1939 GRAND UNION / GUCCC pictures

[Laurence Hogg]

The following pictures are from 1939, there some interesting oddities. First on "Aboyne" the name plate above city saying "Paddington" I have bever seen that before, the GUCC policeman, and note the appaling state of paintwork on boats at the most 5 years old,

enjoy"

ABOYNE WITH "NAMEPLATE"

 

LIMEHOUSE

 

GUCC POLICEMAN, DESPATCH BOARD ETC

 

BACK CABIN OF MOTOR BOAT

 

BACK CABIN BUTTY BOAT:

 

 

And finally a middle Northwich motor "Taygeta" with an offset headlamps passes two unidentified boats at Kings Langley:

Edited June 9, 2012 by Laurence Hogg

[Ray T]

Fantastic pictures of a now lost way of life, thank you for posting them.

[Derek R.]

I'll wager that's cold water being poured into the pot for the photographer!

 

Newspaper on the range top, and no primus in sight. Miniature windlasses, and what looks like a 'Cottage' teapot tucked behind the stove pipe. Plates with trees on, can't say I've seen any like that. Fruit, 'scenes', flowers, royalty, cherubs and coats of arms, but never trees.

[Tuscan]

Thanks for posting these they are excellent. Especially the motor back cabin.

[the grinch]

your task now is to identify all the boats...... are you up to the challenge Laurence? reckon you'll get most right with pete's help although i think the last one may be difficult to get the other pair!

[RLWP]

 

What can we see in the background of this picture?

 

Richard

[the grinch]

re the nameplates it looks like both butties in the other picture also have them.

[RLWP]

re the nameplates it looks like both butties in the other picture also have them.

 

I certainly thought I could see one on Romsey

 

Richard

[Laurence Hogg]

 

What can we see in the background of this picture?

 

Richard

Coils of steel for Birmingham, they appear in the opening sequences of "Barging along" being loaded into MB Barnet in Limehouse.

 

your task now is to identify all the boats...... are you up to the challenge Laurence? reckon you'll get most right with pete's help although i think the last one may be difficult to get the other pair!

I have already tried and its difficult, Taygeta was confirmed by the fact the boat has an extremely forward set exhaust which was a hallmark of the middle Northwich motors, the others are annoyingly masked - but these were wartime pictures and that may be deliberate.

 

Thanks for posting these they are excellent. Especially the motor back cabin.

If you look at the cabin light its sitting on a "Mr Greens" candlestick sconce, we copied those in our "Boatmans Cabin Co" product range in the 1980's.

Edited June 9, 2012 by Laurence Hogg

[the grinch]

given that the cabin pictures have people in them perhaps the first thing could be who they are?, then maybe identify the boats they were on. interesting to see the motor at the back in the romsey picture has the funnel exhaust something i've not noticed before in old pictures yet it appears on the drawings i have.

[Laurence Hogg]

Heres two more for you. The pair of boats going into the lock is Griffith's OF Bedworth MB "Enter - Prise" and butty "Rival", confirmed by comparing with other pictures, the Grand Union CCCo pair are unidentified but the butty would appear to be a large Woolwich.

 

 

 

Thanks to Pete Harrison for co opted detective work tonight!

Edited June 9, 2012 by Laurence Hogg

[aunty doris]

 

What can we see in the background of this picture?

 

Richard

is that yodi by

the womens elbow

[saltysplash]

is that yodi by

the womens elbow

 

Cousin 'IT' i believe

[Steve Priest]

An interesting set of photographs, and several that I have not seen before.

 

I don't know anything about the plates that appear on the Aboyne's cabin side, I've not heard of them, or seen any, and I haven't noticed any in photographs.

 

As regards identifying boats, the motorboat in the picture is not Taygeta, it's a big Woolwich. If you enlarge the picture there seems to be a Y in the name on the top bend, so Aynho would be my guess.

 

As far as I know, the big Woolwiches were the only boats to have offset headlamps

[alan_fincher]

As far as I know, the big Woolwiches were the only boats to have offset headlamps

There are published pictures of big Northwich boats with an offset headlight, but in the one I'm looking at at the moment the offset appears to be less, (and with the light on a lower post).

[BlueStringPudding]

Fantastic photos

[Laurence Hogg]

An interesting set of photographs, and several that I have not seen before.

 

I don't know anything about the plates that appear on the Aboyne's cabin side, I've not heard of them, or seen any, and I haven't noticed any in photographs.

 

As regards identifying boats, the motorboat in the picture is not Taygeta, it's a big Woolwich. If you enlarge the picture there seems to be a Y in the name on the top bend, so Aynho would be my guess.

 

As far as I know, the big Woolwiches were the only boats to have offset headlamps

 

Sorry Steve it is Taygeta, the picture is slightly cropped and low res here on CWDF but in full more can be seen. Note too the extreme forward exhaust position right on the fwd bulkead, only the middle Northwich had that, also the turn over stem bar is clear to see.

