Seventies boating

[antarmike]

I'm glad you are considering that Mike. Some of the black and whites are pure art - Hulton Picture Library quality.

 

Just a query on the cabin shot inside Bilster - Would there have been a Torgem beside the cooker in there?

Little marvels they were.

 

Derek

Elstree had a torgem, I acn't remembere the make of mine though, I remeber it was bought from Blue Line when I can back from Braunston (see I do know how it is spelt), after the Counter was sorted.

 

By then Bilster had no cabin, and I was camping under the sheets. The Back end was so light I had no "fanhold" and coming ino fenny, totally failed to stop and hit the gates quite hard. Standing there was BWB 's licence man (Perriott???) and he askd me if I always treated his locks like that. I introduced myself, and he said " Oh , the Mr Fincher who refuses to pay for a licence,"

 

I said "No Mr Fincher who refuses to buy a cruising licence and is more than happy to buy a commercial licence but you won't let me have one"

 

"If you can write me a cheque, I will give you one here and now" was his response.

 

I wrote a check, he gave me a licence, we shook hands and that wwas that.

 

A week latter I went back to my parents house to find a letter from Willow Grange waiting for me.

 

"Please return the commercial licence that has been issued to you in error and we will return your cheque" it said.

 

That was the start of a downhill relationship that eventually led me to sell BIlster, ( I will tell yopu about when they arrested me later!) and I had only had the boat a couple of months.!

Edited December 8, 2009 by antarmike

[Steilsteven]

However I had never been on the Thames, it was in full flood, and arriving at the first lock, the keeper asked if I had been on the river like this before. He said he wouldn't let me on the river otherwise (I lied and said yes) He did not know all I had was a road atlas that showed some of the locks!

 

Anyway it was a very hairy run down the river, paying tolls on the coal I had bought, I went as a carrying boat, and the tolls rounded up to 50p (the minimum charge)

 

I was finally locking down Tedington, when the lockie told me that Brentford was closed above the Half tide lock, and with a laugh he said I hadn't time to get to Limehouse, so I'll have to ride a tide on the river. I asked him to let me go back up and I wait to the next tide above Teddington.

 

He said for 50p I was only going through each lock once!

 

So we opted to go off at Brentford and spend the night above the half tide lock until the morning

 

Next morning was out on the river and wait on St catherines dock till the tide turned.

being passed by the Bow Trader, sister to Bow Belle the sand barge that sunk the Marchioness.

 

 

 

 

 

Coming off at limehouse, I stopped briefly in London, tied alonside Duke.

 

I set of north to collect Lyra, which was to be delivered to her new owner at Bedworth. I came south again off the GU in the Company of Ian and Lucy.

 

We had taken of Lyra's rotten Cabin and got as far as buying steel for the new one, On reaching Teddington, I this time paid 50p tolls as a tug, and paid 50p toll on the steel lyiong in Lyra's hold (again rounded up to minimum charge.)

 

 

 

Leaving the Thames at Isis? I delivered Lyra to Bedworth, then turned round and Headed for the Cowroast via the Thames again.

This time I uncovered the coal, I hid under a tarp for the upriver run with Lyra, and paid 50p tolls on the same coal, for another downriver run.

 

And that is how you do three full trips up and down the Thames for £2.00!

 

50p!!!!!

The minimum charge on the Thames for carrying is now almost 40 quid for a motor and 20 for a butty.If running empty it's over £3 per lock.

Fastastic pics btw and very interesting stories.

 

Keith.

[Steve King]

Standing there was BWB 's licence man (Perriott???)

 

Jack Peppiat I think, if we're talking about the same chap. JP I recall was in leisure services and would later give me some gentle hassle about mooring 'Duke' without permission down Paddington Basin (1978-80?) when I was a waterbus steerer for BW. He was a bright thinker considering where he worked and, perhaps inevitably, eventually moved on to the private sector, BW being pretty stultifying at that time remember. I later saw a publicity photo in a WW advertisement with him standing on the counter of Big Woolwich 'Bath' (I think it was) in action pose (while still tied to the bank!) but I can't recall which company that was. Nice man and BW lost an employee with potential when he left.

