Moorings on the Gloucester & Sharpness

[johnthebridge]

*pedant alert*

Except at "2 mile bend" where ships often needed to get lines ashore to negotiate the turns......

Appreciate your pedantry, but I'd be interested to know when this "often" happened?

I've been up and down the canal on Healings grain barges, on the old Cynthia June, and on Bowkers 1000 tonners, the last probably being just about the largest boats one could usefully use on the canal, and I've never seen any sign of ropes having been required to warp the 2 mile, the 4 mile, or possibly the most awkward one in a high wind, the turn at Purton. Irrespective of that, these craft, loaded or empty, would be too deep to get alongside to put crew off. It's reputed that certain impetuous individuals would leap off at bridges, with their vessel still underway. Mind you, it's possible these heroes were driven by either thirst, lust or merely the desire to get home early.

[Graham Davis]

It's reputed that certain impetuous individuals would leap off at bridges, with their vessel still underway. Mind you, it's possible these heroes were driven by either thirst, lust or merely the desire to get home early.

 

What, jump off at Upper Purton Bridge, run down to Auntie Kath's in The Hunt, then jump back on at Lower Purton Bridge?

[PaulG]

Appreciate your pedantry, but I'd be interested to know when this "often" happened?

I've been up and down the canal on Healings grain barges, on the old Cynthia June, and on Bowkers 1000 tonners, the last probably being just about the largest boats one could usefully use on the canal, and I've never seen any sign of ropes having been required to warp the 2 mile, the 4 mile, or possibly the most awkward one in a high wind, the turn at Purton. Irrespective of that, these craft, loaded or empty, would be too deep to get alongside to put crew off. It's reputed that certain impetuous individuals would leap off at bridges, with their vessel still underway. Mind you, it's possible these heroes were driven by either thirst, lust or merely the desire to get home early.

According to local historian Hugh Conway-Jones, dredging and piling works carried out in 1961 ".... allowed many of the coasters to motor round the two bends without needing assistance from tugs or ropes from the bank."

http://www.gloucesterdocks.me.uk/studies/whytwomilebend.htm

This implies that assistance was still required on occasion even after the 1961 improvements.

[johnthebridge]

 

What, jump off at Upper Purton Bridge, run down to Auntie Kath's in The Hunt, then jump back on at Lower Purton Bridge?

 

Aah, Musselwhite's! Aunty Kath was a lovely old girl. The daughter didn't really want to carry on the pub, as she preferred horses. Shame.

[Graham Davis]

John,

It used to be a regular haunt of mine back in the 70's. Introduced to it by the son of Mr Coward down at the Docks, then we used to go on the Sunday nights for the folk nights that used to be held there. Probably one of the best pints of 6X in the area, and as for their cider................................

I think we were some of the "favoured" sometimes as we used to get homemade bread, cheese and pickled onions some visits, normally when it wasn't busy.

Never got on with The Arms, further down thev lane though.

 

 

Happy days.

[johnthebridge]

John,

It used to be a regular haunt of mine back in the 70's. Introduced to it by the son of Mr Coward down at the Docks, then we used to go on the Sunday nights for the folk nights that used to be held there. Probably one of the best pints of 6X in the area, and as for their cider................................

I think we were some of the "favoured" sometimes as we used to get homemade bread, cheese and pickled onions some visits, normally when it wasn't busy.

Never got on with The Arms, further down thev lane though.

 

 

Happy days.

 

The (in)famous cider, or screech as it was known. Apparently a sovereign remedy for constipation. It came from a place up the road at Halmore, which I think was called Rose Cottage. The Arms, although I felt was a better pub, character and geography-wise, unfortunately had Ted Lord as mine host. As someone who later worked on the canal, I got on alright with him (to a point), but he was a cantankerous old sod who obviously hadn't attended the customer care course. The very first time I went in there, sometime in the '70s, I was sat on the settle next to the "roaring" fire (two lumps of coal and some floor sweepings), when "himself" came in, clutching a libation. "Shift yer arse, I wanna sit next the fire" was his opening gambit. The rest-room facilities were a distinct health hazard. Ted died relatively recently, and I believe that has now closed as well. They were both Berkeley estate pubs, so were at the whim of a landlord who probably couldn't have cared less about them.

[sharpness]

 

and I believe that has now closed as well. They were both Berkeley estate pubs, so were at the whim of a landlord who probably couldn't have cared less about them.

The Berkeley Arms was open last summer.

 

Steve

[Graham Davis]

 

The (in)famous cider, or screech as it was known. Apparently a sovereign remedy for constipation. It came from a place up the road at Halmore, which I think was called Rose Cottage. The Arms, although I felt was a better pub, character and geography-wise, unfortunately had Ted Lord as mine host. As someone who later worked on the canal, I got on alright with him (to a point), but he was a cantankerous old sod who obviously hadn't attended the customer care course. The very first time I went in there, sometime in the '70s, I was sat on the settle next to the "roaring" fire (two lumps of coal and some floor sweepings), when "himself" came in, clutching a libation. "Shift yer arse, I wanna sit next the fire" was his opening gambit. The rest-room facilities were a distinct health hazard. Ted died relatively recently, and I believe that has now closed as well. They were both Berkeley estate pubs, so were at the whim of a landlord who probably couldn't have cared less about them.

We got banned by Ted Lord for turning up on motor bikes and then complaining the beer was off!

Next time I'm down your way I'll give you a shout. My friend's Mum and Dad still live in one of the row of cottages to the south of the Tidal Basin.

[cotswoldsman]

The Berkeley Arms was open last summer.

 

Steve

The Berkley Arms was just closed for the winter. Saw Wendy in Berkely last week and she confirmed she would be reopening first week of April