Ernest Thomas pleasure boats

[Joseph]

Evenin' all

 

Some time ago there were discussions on this forum about early hire boat fleets. My own earliest encounter with waterways was with the hire fleet of Ernest Thomas. In July 1963 we hired Kingfisher from him at Gailey, and Heron in July 1964. On both journeys we went from Gailey to Ellesmere and back, in a fortnight. I have some of my late father's home movies of these trips, and also ones at Calf Heath, seemingly in July 1965, when Mr Thomas had constructed the cafe there and was clearing out the first two locks on the Hatherton Branch. The gates to the first lock looked reasonable but the lower gates to the second lock were full of holes!

 

I wonder if anyone has any memories of this fleet and its operations. I have gleaned some details from various postings here and to the rec.waterways newsgroup. From my own memory the holiday fleet, all named after birds, included the smaller boats Robin and Wren, and possibly Coot and Linnet. Others have recalled Eagle, Hawk and Raven (seemingly afloat according to a 1999 posting) and Swallow (reported seen in poor order in 1998). It seems that an ET boat was still moored at Calf Heath in 2006 and that another had been restored.

 

There was also a trip boat Maverick, skippered by Fred Moore (whom I vaguely recall) and which I saw running north from around Bridge 6 on the Shropshire Union in the later 1960s. I gather that the fleet was operating in the early 1970s but that some of the earlier boats were replaced in that decade. It's hard to tell from photographs, but the early ones seem to have been converted joeys, but later ones purpose-built. I am unsure when hiring ended, but I think (using my failing memory of a source I cannot now trace ) that Ernest Thomas began hiring in 1959 from Gailey.

 

One odd memory from 1963 is that Kingfisher broke down at Goldstone Wharf, and ET sent a lorry and block and tackle to lift out the engine and install another engine. I have not heard of this kind of practice since.

 

I did see the Kingfisher sunk and abandoned above the second lock at Calf Heath (it must have been a feat to get that top gate open!!) around 1977 or 1978, but does anyone know about the fate of any other boats? Did anyone on this forum hire any of the ET boats, and if so, is my impression correct, that these were somewhat more luxurious than similar hire boats of the time? And when were the origianl "Bird" boats withdrawn fromn service?

 

I would be very interested if anyone has any memories or information to share over this.

 

Joseph

[carlt]

Gordon, who I last heard was working at Caggy's yard, has an Ernie Thomas pleasure boat that he has rebuilt.

[Canalfreak]

My wife and I hired Robin in 1973. It was relatively very cheap and all we could afford.

 

Slowest boat on the cut, not that it stopped us having a marvellous fortnight. Even found the Anchor Inn open at High Offley, and we had to turn round on the Trent and Mersey as the Harecastle Tunnel roof had fallen in.

 

At one stage we were overtaken by one of the old boatmen on the staff singlehanding one of the other boats in the ET fleet. When we got back to the yard he apologised for needing to rush past us but apparently the boat was sinking and so he was trying to get back as fast as he could!!

 

He also congratulated us for going at a nice steady pace and not overdoing it like a lot of people. True, but we were also going flat out. In fact the only way we got over Chirk Aqueduct upstream after overnight rain was by me bowhauling it (as well as using the engine).

 

It had a cooling radiator for the engine with its neck sticking up through the rear deck. No cap or other closure. It just happily boiled away all day.

 

And as for the pumpout loo....a modern luxury you might think for those days. No, it pumped straight out!!

 

Ah, those were the days!!!

 

Bob.

[Hugh]

In 1965, members of the Peak Forest Canal Society work party hired the 6-berth Lark (seemed an appropriate name) for a week and took it to Stratford. I recall a very slow and smelly 2-cylinder Fowler engine that stopped the boat in around 200 yards when put into reverse from the max speed of 2mph. All the brassware was stamped 'ET' including the specially made hinges for the engine deck cover. We mused over this every day and made up the name of a mythical character 'Euphraim Tudd' for some reason (funny how you recall these things). Also recall being moored on the River Avon opposite the theatre in Stratford with a guy called Peter Harrison (no relation as far as I know to others of that name) playing clarinet (or some similar instrument) on the front of the boat to an audience of American tourists.