 

 

Steve

[Paul H]

Jack Peppiat I think, if we're talking about the same chap. JP I recall was in leisure services and would later give me some gentle hassle about mooring 'Duke' without permission down Paddington Basin (1978-80?) when I was a waterbus steerer for BW. He was a bright thinker considering where he worked and, perhaps inevitably, eventually moved on to the private sector, BW being pretty stultifying at that time remember. I later saw a publicity photo in a WW advertisement with him standing on the counter of Big Woolwich 'Bath' (I think it was) in action pose (while still tied to the bank!) but I can't recall which company that was. Nice man and BW lost an employee with potential when he left.

 

 

Steve

Hi Steve,

I think he went off to run Black Prince and the boat was Bristol

 

Paul H

[antarmike]

Jack Peppiat I think, if we're talking about the same chap. JP I recall was in leisure services and would later give me some gentle hassle about mooring 'Duke' without permission down Paddington Basin (1978-80?) when I was a waterbus steerer for BW. He was a bright thinker considering where he worked and, perhaps inevitably, eventually moved on to the private sector, BW being pretty stultifying at that time remember. I later saw a publicity photo in a WW advertisement with him standing on the counter of Big Woolwich 'Bath' (I think it was) in action pose (while still tied to the bank!) but I can't recall which company that was. Nice man and BW lost an employee with potential when he left.

 

 

Steve

 

I went down several times to visit John Dakin, who hoped betwwen his mothers boats Ayhno and Ayr and his fathers house, that was somewhere near St Mary's hospital?? I seem to remember is dad steered the Zoo boats, at the time, but I am strugling to remember his christian name? Do you know him?

 

The next son down from John was Ken? was this the fathers name also? I think at times there where 13 in the extended Brown/ Dakin family, living on Ayhno and Ayr, John and Ken spent a lot of time with their father, when I knew them.

 

I remember much younger brother Joey was of mixed race. Dolly said he is the colour he is because he was concieved in Blisworth tunnel, I think it had more to do with American's on local airbases myself!

 

time to embaress myself, can't embaress Pete, he's dead, I don't know what Ken Dakin would make of this as I beat him up somewhere near the zoo.

Edited December 8, 2009 by antarmike

[kbarber]

Published elsewhere on the forum,but youmight then like to see Elstree and Lyra in camping guise.

 

Picture at Cow Roast winding hole, heading South, probably also around 1973,I think....

 

 

 

Note that with the butty on cross straps,it doesn't really need a steerer at times like this.

Thank you Alan. I hadn't seen the one of Lyra's cabin before, although I'd appreciated the other one. I don't think that was our group but I may be wrong. Oh happy days...

[antarmike]

I have posts all over the shop now, This is probably better in "luby" thread , but I'll keep them all together , my copyright.

Gate lining down Marsworth.

and at second lock down? The Hydraulic paddle gear was rubbish!

 

I remember once lockwheeling at this lock as a noddy was drawing paddles going down. Present at the scene was lock keeper Carlie Turney.

 

A hydraulic pipe burst and the woman winding the paddle got socked in oil. "Is it supposed to do that?" she screamed. Charlie as dry as ever just said " I don't know, I'll go and look in the book" and just pedalled off!

This post has me wondering, because Bilster is still in the livery I bought her in, so she will still have her old cabin, which means the Counterplate has not yet been done, and I am with Angel carrying Bagged coal? I obviously didn't go straight up to Braunston with her did I!!

 

I also have canal pictures taken just as locations, ie no boats in shot.

 

Some will have minor differences to how they look today, other differences will be more significant.

What is different about this one, half way down Maffas?

Edited December 8, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

Fancy me not being able to remember Phobos worked with Ara, I have seen them often enough, here going up bottom of "Gas two"

copyright Mike Fincher

Edited December 8, 2009 by antarmike

[madcat]

Your memories of Halsall are damp ones and maybe not fond.Must have been you that gave it the idea putting blokes in the cut was funny.Managed to dunk my husband at least 2 times I can remember ,nearly managed to dump him at the bottom of the 21 before Id even owned the boat 24 hours.He never fell in when he was in the Merchant Navy but then he was kept safe in an engine room.Not available as a target for antisocial swans there either,needless to say he now stays home and only comes near the boat under protest to work on the engine.

