Hello I'm A Newbie

[RaymondS57]

Hello everyone, I'm a newbie on here but I worked on The Leeds & Liverpool canal many moons ago when the good old BWB had it. I worked mainly at Barrowford Locks, but also on the Burnley section. I loved working on the canal and enjoyed watching the narrow boats progressing up and down the 7 locks at Barrowford. All the boat people were always very happy folk. I have had an interest in the roses and castles paintings on the many canal boats that use the canals for a long time - I think these colourful paintings are gorgeous. There is, perhaps, a little bit of the canals and boating in my ancestors' history. My cousin was a lock-keeper. He is now a well-known canal artist. So with all that in mind, I will be commenting when I see something that takes my interest, and most certainly it will!

[ditchcrawler]

welcome

[Traveller]

Welcome aboard!

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Hi ya,& Welcome to the Fourm.

Catch you on the boards.

[Laurie Booth]

My Grandfather had a factory in Burnley on the Leeds & Liverpool canal and got done for stealing water from it to run his boilers.

 

[RaymondS57]

Thankyou everyone you're all very kind, and thanks Laurie.Booth. I seem to recognise that factory from somewhere in Burnley, looked like a big operation, with lots of big pipes, chimney and machinery. What was the name of the factory/company?

[Nightwatch]

My Grandfather had a factory in Burnley on the Leeds & Liverpool canal and got done for stealing water from it to run his boilers.

 

Laurie, is that you in the photos, or your granddad?

[Laurie Booth]

Laurie, is that you in the photos, or your granddad?

That is my father in the pictures.

[Laurie Booth]

The company was called Ernshaw Bros. and Booth, trading as Nu-Lyne furniture.

It employed 200 people and kept them all employed during the 1930's depression.

 

Most were housed in Albert Street and had free medical insurance paid for by my grandfather. He paid the local doctor a shilling a week per employee.

 

During the 1930's people used to line up at the factory gates asking for work.

Edited June 27, 2014 by Laurie.Booth

[Laurie Booth]

Thankyou everyone you're all very kind, and thanks Laurie.Booth. I seem to recognise that factory from somewhere in Burnley, looked like a big operation, with lots of big pipes, chimney and machinery. What was the name of the factory/company?

The big pipes are extractors to takes the wood shavings away from the machines to feed the boilers. At one time the boilers were used to generate electricity to feed the factory, but my grandfather was stopped from doing this as at the time only the government was allowed to make electricity. Now a days he would get an OBE for what he was doing.

[bizzard]

The big pipes are extractors to takes the wood shavings away from the machines to feed the boilers. At one time the boilers were used to generate electricity to feed the factory, but my grandfather was stopped from doing this as at the time only the government was allowed to make electricity. Now a days he would get an OBE for what he was doing.

Or a piece OBECHE . And your dads highly polished shoes too. Great stuff Laurie.

[RaymondS57]

Thankyou Laurie, great b/w photos, too. I remember that name Earnshaw brothers and Booth in Burnley. There were so many mills and factories in and around the town in the 50s and 6os, many located beside the L&L canal. Sadly, the demise of the cotton trade and other articles made in Lancashire (or Britain) for that matter, has all but gone now and many manufactores left ruined and derelict, or they have disappeared completly. Luckily the canal survives, though it is looking rather shabby nowadays. I understand there are only 5 men between Burnley and Barnoldswick sections to do maintenence jobs and, there are many jobs need doing, but that's another story.

[b0atman]

I bet there are more than 5 admin people in the CRT offices supervising the few .

[RaymondS57]

Yes, indeed there may well be b0atman. Five men to do a whole canal section is just not enough, no wonder the locks are starting to rot away, but give these chaps from this new waterways charity a pat on the back because they're doing their best in very hard times (Hard Times was that a book by Charles Dickens?).

[Phil Ambrose]

Yes, indeed there may well be b0atman. Five men to do a whole canal section is just not enough, no wonder the locks are starting to rot away, but give these chaps from this new waterways charity a pat on the back because they're doing their best in very hard times (Hard Times was that a book by Charles Dickens?).

I've read Hard Times but don't recall any mention of canals.

Phil

[Alan de Enfield]

I've read Hard Times but don't recall any mention of canals.

Phil

 

But there is a potential link in "Oliver" where he asks for 'can I have more please Sir ?'

[RaymondS57]

Hahaha, have started something now have I not. No mention of canals in Hard Times by Dickens and 'not really' any mention in Oliver Twist. There is a waterway/canal in one of his books as I recall 'Our Mutual Friend'. So many titles to choose from and such great stories. Any more come to mind:

[Laurie Booth]

Hahaha, have started something now have I not. No mention of canals in Hard Times by Dickens and 'not really' any mention in Oliver Twist. There is a waterway/canal in one of his books as I recall 'Our Mutual Friend'. So many titles to choose from and such great stories. Any more come to mind:

Tom Brown's Schooldays mentions canals. As a youngster he wanted to go on the barges but his mum told him that the children on the barges had been kidnapped and were being taken to London to be sold.

[Nightwatch]

Laurie.

I did know it was your granddad in the photo. My attempt at humour. Hope you didn't take me seriously. If you did then perhaps I have misjudged your own humour.

 

Martyn.

[Laurie Booth]

Laurie.

I did know it was your granddad in the photo. My attempt at humour. Hope you didn't take me seriously. If you did then perhaps I have misjudged your own humour.

 

Martyn.

[RaymondS57]

Yes Laurie I remember that in the film and book Tom Brown's Schooldays. What excellent films we had back in the 60s and 70s. Nothing can really match them these days. I remember a canal in the 2nd film of 'The Railway Children' and the canal was mentioned in the book by E.Nesbit. The 1970 film of the same name missed out the canal scene. Best wishes.

[RaymondS57]

Hello everyone. Sorry I have been away doing lots and lots of stuff but nothing to do with Canals. But anyway I'm still breathing and hoping to carry on from where I left off, as it were. Meanwhile, has anything happened !! Watching Tim and Pru on 'Great Canal Journeys' has jolted me back in time. Have one or two photos of Barrowford new lock gates to upload.

I should also say that my mother passed away last June at the age of 93. And its 'Mother's Day' today.

[RLWP]

Meanwhile, has anything happened !!

 

Not so as you would notice

 

Looking forward to your photos though

 

Richard

[Loafer]

Hello everyone. Sorry I have been away doing lots and lots of stuff but nothing to do with Canals. But anyway I'm still breathing and hoping to carry on from where I left off, as it were. Meanwhile, has anything happened !! Watching Tim and Pru on 'Great Canal Journeys' has jolted me back in time. Have one or two photos of Barrowford new lock gates to upload.

I should also say that my mother passed away last June at the age of 93. And its 'Mother's Day' today.

 

That is the way that it should be. It would have been a LOT worse for your mother, if you had gone first. My deepest condolences, nevertheless.

 

May you get over your loss quickly. Nothing is gained by making it last a long time.

[Phil Ambrose]

 

That is the way that it should be. It would have been a LOT worse for your mother, if you had gone first. My deepest condolences, nevertheless.

 

May you get over your loss quickly. Nothing is gained by making it last a long time.

Quite right Loafer, I used to deliver milk to an old gal of 103 years of age who said her biggest regret in life was outliving her children. Last I heard of her she moved into a home aged 106.

Phil

Edited March 7, 2016 by Phil Ambrose