We hired it again in subsequently years to explore even more exciting waterways like the BCN.

Hugh

[Max Sinclair]

Evenin' all

 

Some time ago there were discussions on this forum about early hire boat fleets. My own earliest encounter with waterways was with the hire fleet of Ernest Thomas. In July 1963 we hired Kingfisher from him at Gailey, and Heron in July 1964. On both journeys we went from Gailey to Ellesmere and back, in a fortnight. I have some of my late father's home movies of these trips, and also ones at Calf Heath, seemingly in July 1965, when Mr Thomas had constructed the cafe there and was clearing out the first two locks on the Hatherton Branch. The gates to the first lock looked reasonable but the lower gates to the second lock were full of holes!

 

I wonder if anyone has any memories of this fleet and its operations. I have gleaned some details from various postings here and to the rec.waterways newsgroup. From my own memory the holiday fleet, all named after birds, included the smaller boats Robin and Wren, and possibly Coot and Linnet. Others have recalled Eagle, Hawk and Raven (seemingly afloat according to a 1999 posting) and Swallow (reported seen in poor order in 1998). It seems that an ET boat was still moored at Calf Heath in 2006 and that another had been restored.

 

There was also a trip boat Maverick, skippered by Fred Moore (whom I vaguely recall) and which I saw running north from around Bridge 6 on the Shropshire Union in the later 1960s. I gather that the fleet was operating in the early 1970s but that some of the earlier boats were replaced in that decade. It's hard to tell from photographs, but the early ones seem to have been converted joeys, but later ones purpose-built. I am unsure when hiring ended, but I think (using my failing memory of a source I cannot now trace ) that Ernest Thomas began hiring in 1959 from Gailey.

 

One odd memory from 1963 is that Kingfisher broke down at Goldstone Wharf, and ET sent a lorry and block and tackle to lift out the engine and install another engine. I have not heard of this kind of practice since.

 

I did see the Kingfisher sunk and abandoned above the second lock at Calf Heath (it must have been a feat to get that top gate open!!) around 1977 or 1978, but does anyone know about the fate of any other boats? Did anyone on this forum hire any of the ET boats, and if so, is my impression correct, that these were somewhat more luxurious than similar hire boats of the time? And when were the origianl "Bird" boats withdrawn fromn service?

 

I would be very interested if anyone has any memories or information to share over this.

 

Joseph

 

Evenin' all

 

Some time ago there were discussions on this forum about early hire boat fleets. My own earliest encounter with waterways was with the hire fleet of Ernest Thomas. In July 1963 we hired Kingfisher from him at Gailey, and Heron in July 1964. On both journeys we went from Gailey to Ellesmere and back, in a fortnight. I have some of my late father's home movies of these trips, and also ones at Calf Heath, seemingly in July 1965, when Mr Thomas had constructed the cafe there and was clearing out the first two locks on the Hatherton Branch. The gates to the first lock looked reasonable but the lower gates to the second lock were full of holes!

 

I wonder if anyone has any memories of this fleet and its operations. I have gleaned some details from various postings here and to the rec.waterways newsgroup. From my own memory the holiday fleet, all named after birds, included the smaller boats Robin and Wren, and possibly Coot and Linnet. Others have recalled Eagle, Hawk and Raven (seemingly afloat according to a 1999 posting) and Swallow (reported seen in poor order in 1998). It seems that an ET boat was still moored at Calf Heath in 2006 and that another had been restored.

 

There was also a trip boat Maverick, skippered by Fred Moore (whom I vaguely recall) and which I saw running north from around Bridge 6 on the Shropshire Union in the later 1960s. I gather that the fleet was operating in the early 1970s but that some of the earlier boats were replaced in that decade. It's hard to tell from photographs, but the early ones seem to have been converted joeys, but later ones purpose-built. I am unsure when hiring ended, but I think (using my failing memory of a source I cannot now trace ) that Ernest Thomas began hiring in 1959 from Gailey.

 

One odd memory from 1963 is that Kingfisher broke down at Goldstone Wharf, and ET sent a lorry and block and tackle to lift out the engine and install another engine. I have not heard of this kind of practice since.