If you publish a book I would definatly buy a copy,brilliant photos and memories

Edited December 8, 2009 by madcat

[alan_fincher]

I went down several times to visit John Dakin, who hoped betwwen his mothers boats Ayhno and Ayr and his fathers house, that was somewhere near St Mary's hospital?? I seem to remember is dad steered the Zoo boats, at the time, but I am strugling to remember his christian name? Do you know him?

Ken is the father's name.

 

I remember much younger brother Joey was of mixed race. Dolly said he is the colour he is because he was concieved in Blisworth tunnel, I think it had more to do with American's on local airbases myself!

She obviously varied her story then! A regular contributor on here, who knew her, says that she claimed to him that it was "drinking too much coffee".

 

This post has me wondering, because Bilster is still in the livery I bought her in, so she will still have her old cabin, which means the Counterplate has not yet been done, and I am with Angel carrying Bagged coal? I obviously didn't go straight up to Braunston with her did I!!

So it could be your memory is as shot topieces as mine is then!

 

I must admit it was my understanding that you had done some carrying with it before getting the leaks fixed.

 

Some will have minor differences to how they look today, other differences will be more significant.

What is different about this one, half way down Maffas?

 

"Please sir! Me sir! I know sir!"

 

"Shut up Fincher - let somebody else have a go!"

 

Also [pedant alert!], if it were half way down Maffers, then there would be a cottage beside it!

Edited December 8, 2009 by alan_fincher

[LEO]

What is different about this one, half way down Maffas?

 

Hi,

 

The tall chimney at Pitstone has been demolished.

 

Excellent pictures, Thanks.

 

Leo

[antarmike]

Goodish load on Bilster.

How good? (my copyright)

I seem to remeber I made it 27 Tons.

 

Loading tables (Gaugeing tables) copied from original, onto a blank form, by Tam, blank form, recycled from Cowroast toll office, original from Bulls Bridge. (if I remeber

Edited December 9, 2009 by antarmike

[kbarber]

Thank you Alan. I hadn't seen the one of Lyra's cabin before, although I'd appreciated the other one. I don't think that was our group but I may be wrong. Oh happy days...

Dohhhh just realised... it couldn't have been our group if it was at Cowroast!!!

 

(Note to self... ensure brain cell is working & brain in gear before operating keyboard!)

[Tam & Di]

She obviously varied her story then! A regular contributor on here, who knew her, says that she claimed to him that it was "drinking too much coffee".

 

Dolly told us she "fell for him in a tunnel". I remember too her telling Di that the best way of keeping warm in the winter was to rub yourself over with lard, then tie brown paper over it - echoes of "Jack and Jill" and falling down hills. She said she did that once it turned frosty and kept it on till the spring. We never did ask, but I guess Joey's birthday would have to be early in the year - a winter conception did not seem likely in the circumstances!

 

I seem to remeber I made it 27 Tons.

 

Loading tables (Gaugeing tables) copied from original, onto a blank form, by Tam, blank form, recycled from Cowroast toll office, original from Bulls Bridge. (if I remeber

 

We salvaged those from a skip at Brentford, along with masses of other papers and some gauging rods. We had to get rid of lots of stuff when we moved from Bulls Bridge, but could not find any museum or other place with public access which would take them, and eventually we regretfully sold them to a book dealer in Bath.

[Smudge]

This i think is the most interesting thread ive read on cwf. Not quite shaw if i want to keep reading or wait for the book,let us know if you publish it Mike im only 15 mins up the road from you i would nip down and buy one

[David Schweizer]

I went down several times to visit John Dakin, who hoped betwwen his mothers boats Ayhno and Ayr and his fathers house, that was somewhere near St Mary's hospital?? I seem to remember is dad steered the Zoo boats, at the time, but I am strugling to remember his christian name? Do you know him?

