South West Durham steelworks

[Athy]

Nicholls have been in the game a long time. A look at their web site shows that they cater for the keen chef ("a six culinder engine") and offer onboard cosmetic surgery too ("a navel architect").

Joking aside, although they build the steelwork for the peniche it does not appear on their own site. The Classic Boats site has photos and spec. of it.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Athy

[Albion]

Nicholls have been in the game a long time. A look at their web site shows that they cater for the keen chef ("a six culinder engine") and offer onboard cosmetic surgery too ("a navel architect").

Joking aside, although they build the steelwork for the peniche it does not appear on their own site. The Classic Boats site has photos and spec. of it.

 

Although Classic Boats came to a deal with Peter Nicholls to build the Peniche I'm not convinced that any have been built by them. I know Le Skerne built one or two maybe independently. One was appropriately named 'Lost in France' which was a sort of hybrid (steelwork by LS and fit out by another smaller northern fit out company of two guys....or at least there was only two of them down in Migennes putting right some of the many problems when I was there painting Brunel).

Again, although there is still a Classic Boats website I'm not convinced that it is active. Peter Smith the MD, and a real gentleman, was getting on a bit even then and I haven't had one of their e-mail newsletters for a couple of years now at least.

By the way, in between SWD ceasing supplying the 129, 139 and Peniche Classic Boats and before the link with Peter Nicholls, Classic Boats set up their own production unit at Winnersh, near Reading. This was run by Peter Smith's stepson but it only produced a few boats of poor interior fit out quality before itself going bust.

Roger

 

Was that when did they found out there wasn't a canal nearby??

 

 

 

..

 

They had a large tank with a removable end that they put the boats in to flotation test them and for viewing days. The tank was easily large enough to take a Classic Peniche at 15 metres by just over 4 metres. Brunel was used as a demo boat in the tank in a very chilly January 2006.

 

 

Me a little slow on the uptake again!. Aye its about fifteen minutes from us. I,m sure they moved in your direction to Trimdon or near there. Then I lost touch but something in the set up seemed to alter apparently and the reputation wasnt the same

 

The factory was just on the outskirts of Trimdon when Brunel was being built. There was a narrowboat shed that could hold about two boats (although when we were there there was very little nb production going on) and a wide beam shed which could hold about 5 boats of Brunel's size in build at one time.

Roger

Edited February 29, 2012 by Albion

[tillergirl]

I don't think the one Jerry is looking at is an ex -Canaltime boat IIRC but am sure he will correct me if I'm wrong.

[JerryP]

I don't think the one Jerry is looking at is an ex -Canaltime boat IIRC but am sure he will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

no i don't think it is an ex Canaltime boat ,but i do suspect the owner is on here ,as the price has risen by £ 450.00