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Large Northwich 'Stamford'


Mike C

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:hug:

 

One day Reuben C will be telling similar tales no doubt, from the perspective of a third generation boat dweller.

 

Some day? He already does!

 

Lovely potted history Job. How many children today will have such memories - there will be some of course.

 

There's great value in being 'different' or as some might say - 'odd'. Keep the memories strong, and stay out of ruts!

 

I was regularly late for school on a Monday morning because we'd come straight from the boat at Audlum or Banbury or whereever we happened to have tied up that weekend. Eventually the teachers just nodded and said 'go and sit down'.

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Some day? He already does!

 

I've not seen him since his grandad's funeral a few years back, but it does not surprise me.

 

 

I was regularly late for school on a Monday morning because we'd come straight from the boat at Audlum or Banbury or whereever we happened to have tied up that weekend. Eventually the teachers just nodded and said 'go and sit down'.

 

Jason and "our" Reuben came out of school when we took up commercial boating, but it doesn't seem to have done them any harm :)

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Lovely potted history Job. How many children today will have such memories - there will be some of course.

 

There's great value in being 'different' or as some might say - 'odd'. Keep the memories strong, and stay out of ruts!

 

I think it's pretty odd kids growing up locked in their bedrooms and not out playing, entertaining themselves, making dens etc!!

 

My friends loved it, and regularly came over to stay, plus the lads at school who fished along our stretch got well looked after by my mum! Only challenge was toileting and washing, but they got over it eventually (or went to the pub!). One of the kids from the village who grew up in a family of 16+ was always on the bank from 5am at the weekend. My school PE teachers used to hire a camper boat from Braunston to Welford during activities week, with half kids walking / driving then switching, which helped to increase awareness. Another tea-break at our boats on the way past. In fact, such is the nature of boats and taking dogs for a walk, people were always dropping in!! A Radio1 DJ lived in the area and her parents / sister / daughter used to drop in frequently.

 

Doubt I would have learned to speak and interact with people from across all ages, and just saying hello to strangers. Boat people were always keen to tell their stories and advice. I also learned how to make pocket money, 50p kindling, canoeing to retrieve fishing floats to flog back, cakes during the summer at Top Lock, fishing for windlasses and usually had a few bits / pieces for sale - lace plates, books etc. That doesn't happen in your regular street.

 

I don't recall many children on the cut in the late 80s and 90s.

 

- Andrew Kendall (Poacher) - a well known NME photographer and lecturer in London. Strange that as a hobbyist I've also had athletics photos published too - BBC, National Papers, Magazines etc!! We both got our only taste of electronics Nintendo Game Boys the same Xmas in Braunston!

 

- Terry Clapham (cover maker at Weedon) - his boys went to Campion school, Bugbrooke. Think they had a river-class butty?

 

- Russell Mundy (parents moored at Welton) - 2 or 3 years older he went to Guilsborough with me, walked past our boats on way to bus-stop at New Inn on A5.

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- Andrew Kendall (Poacher) - a well known NME photographer and lecturer in London. Strange that as a hobbyist I've also had athletics photos published too - BBC, National Papers, Magazines etc!! We both got our only taste of electronics Nintendo Game Boys the same Xmas in Braunston!

 

- Terry Clapham (cover maker at Weedon) - his boys went to Campion school, Bugbrooke. Think they had a river-class butty?

 

- Russell Mundy (parents moored at Welton) - 2 or 3 years older he went to Guilsborough with me, walked past our boats on way to bus-stop at New Inn on A5.

 

Not seen Andrew Kendall for a few years, Campion and Guilsborough I kept away from being schooled in Dav!

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Unnatural to be shut in a box. Spent most of my formative years shut in one with 30 others and threatened with corporal punishment - state education. Didn't do me a lot of good! But after school and when the weekend came round, I was out on my bike going 'anywhere' even catching trains to main line stations to cop numbers. No 'facebook', but real faces, and some to keep clear of too. Computers have their uses - and abusers. I'd choose reality over virtual any day, cuts and bruises included. At least you felt the results of your actions. There's a degree of responsibility creeping in there that seems to be lacking today.

  • Greenie 2
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Unnatural to be shut in a box. Spent most of my formative years shut in one with 30 others and threatened with corporal punishment - state education. Didn't do me a lot of good! But after school and when the weekend came round, I was out on my bike going 'anywhere' even catching trains to main line stations to cop numbers. No 'facebook', but real faces, and some to keep clear of too. Computers have their uses - and abusers. I'd choose reality over virtual any day, cuts and bruises included. At least you felt the results of your actions. There's a degree of responsibility creeping in there that seems to be lacking today.

I agree fully with your statment Derek

As you know i spent my baby years on the boats,the early school years living in two seperate worlds. Term time living in a house

& attending school. Weekends & holidays along the cut with my Grandparents learning all the skills of fishing ,poaching & general survival.

I know where the happiest times of my childhood where,they may not have been as clean,dry & healthy as in a heated, dry house but i have great memories & tales to tell my children & Grandchildren

Id like to think that it made me the person i am today.

