Wendover sales

[AMModels]

Hi everyone

as part of the rewrite of my site I am putting together some specific pages to illustrate various events; as part of that I am attempting to write the timeline and disposal list for both sales. I have pulled together some stuff from various posts on here and I aim to acknowledge everyone who has contributed to the points in my article, I have enclosed a work in progress of the page so if anyone can spot a problem (I am sure there will be some in the text) I would really appreciate them being pointed out. It is being edited as posts are made and will be tidied up before going anywhere need the site.

 

There were two Wendover sales (1968 and 1972.) The first was after Willow Wren had lost several contracts including Nash Mills and returned many of the boats to BW.

1968 Wendover Sale

Motors:

Aldgate Aquarius Ascot Bainton Baldock Bargus Barrow Battersea Beaulieu Bicester Birmingham Bletchley Bognor Comet Darley Elstree Greenlaw Greenock Hampstead Nutfield Petrel Renfrew Shirley Stirling Stratford Towcester

Butties:
Argo Argus Balham Betelgeuse Brighton Carina Hyades Moon Puppis Titania Vela

Argo, (definitely), Bargus (fairly sure) and a large motor possibly Stirling went to Alan Galley at Anderton along with some PD2 stuff. Argo replaced Aberystwyth as butty to Shad, my guess is that this was about the time that the ACCCo was formed, otherwise he would have been buying boats (one anyway) to run in the (nominally) Willow Wren NW fleet?
Bargus was 'for sale' via Alan Galley (manager of BW and Willow Wren NW fleets and the ACCCo), I expect the others were also. I remember that Peter Froud seriously considered buying it to convert as a new/replacement hotel boat. Titania went to John Bowles, as replacement for the Seal (see another thread). ACCC did keep one of the big motors for a little while.


This left the Willow Wren fleet to work the Wellingborough wheat and Croxley coal traffic and few other occasional loads. Their much reduced fleet looked like this:

Willow Wren Fleet 1968

Operational Pairs Motors Butties
Widgeon* & Badsey (motor)
Curlew * & Cygnus
Rail* & Ara
Slough & Bingley
Nuneaton & Aboyne
Redshank* & Toucan
Dipper* & Bedworth
Flamingo* & Beverley
Sudbury & Alperton
Buxton & Satellite

Spare Boats

Motors: Alton Tarporley Halsall Coleshill Belfast

Butties: Capella Snipe* Bideford Banbury Greenshank Kestrel* Baildon Barnes Bordesley

Willow Wren Fleet April 1969 - just before the loss of the Wellingborough traffic

Operational Pairs Motors Butties

Widgeon* & Toucan
Halsall & Banbury
Belfast & Baildon
Curlew * & Cygnus
Rail* & Ara
Slough & Bideford
Badsey & Bordesley
Nuneaton & Aboyne
Redshank* & Alperton
Dipper* & Bedworth
Flamingo* & Beverley

Spare Boats

Motors: Alton Tarporley

Butties: Capella Bingley Greenshank*Kestrel* Satellite


*owned by Willow Wren, all other boats hired.

"I don't actually have a definitive list for the second Wendover sale and will try and reconstruct one from the information available but fairly obviously it consisted of much of the above! Not all boats were immediately sold however and instead were hired out to other companies. Also BW sold boats regularly in smaller batches - mostly to a select group including Malcolm Braine."

1971 Wendover Sale

What happened to the boats is recorded alongside:

Motors:

Alton Narrow Boat Trust
Badsey Jim Yates of Norton Canes
Belfast Dacorum Project
Buxton hired to Threefellows
Coleshill Foxton Boat Services
Halsall Hired to Threefellows
Nuneaton Narrow Boat Trust
Slough retained by BW for conversion to inspection launch
Sudbury retained by BW for conversion to tug
Tarporley London Borough of Camden

Butties:

Aboyne hired to Threefellows
Alperton Union Canal Carriers
Ara Tom Sewell (paired with Phobus) possibly not a direct sale
Banbury hired to Threefellows
Baildon Malcolm Braine - converted
Bedworth Hired to Stevens & Keay
Beverley Hired to Stevens & Keay
Bideford retained by BW as mud boat, latter sold to UCC
Bingley Malcolm Edge (present owner of DARLEY)
Bordesley Hired to Stevens & Keay
Capella Bob Bush (son of Binkie Bush of the NBOC)
Cygnus Hired to Stevens & Keay
Satellite Narrow Boat Trust
Toucan Malcolm Braine – converted for Tony Grantham of BW (!)


Hired boats seemed to be have been later “sold” to the operator. Stevens and Keay was a partnership between Ken Keay and Caggy Stevens.

"Most, but not all, of the second batch of boats in the Wendover Arm had previously been laid up at Bulls Bridge (November 1969). It is quite plausible that some stripping started prior to them going into the Wendover Arm but I have always been under the impression that the worst happened whilst on the Wendover Arm where there was nobody keeping a close eye on them. The first inspection date I have for these boats once on the Wendover Arm is April 1970 where some parts had already been removed."

 

"Quite a few of the boats listed on the Wendover sale, although on the same tender list, were never actually taken to the Wendover arm or removed weeks before the sale.

I went down several weeks before the closing date of the tender and recorded the following boats up the Wendover arm. Satelite, Toucan, Bingley, Tarporley, Alton, Halsall, Belfast, Alperton, Coleshill, Badsey, Baildon, Sudbury, Nuneaton and Ara. "

Acknowledgements will be made to Tim Leech, Paul Hunter, Alan Fincher and anyone who helps out on this matter. My thanks to Pete Harrison as well of course.

Edited November 16, 2013 by AMModels

[David Schweizer]

If you are doing a re-write I will let you have a revised text for Pisces. Although the information I submitted was from an "assumed" reliable source, some of it has subsequently proved to be incorrect. Unfortubnattely i am a bit busy at the moment, so it could take a week or so, will that be OK?

[Blossom]

Hi Andy

just a slight correction the the information regarding the '1973 Wendover Sale' the second sale was actually in 1971 not 1973 as stated above. I officially became the owner of Bingley on 2 July 1971. Also quite a few of the boats listed on the Wendover sale, although on the same tender list, were never actually taken to the Wendover arm or removed weeks before the sale. I went down several weeks before the closing date of the tender and recorded the following boats up the Wendover arm. Satelite, Tocan, Bingley, Tarporley, Alton, Halsall, Belfast, Alperton, Coleshill, Badsey, Baildon, Sudbury, Nuneaton and Ara.

Edited November 16, 2013 by Blossom

[pete harrison]

Hi Andy

just a slight correction the the information regarding the '1973 Wendover Sale' the second sale was actually in 1971 not 1973 as stated above.

I can confirm that the closing date for this sale by Tender was 25 June 1971, and included boats on the Wendover Arm, Bulbourne, Hillmorton and Bulls Bridge.