSTER had been sold by the G.U.C.C.Co. Ltd. in November 1945 to the G.U.C.Co. for use as a maintenance boat, although period documents state that it was already on hire to them earlier in that year. BILSTER passed to 'British Waterways' in 1948 and was tendered for sale in the early part of 1963 when it passed to F.B. Lycett, Willenhall.

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