 

I did see the Kingfisher sunk and abandoned above the second lock at Calf Heath (it must have been a feat to get that top gate open!!) around 1977 or 1978, but does anyone know about the fate of any other boats? Did anyone on this forum hire any of the ET boats, and if so, is my impression correct, that these were somewhat more luxurious than similar hire boats of the time? And when were the origianl "Bird" boats withdrawn fromn service?

 

I would be very interested if anyone has any memories or information to share over this.

 

Joseph

I remember meeting Thomas's pair of trip boats near Calf Heath. photo available. My children were delighted to see the skipper had a parrot on his shoulder.

[Joseph]

Thanks everyone

 

It's odd, given that so many people expereinced them, that more has not been recorded and written about hire boat fleets and operations. Odd sources have turned up through Google sources, but someone (not me) could usefully track down a lot of detail. http://www.canalscape.net/ is an interesting site with a lot of pointers and memories.

 

I have been looking further, and have found that Ernest Thomas died in 1973, aged 77. I think his widow survived him by many years. There is a photograph that confirms Coot in the fleet, and Dad's films show Falcon. It seems to show three boats that could be trip boats, two of them clearly conversions.

 

Great memories - Mr Sinclair, that photograph sounds interesting if it can be scanned and posted here. Canalfreak and Hugh, you confirm a memory of mine, that the boats were extremely slow. When we got back to Gailey my father set off down the A5 at about 15 mph - it seemed to be going very fast!!

 

I have found that Ray, Mr Thomas' son, kept the firm going until at least 1983, but I am under the impression that the whole place was sold off at some stage.

 

If anyone has any more details (e.g. which boat has been restored?) or memories I would be very interested.

 

Joseph

[PhilR]

3 of us hired the Wren for 2 weeks in June 1967. It cost us £29 each!!!

 

It was a brilliant fortnight ........ hot sun every day. The twin cylinder Fowler coped well despite the oil pressure gauge rarely reading above 2 PSI when hot. Ernie was very surprise at how much fuel we had used, but we did cruise for an average of 11 hours per day..

 

Happy days!!................

[Max Sinclair]

My wife and I hired Robin in 1973. It was relatively very cheap and all we could afford.

 

Slowest boat on the cut, not that it stopped us having a marvellous fortnight. Even found the Anchor Inn open at High Offley, and we had to turn round on the Trent and Mersey as the Harecastle Tunnel roof had fallen in.

 

At one stage we were overtaken by one of the old boatmen on the staff singlehanding one of the other boats in the ET fleet. When we got back to the yard he apologised for needing to rush past us but apparently the boat was sinking and so he was trying to get back as fast as he could!!

 

He also congratulated us for going at a nice steady pace and not overdoing it like a lot of people. True, but we were also going flat out. In fact the only way we got over Chirk Aqueduct upstream after overnight rain was by me bowhauling it (as well as using the engine).

 

It had a cooling radiator for the engine with its neck sticking up through the rear deck. No cap or other closure. It just happily boiled away all day.

 

And as for the pumpout loo....a modern luxury you might think for those days. No, it pumped straight out!!

 

Ah, those were the days!!!

 

Bob.

Pump out was normal or chuck the contents in a lock and flush it, the boatmans way.

[Hugh]

 

Great memories - Mr Sinclair, that photograph sounds interesting if it can be scanned and posted here. Canalfreak and Hugh, you confirm a memory of mine, that the boats were extremely slow. When we got back to Gailey my father set off down the A5 at about 15 mph - it seemed to be going very fast!!

 

Joseph

 

I recall they were extremely slow and if you were wanting to stop you had to plan 5 minutes in advance

 

Hugh

[ravenspell]

A little late but I can confirm that Coot was an Ernie Thomas hire boat.It was 4 birth.I can remember my father hired it in the early 1970s.

[Joseph]

Many thanks Ravenspell

 

Its never too late to add to the record.

 

Regards

 

Joseph

[The Pipe]

My parents took us on many of the Thomas boats "Lark" "Kingfisher" and "Raven" I remember being on. Lark was the one we had out the most as we were a family of 5. I remember seeing an advert for "Lark" for sale in "Waterways World" many years ago. I have one of the Fowler engines with the "ET" cast rocker box covers sat in bits in my shed. I do not remember the boats to be slow we never struggled to do the cruises we wanted to do.