Edited June 20, 2012 by Laurence Hogg

[Steve Priest]

Sorry Steve it is Taygeta, the picture is slightly cropped and low res here on CWDF but in full more can be seen. Note too the extreme forward exhaust position right on the fwd bulkead, only the middle Northwich had that, also the turn over stem bar is clear to see.

 

I was going to give a more detailed response but i have loads to do before I go to Braunston, so just a couple of quick points:-

 

I am not convinced that you can see that the top of the stem bar is higher than the cants, the top line of the cants is not at all clear but you can make it out further back, and following the line parallel with the top bend it seems to come out level with the top of the stem. When the photo is enlarged, however, I believe that just to the left of the stem you can make out the front edge of the top bend plate and the rivets that hold it to the stempost flange.

 

Also, when you enlarge the cabin area, it is apparent that the chimney side handrail is right on the edge of the cabin, whilst on the porthole side the inside edge of the handrail is in shade and appears solid.

 

Those points certainly suggest Woolwich to me!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

[Laurence Hogg]

I was going to give a more detailed response but i have loads to do before I go to Braunston, so just a couple of quick points:-

 

I am not convinced that you can see that the top of the stem bar is higher than the cants, the top line of the cants is not at all clear but you can make it out further back, and following the line parallel with the top bend it seems to come out level with the top of the stem. When the photo is enlarged, however, I believe that just to the left of the stem you can make out the front edge of the top bend plate and the rivets that hold it to the stempost flange.

 

Also, when you enlarge the cabin area, it is apparent that the chimney side handrail is right on the edge of the cabin, whilst on the porthole side the inside edge of the handrail is in shade and appears solid.

 

Those points certainly suggest Woolwich to me!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

The exhaust position is not that of a woolwich, plus on the full image you can see the LH side of the bow, send me your email and I will send the full res image. Taygeta is readable particularly in negative image mode.

[luctor et emergo]

Heres two more for you. The pair of boats going into the lock is Griffith's OF Bedworth MB "Enter - Prise" and butty "Rival", confirmed by comparing with other pictures, the Grand Union CCCo pair are unidentified but the butty would appear to be a large Woolwich.

 

 

 

Thanks to Pete Harrison for co opted detective work tonight!

 

 

Looking at these pictures, I can't help but think that some things don't change (much). My daugther, who is now 7, loves to help around the boat, insisting on getting water (in the 20 liter can..) on her own, mopping the back deck, and steering the boat ..

She is actually quite good at steering. Maybe I should buy a butty...

 

Ahh,

, almost forgot, the other day, we where by the Bathampton swingbridge, and as a boat was approaching, I said to her, that looks like the trip boat. She insisted on cycling down to check, and when she came back, insisted on working the bridge on her own... she is a determined little madam alright.

[Dorman]

 

 

Looking at these pictures, I can't help but think that some things don't change (much). My daugther, who is now 7, loves to help around the boat, insisting on getting water (in the 20 liter can..) on her own, mopping the back deck, and steering the boat ..

She is actually quite good at steering. Maybe I should buy a butty...

 

Ahh,

, almost forgot, the other day, we where by the Bathampton swingbridge, and as a boat was approaching, I said to her, that looks like the trip boat. She insisted on cycling down to check, and when she came back, insisted on working the bridge on her own... she is a determined little madam alright.

 

My daughter is the same, my son happily stays inside reading playing the guitar while she has been steering locking since ten and wants to live on a boat at university. Girls seem quite headstrong these days--her friends all want to muck in.

 

Simon

[Max Sinclair]

your task now is to identify all the boats...... are you up to the challenge Laurence? reckon you'll get most right with pete's help although i think the last one may be difficult to get the other pair!

Well done Laurence, These bring Vesta alive for me. Max

[Max Sinclair]

 

What can we see in the background of this picture?

 

Richard

Coils of steel as used to make wheel rims.

[ChimneyChain]

Lawrence, going back to the naming of the boat as to whether its a large Woolwich or middle northwich boat. I went through my papers and pulled out the paper/Magazine that this set of photos come from. Have you got the original photo or neg and is that how you can decipher its Taygeta the middle northwich boat, cause all I can see is dark shading at the bow from the original photo in the magazine. And with regard to the exhaust did the middle Northwichs have a different engine in them which made them have a different exhaust exiting position. Without any disrespect I am with Steve on this one.The top plate onto the sternpost with rivets clearly show, And with the solid wooden hand rail on the cabin. Interested to hear your comments and opinion.

 

Darren

Edited December 1, 2012 by ChimneyChain

[Laurence Hogg]

Hello!

 

I'm currently researching a project collecting oral histories from people who worked, lived or know about Harland and Woolfs Woolwich site. I was just wondering if anyone knows anything of any interest or could help at all? All the information I can find is very vague and mainly focus' on Belfast.

 

Thanks in advance,

Georgia

Learn to spell and don't spam this everywhere, its already been answered. Harland & Wolff!