 

The next son down from John was Ken? was this the fathers name also? I think at times there where 13 in the extended Brown/ Dakin family, living on Ayhno and Ayr, John and Ken spent a lot of time with their father, when I knew them.

 

I remember much younger brother Joey was of mixed race. Dolly said he is the colour he is because he was concieved in Blisworth tunnel, I think it had more to do with American's on local airbases myself!

 

I knew Biily Brown and Dolly Dakin quite well, they often moored opposite us at at Uxbridge, in fact somewhere I have a rather fuzzy B&W photo of Aynho and Ayr (the scruffiest boats on the canal) moored above Uxbridge lock during a stoppage .

 

I had a long chat with John "Knuckles" Dakin a few years ago at Cowley lock, he was still working for BW but had been demoted from Hanwell flight back onto maintenance because someone had complained about his alleged bad language. At the same time he told me that Dolly was still alive and living in Harefield.

 

With regard to Dolly's mixed race son, it was Dolly herself that shouted across the canal to our captain as they passed by, that she got him from drinking too much coffee. I think she may well have changed the story many times for dramatic effect.

Edited December 9, 2009 by David Schweizer

[Hairy-Neil]

With regard to Dolly's mixed race son, it was Dolly herself that shouted across the canal to our captain as they passed by, that she got him from drinking too much coffee.

 

But have you a recording to prove it.....

[David Schweizer]

But have you a recording to prove it.....

[antarmike]

Hi,

 

The tall chimney at Pitstone has been demolished.

 

Excellent pictures, Thanks.

 

Leo

Bill Brown left BWB shortly after leaving Ayno and Ayr and moving into a house up the road from maffas bottom lock. He went to work at Tunnel Cement (as it was then) at Pitstone.

 

 

 

I knew Biily Brown and Dolly Dakin ... somewhere I have a rather fuzzy B&W photo of Aynho and Ayr (the scruffiest boats on the canal)....

 

Well, if you thought their boats were bad, you should have seen their house after they had it for six months, I got invited in and the first thing I saw was a hole through the wall, Dolly said it was where bill had taken a swing and John, but John was faster, ducked out the way, and Bill punched the hole through the wall with his fist.

 

The house got so bad that the Council moved them further down the close, about two years later, and promptly demolished Dolly and Bill's first one!

Edited December 9, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

Out of time period, this is 1998, but it introduces a story,

I was working at Broadwater when a pair came locking uphill. The Butty was a river class, midway through motorisation. I went over and talked to the guy, the converstation got round to "Did I want to buy a couple of L&L shortboat Widdops?" He had bought the river (Exe or Axe?? I think) with the widdops ready for fitting. Someone had started erecting one out of the best bits of the two. I decided not to buy , but an aquaintance did, and I got the job of getting the Widdops out the boat and delivering them In the end we found 2 1/2 Widdops.

 

This is my 1952 Douglad Transporter, lifting out a biggish lump.

 

The lift was done inside Cowroast Marina, and I thought it had all been arranged and cleared with the Marina owner, but within a quarter of an hour he was over demanding money for using his facilities!

 

This reminds me of the day the marina opened. My mooring had been for a year or more acoss where the opening was to be cut. I was allocated another mooring, slightly further south, but still on the towpath.

Did Tam and Di bring up the new bridge? (well old bridge, it is of course the Jam 'ole bridge, reused)

Anyway the point of this is, that the Marina was cut through, and the official opening was the following day. Are you reading my mind here?

 

Yes that night I thought I would be the first in so at about midnight I started up Bilster and went for a blat about in the marina. Bored after half an hour, I went and tied up again.

 

When boats started to arrive, I watched the build up, and one evening, getting back from work, saw that one was inches from sinking. I went in with Bilster and pumped it out, phoned Peter Topping and told him what I had done, and he said "Oh" and put the phone down.

 

I never got a thankyou. Had the boat sunk in would have gone gunwales under and he would have had to built a stank, and pumped a couple of foot out the marina. I thought that "Oh" was a pretty poor response.

