The way we were 1970's & 80's

[Liam]

This was when BW maintenance was done at a gentle pace, indeed the boats were here several weeks just repairing a few yards of towpath, ahh wasnt life nice on the dead quiet BCN where no one looked at what you did!! This is Lane Head Willenhall, BW tug "Nansen 2" built originally for SW division and a ex GWR joey, Barry Lycett's ex Mersey Weaver motor "Avon" is on Mr Lee's wharf.

 

 

Hi Laurence,

 

The 'Ex GWR Joey' in the picture looks familiar. Do you have any other pictures or information on which boat it is?

 

Thanks

Liam

[Laurence Hogg]

These might help Liam to identify the boat. Taken at Lane Head we see "Nansen 2" with a shortened ex GWR? Bantock in the 1970's (probably 1972). In the background of the picture is Avon with (just visible) the "Pat" LLL tug lying wrecked ahead.

 

 

A few days later the little joey was tied up, a neat little boat with a decent cabin.

 

[Joseph]

Hello everyone!

 

Slightly OT, but...

 

Max Sinclair's posting contained this:

 

"Can I drag you all away from canals, just been advised

 

The Golden Age of Steam Railways Programme 1 Small is beautiful Mon. 10th Dec 9pm BBC FOUR

 

Programme 2 Branching out Mon. 17th Dec. BBC FOUR This follows the canal series"

 

I was in the canal programme and should be in the first of these. Was interviewed at Tywyn, on the Talyllyn, sitting on a pile of railway sleepers! talking about Tom Rolt and other matters.

 

This is not an advert - I don't get paid when it appears!

 

Hope you enjoy it

 

Joseph

 

P.S. Great photos and comments, bringing back a lot of memories. What happened to Ray Thomas - is he still with us?

[Richard B]

 

If this works, you should (hopefully) be able to see a photo of the Bentley Canal, taken from Wednesfield Junction in 1989. A tragic and unforgivable loss of a waterway.

[alan_fincher]

I can't see the image, but can't work out why - link looks OK to me

 

Edited March 10, 2013 by alan_fincher

[Ray T]

[matty40s]

[alan_fincher]

It's just not me then!

 

I can only assume there is some odd reason why the direct link to a JPG file doesn't work if it is hosted on that Imageshack site?

 

What Ray has posted is the link, and that does work (for me).

[matty40s]

It's just not me then!

 

I can only assume there is some odd reason why the direct link to a JPG file doesn't work if it is hosted on that Imageshack site?

 

What Ray has posted is the link, and that does work (for me).

wandering snail had the same issue the other day, it is something to do with imageshack.

[pearley]

First time I went past there was 1982 on an Alvechurch hireboat. I'm sure the lock cottage was still standing then. No photos as when I loaded the film into my Olympus OM10 I forgot to put the little knob back to the right position after rewinding the old film back into the canister. At least the bit in water is still there if a bit unrecognisable now. A pub on the left - no real ale the only time I went in so have not been back since. Sainsburys, Aldi, and lots of other outlets beyond the pub and a cinema and food outlets to the right. Have moored there several times with no problems.

 

Regards

Pete

[Neil TNC]

More piccies of Bentley Canal in 1992.

 

Top Lock No 1. BCN cottage No 245 was to the right of the lock.

 

The culverted course of the Bentley Canal through the BASF factory.

 

The course of the Bentley Canal before the BASF factory.

 

Lock No 3 and Bridge.

 

Looking up from Lock No 3.

 

Looking down from Lock No 3.

 

 

 

Looking up at Lock Nos 2 and 1

 

Lock No 2.

 

Lock No 2.

 

Top Lock No 1. These locks were built with top and bottom ground paddles connected by a culvert, like on the Perry Bar Flight.

 

Top Lock No 1.

 

Top Lock No 1.

 

Sorry for spaming this lot, but having dug out one piccy, I thought I might as well scan the lot!

[John Holden]

Isn't the corpse of a canal a very sad sight?

[Neil TNC]

Isn't the corpse of a canal a very sad sight?

 

The Bentley Canal is particularly sad as it is believed in some circles that it was BWB that set fire to the bottom gates after a passage was forced down some of these locks in the 1970's.

 

Linky to Tar Boats 1984 Flickr piccy

[Derek R.]

Just as derelict railway sidings and platforms attract the intrepid explorer of industrial ghosts. All the more so with water, as it is such a natural element that one feels it ought to be there still, even if the origins of its course are man made.

 

There are some interesting images in Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies. Select 'canals', and click on the 'gallery'. Many images.

[Laurence Hogg]

The Bentley Canal is particularly sad as it is believed in some circles that it was BWB that set fire to the bottom gates after a passage was forced down some of these locks in the 1970's.

 

Linky to Tar Boats 1984 Flickr piccy

 

Yes they did! It was me on the H F Truman with Keith Eley and others, the bottom lock gates were fired a few days later after we got pictures and a article in the local Express & Star paper. When at "Bentley Bridge" today I tell people "I have boated through the pubs car park" - so sad to remember.

[Richard B]

Thanks for fixing that. I thought I'd followed the instructions correctly - couldn't work out why the photo wasn't appearing.