  • Greenie 2
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  • 2 weeks later...

If it's the same Bude, a butty, she's on the long-term moorings at Cropredy, a couple of hundred yards below the road bridge. The moorings are quite easily accessible from the road (turn off the A361 and go down through Williamscot, there's free car parking at the Cricket Club as you enter Cropredy village). She has a full cabin conversion and looks very smart in her black and white livery, also she has solar panels on the roof. I imagine that someone spent a lot of time and/ or money on a quality refurbishment, and I bet she is quite luxurious inside. I don't know if the owner lives on board, she always looks closed up.

Until last year she was moored on the offside, one bridge further down.

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As Athy say's. Bude is now owned by the guy that runs Cropredy Slipway (just below Clattercote Wharf).

 

You can see her in the back ground in this photo.

 

He's just finishing off an internal fit out and hopes to move aboard before Christmas.

 

gallery_1645_261_67575.jpg

 

I'm pretty sure it's the right boat

 

I'm picking Ocelot up from there this weekend and I'll double check my facts

Edited by Proper Job
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I think his name is Richard

 

I may have put two and two together and made five.

 

As you turn off the road to go down the track to the yard, there's a post box with 'Bude' on it.

 

I'll double check on Saturday. Either way, if I can find it, I'll get a photo and post it.

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Reuben is asking if anyone has recent pictures of 'Bude' .....and where is it at the moment?

 

Mike C (On behalf of Reuben C)

 

 

Mike / Reuben,

 

Answers above are correct.

 

When I went past a few years ago not having seen her since selling in 87. I was invited onboard.

She was a bare shell inside the hull and had a lot of work done on her.

Would be nice to see them reunited as a pair - start saving Reuben.

Historically they did the very last bwb lime juice run.

Edited by barry adams
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Not sure, Mr. Job: the chap at the slipway (Dave?) does indeed have a butty which he has been renovating, but it's not Bude, unless there are two Budes within four miles of each other.

I stand very much corrected

 

Bude was moored just below Cropredy this weekend. Towpath side, just above bridge 155.

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I just found an envelope of photos taken by Brian Godfrey in November 1979 on a trip with Andy Farquarson on Towcester. I’ve misplaced my records and can’t for the life of me remember why we had two motors on the job at that point rather than use Bude or Leonids. Stamford’s doors are still in that “work in progress” state I notice. Also we seem to be between phone numbers.

 

No13i.jpg

 

No13ii.jpg

 

No13iii.jpg

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I just found an envelope of photos taken by Brian Godfrey in November 1979 on a trip with Andy Farquarson on Towcester. I’ve misplaced my records and can’t for the life of me remember why we had two motors on the job at that point rather than use Bude or Leonids. Stamford’s doors are still in that “work in progress” state I notice. Also we seem to be between phone numbers.

 

No13i.jpg

 

No13ii.jpg

 

No13iii.jpg

Tam/Carl

 

Who is steering Stamford in Uxbrdge lock - is it John Batton?

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Tam/Carl

 

Who is steering Stamford in Uxbrdge lock - is it John Batton?

 

Correct lock, of course. Kings Mill is on the left, and as with many locks at the bottom of a mill pound there are no gate paddles, to avoid the mill losing its water each time the lock was drawn. The first shot is just below the Swan & Bottle bridge, passing the (I believe) now completely infilled Fountains Mill arm.

 

Damn; I knew someone would ask that when I put the photos on! To my profound embarrassment I can't at the moment recall the name of the couple on Stamford (nor can Di, but she says she's not embarrassed). It's not John Batten though.

Edited by Tam & Di
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Fountain's Mill building remains as a youth centre, and back in the eighties I'd heard that there 'used to be' an arm going up beside the Crown and Treaty. Spent some time above Uxbridge lock to the background accompanying hum of King's Mill. Probably 'flats' now. The gate paddles have been put back by the looks of it.

 

Bit on Uxbridge, the mills and the C&T.

 

Hope it's the right Uxbridge . . . . :blush:

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Fountain's Mill building remains as a youth centre, and back in the eighties I'd heard that there 'used to be' an arm going up beside the Crown and Treaty. Spent some time above Uxbridge lock to the background accompanying hum of King's Mill. Probably 'flats' now. The gate paddles have been put back by the looks of it.

 

Bit on Uxbridge, the mills and the C&T.

 

Hope it's the right Uxbridge . . . . :blush:

 

Yes you wouldn't recognise it above uxbridge lock now, the mills been flattened and the new flats look appalling and with no Character. Some residences sitting in their new £400,000 flat have started complying about the smoke coming from the boats moored opposite.

 

Darren

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Yes you wouldn't recognise it above uxbridge lock now, the mills been flattened and the new flats look appalling and with no Character. Some residences sitting in their new £400,000 flat have started complying about the smoke coming from the boats moored opposite.

 

Darren

 

Well at least there is photographic evidence that boats have been moored there for some time....

 

Mike

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