 

Braunston, Bideford, still in willow Wren colours, no cabin and a simple derrick crane fitted is the most obvious boat.

Nebulae is against Balliol's slip.

and here she is from the slip.

All photographs my copyright.

Edited December 9, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

Cambourne lies below Dudswell bottom lock, where a stoppage has drained the pound up to Tom Clarkes lock.

 

The old Forge on the left was converted into luxury canalside appartments some years after this, but here lies derelict and unused. The towpath just beyond collapsed and for many years was only about a foot wide. Although walkable on foot , lockwheeling on a bike involved leaving the towpath, going down the side of the forge, going along the road, and rejoining the towpath at the next lock. When we were horse boating had to take the horse of here and shaft past the collapsed towpath.

 

A guy (help me with the name Brian Freeborn??) ran a horseboat, Ruislip, as a hotel boat, horse drawn. He covered most of the network in a year, and he only came down the lower GU once a year.

 

I was with him, when, after the towpath was repaired, and clearly could be seen to be six foot wide again, the horse who had been down that way a year ago stopped and refused to go on. We unhooked the towline, and the horse on its own walked down past the forge, along the road, and back onto the towpath at the next lock. If elephants have good memories, so do horses.

 

 

My copyright

Help me out again, is this Newbold? in which case I have another tale. But I have to go now, hope to find time to post a bit more tomorrow.

Edited December 10, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

Ken is the father's name.

 

 

She obviously varied her story then! A regular contributor on here, who knew her, says that she claimed to him that it was "drinking too much coffee".

 

 

So it could be your memory is as shot topieces as mine is then!

 

I must admit it was my understanding that you had done some carrying with it before getting the leaks fixed.

 

 

 

"Please sir! Me sir! I know sir!"

 

"Shut up Fincher - let somebody else have a go!"

 

Also [pedant alert!], if it were half way down Maffers, then there would be a cottage beside it!

I did some carrying with rubber rawlbolt wall fixings screwed and expanded into holes in the bottom plates! I tell how a more permant repair was done later.

Brothers!! Ok whats unusual (ish) about this picture of the lock HALF WAY DOWN maffas?

Edited December 9, 2009 by antarmike

[alan_fincher]

The hydraulic paddle gear question came up - remember when BW publicity told us it would revolutionise the working of all locks in time, and make them easy to work by those less physically able !

 

You might like to know current situation ?

 

When we first bought Chalice there was still a surviving set at Marsworth, but it has thankfully gone in subsequent gate renewals.

 

Only place I can recall encountering on Southern GU in last couple of years is at Hanwell.

 

They do survive slightly more at other locations though -Lapworth seems to ring a bell as having more than one set.

 

They also "power" at least one lift bridge on that cut, but on our last trip were so knackered that it needed me and David to hang off the balance end to keep the bridge off the passing boat.

 

They are also arround, in truly horrendous form, (and completely unmaintained), to work the "manual" side of some of the paired locks on the Lee, if you are unlucky enough to find the electric side turned off, (Stonebridge was near unworkable a couple of years back).

 

Horrible bloody things, so thanks for reminding us of them!

[antarmike]

This i think is the most interesting thread ive read on cwf. Not quite shaw if i want to keep reading or wait for the book,let us know if you publish it Mike im only 15 mins up the road from you i would nip down and buy one

Have I seen that boat in a pub car park? Does it now moor at Langrick Bridge?

 

Has anyone had any experience of negative scanners, do they have one, can they recommend one? I have been looking through negatives and there are a reasonable number that definitely need transfering into a digital format for a wider audience.

Edited December 9, 2009 by antarmike

[Barry]

Have I seen that boat in a pub car park? Does it now moor at Langrick Bridge?

 

Has anyone had any experience of negative scanners, do they have one, can they recommend one? I have been looking through negatives and there are a reasonable number that definitely need transfering into a digital format for a wider audience.

 

I bought an Epson Stylus Photo RX600 specifically for the purpose

 

Never used it as such though - it'll be a winter project one year I should think