[Pennine]

Although not one of the general hire fleet, the one in my avatar was named 'Ernest Thomas'. This picture was taken by me around 1958, on a two week trip organised by my school. Sadly, I don't appear to have any more showing the nb itself. It was a camping style boat, very basic, with pipe cots suspended by chains from the cabin roof, although it did have a galley. No pump out loo here - a sea toilet that dumped everything into the cut. On that trip, we did the Shroppie and T&M 'ring', starting and finishing at Autherley.We enjoyed it so much, we did it again the following year down to Oxford, with a visit to Harwell AERE thrown in. Great times.

[AMModels]

I know that boat well Pennine, my family owned it after it was sold by the boys club, it is Vulcan the FMC steamer/motor boat. Its still around but returned to look like a steamer, when I knew it we still used the fold down metal bunks for the whole of my family to go on holiday together.

http://www.ernestthomas.co.uk/history.shtml

http://www.ernestthomas.co.uk/ernest_thomas.shtml

[Pennine]

Many thanks for the links. Spent many an hour on that foredeck peeling spuds. Good to hear it is still about.

[J R ALSOP]

I have to admit I worked for the firm that disposed of Raven and Robin, they were both rotten, Raven was on the River Lee and Robin on the Southern GU.

It was 3 or 4 years ago.

[Joseph]

Great to see that this older thread has revived.

 

JR, when you refer to RAVEN and ROBIN being rotten, do you mean that they were destroyed 3-4 years ago, or that they were sold with a need for major work?

 

Fascinating that ET started pleasure boating before the general hire fleet in 1959 - I did not know this.

 

Keep the memories coming, everyone!

 

Thanks everyone

 

joseph

[J R ALSOP]

They were section 8 boats, that would not stay afloat for more than 2 minutes, the only good bits were the metal bits. 85% of the wood was either covered in plastic filler, floors and stem posts cement with chicken wire reinforcing. Machinery was missing, even I remember them in the late 50's and early 60's, it is very sad to break up something that you know. But having been on the canals for over 50 years I have seen a lot of changes and I would rather see a good old boat than a modern one trying to look like a old one.

[AMModels]

Has anyone got photos of ET's fleet that they are willing to share with the world via my site?

[lydfordcastle]

Hired 'Heron' for a week in 1967 and did Chester and back. The features of the boat that stick in the mind were the two old 'park' benches each side of the rear deck and the sea toilet. My other memory is the large pile of narrow gauge railway track panels stored at Calf Heath. I recall ET had intended to create a mini 'Alton Towers' but clearly it never happened.

[The Pipe]

Has anyone got photos of ET's fleet that they are willing to share with the world via my site?

I may be able to get you some scanned copies of ET's hire brochures from the early 70’s.

 

I also have an early BW hire brochure from the 60’s if I can work out which country it is in at the moment.

[Rufford]

Were these boats wooden or wood composite? If so I know one of the chaps who used to work on them.

[PhilR]

AFAIAA The hire fleet were all wooden boats with Fowler engines.

[Rufford]

I will ask him Saturday if he used to work for Earnest Thomas, he has already told me a few stories of having to sort the cabin sides out in very quick time ready for the next hire after collisions with bridges etc.

[AMModels]

I may be able to get you some scanned copies of ET's hire brochures from the early 70’s.

 

I also have an early BW hire brochure from the 60’s if I can work out which country it is in at the moment.

That would be fantastic, I remember ET's boats they would come hammering past us in clouds of smoke doing about 1.5mph on a saturday afternoon/sunday morning as they left calf heath to do the four counties. Black hulls, white cabins with red handrail(could be green thinking about it) and the names on the side with a painting of whatever bird they were named after. Looked very much like converted joeys but I think Laurence has said before they were custom made to the same style but using a lot less 'industrial' wood.

 

Were these boats wooden or wood composite? If so I know one of the chaps who used to work on them.

All wood as I remember them, imagine a joey boat cut in half with a transom stern.

 

I often wonder what we'd have made of the modern boats you see nowadays back in the early 70's, witchcraft springs to mind; I remember finding proper built in beds on our second boat and thinking it was sheer luxury having been used to the fold down steel framed cots and mattresses that were thinner than a springers bottom plate after 30 years.