[Peter-Bullfinch]

This is the dry dock at the end of the Rufford canal off the Leeds and Liverpool by Bridge 1 in 1973

 

 

 

Barton aqueduct at around the same time showing the high level gantry walkway which has since been removed.

 

 

My first trips around these canals from 1968/9 were in June which was being used then as a camping boat.

[Starcoaster]

Very evocative pics of the Bently, and yes, very sad.

I do love all of these old pics.

[Guest]

Very evocative pics of the Bently, and yes, very sad.

I do love all of these old pics.

 

+1

[BloxwichDaryl]

I didnt realise Ray still had the crane area back then, I presumed it was owned by the woodworking firm that was in the main building that had the big sawdust hopper round the back of the crane. Was it around 82-83 it came down? The drydock had been infilled for a number of years prior to the crane going hadnt it?

 

I remember one of the Moores boats sinking when it was tied nose up to the old drydock and a whos who of BCN boatmen turning up to help him float her again, Freddie rings a bell but that could be cos I heard his name so often. Laurence did you ever see Bloxwich Queen, pleasure boat owned by an oldish chap who wore a captains hat some of the time... or it could have been another boat he owned but there was a Bloxwich Queen around in the early 80's at Birchills.

hi that were my grandads narrow boat.the bloxwich queen yes he had the boat at birchills for many years. have great memories been on the boat from the age 4.daryl

 

I didnt realise Ray still had the crane area back then, I presumed it was owned by the woodworking firm that was in the main building that had the big sawdust hopper round the back of the crane. Was it around 82-83 it came down? The drydock had been infilled for a number of years prior to the crane going hadnt it?

 

I remember one of the Moores boats sinking when it was tied nose up to the old drydock and a whos who of BCN boatmen turning up to help him float her again, Freddie rings a bell but that could be cos I heard his name so often. Laurence did you ever see Bloxwich Queen, pleasure boat owned by an oldish chap who wore a captains hat some of the time... or it could have been another boat he owned but there was a Bloxwich Queen around in the early 80's at Birchills

[AMModels]

hi that were my grandads narrow boat.the bloxwich queen yes he had the boat at birchills for many years. have great memories been on the boat from the age 4.daryl

Hi Daryl,thanks for posting do you happen to know what happened to it? I remember it always being very smart and tidy, made me think your grandad was in the navy at some point with his apparel and the boat.

[Max Sinclair]

The cinema called The Fiery Holes was built over a disused coal mine which heated up periodically raising the audiences temperature and the usherette would rush out calling Ices Ices

While I was at 'Ruberies' some council houses were demolished. The bulldozer pushed the first one and it completely vanished in a cloud of dust. During the war the occupants had been mining in the cellars for coal in the thick seam and selling it around the district. They had created a secret warren of chambers for the buildings to fall in. I always felt it would be the basis for a film.

Edited May 26, 2013 by Max Sinclair

[AMModels]

I didnt realise Ray still had the crane area back then, I presumed it was owned by the woodworking firm that was in the main building that had the big sawdust hopper round the back of the crane. Was it around 82-83 it came down? The drydock had been infilled for a number of years prior to the crane going hadnt it?

 

I remember one of the Moores boats sinking when it was tied nose up to the old drydock and a whos who of BCN boatmen turning up to help him float her again, Freddie rings a bell but that could be cos I heard his name so often. Laurence did you ever see Bloxwich Queen, pleasure boat owned by an oldish chap who wore a captains hat some of the time... or it could have been another boat he owned but there was a Bloxwich Queen around in the early 80's at Birchills.

 

Raising a thread from the dead but just found a pic which has both of the boats I asked about above, not really historic but they would be nearly 50-60 years old if still around.

 

 

2 mud/rubbish hoppers, Nansen, work flat , Bloxwich Queen and then Freddie Moores little boat. Top lock is just out of shot to the right.

 

At the time I thought Birchills was a boat desert but I remember all these being here regularly, compared to Wolverhampton boat club where we kept our other boat I suppose it was.

 

There is now a boatbuilder operating out of the woodworking firm I mentioned above, having been used for that by Ernie Thomas it seems like its come full circle.

 

At the risk of it being a now and then thread heres a shot from a bit further back showing the present boat yard with the top lock in the distance

[Laurence Hogg]

The Bentley Canal is particularly sad as it is believed in some circles that it was BWB that set fire to the bottom gates after a passage was forced down some of these locks in the 1970's.

 

Linky to Tar Boats 1984 Flickr piccy

Err yes that is true... The passage was organised by me using the H F Truman youth leaders boat. Len Wall was very angry. We got it in the local paper too and that wasn't welcomed. We had a "man overboard" in lock three whilst the paddles were drawing (scary).

 

 

Oh such memories!!

 

However, yes they removed the gates and buried them, but they were rediscovered last year in surprisingly good order in some cases during excavation of a lorry car park. The owner is a L&HCRT member and said gates are now being restored and parts used to make gates for the Tamworth road locks on the restored section, a somewhat ironic opportunity.

 

Other gates went to Curdworth during the immobilisation of the Bentley.

[Athy]

Thanks for reviving this thread. I've enjoyed revisiting Neil's highly atmospheric photos.

Is there a society for the Bentley Canal's reinvigoration?