POACHER .. ( Bray's ?)

[Paul H]

Ernie's widow, Rosemary Kendall, still appears to live locally and her contact details can easily be found online. Their son Andrew popped up on this forum once IIRC and is an eminent music industry photographer and IT expert - a very different life from his Dad's!

Paul

[pete harrison]

Just out of interest Pete, was that the 'Heyford'?

No.

 

I remember the HEYFORD as being an unconverted but clothed up self steer camping boat operated by Union Canal Carriers Ltd., Braunston. HEYFORD was of modern / welded construction and if I remember correctly was powered by a Lister HR2. At the same time Union Canal Carriers Ltd. also operated a similar, but not the same, self steer modern / welded camping boat named LAUGHTON - as well as an assortment of 'historic' self steer and professionally steered camping boats and basic cabined boats. Nowadays Union Canal Carriers Ltd. are a little more upmarket.

 

The pair of boats I operated out of Birmingham were named VOLGA (70' motor built 1976) and DON (50' butty built 1972 as JENNY ROSE - extended to 70' 1976 and renamed DON). In 1981 VOLGA was renamed REA and DON was renamed COLE after the two rivers that flow through Birmingham.

[stagedamager]

Aah fair enough!

Heyford is currently at Langley Mill in the family flotilla, still with the HR2.

[Tony Dunkley]

 

A much photographed family, including on book covers....

 

 

Ernie Kendall on the motor, Rose Bray (Ernie's mother) on the butty, and Arthur Bray on the gates.

 

Ernie was indeed of "heavy build", and it is reported that the round disk on Roger's cabin roof that looks like a lifting weight was actually a rubber mat that protected the cabin as he descended on to it from lock sides, (there were no lock ladders in Grand Union locks in those days).

That round rubber mat had nothing to do with Ernies size or protecting the cabin top, it was there, very sensibly, to prevent slipping if the cabin top was wet ( when jumping back down on to the motor) and was there as much for Arthurs benefit as for Ernies, depending on who was lock wheeling.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Tony Dunkley

[captain birdseye]

UCC operated a number of professionally steered pairs, and also Kimberley, which is a Kosher , and Linsey the admiral. We used these regularly in the eighties, but if they were not free we would hire Loughton or Heyford . Both of which were built as new camper boats. We had many a happy holiday travelling the Oxford and the Thames, the Stratford and trips over the Liecester section and down the Sour.

I was part of a Morris dancing team and we would dance at canal side pubs as we went along. The last night always finished with a singing and music session at the plough in Braunston. Great days

[Athy]

UCC operated a number of professionally steered pairs, and also Kimberley, which is a Kosher

It was enterprising of them to cater for the orthodox Jewish market.

[magnetman]

Had to.be done Athy

 

I remember Kimberley being for sale £18k in 1995. Armstrong AS2 iirc right at the back with no back cabin.

[pete harrison]

Had to.be done Athy

 

I remember Kimberley being for sale £18k in 1995. Armstrong AS2 iirc right at the back with no back cabin.

This is the format and engine which KIMBERLEY was converted into the trip boat ENTERPRISE in 1957/58.

[Ray T]

 

From David Blagrove's book At the heart of the waterways.

Edited November 3, 2014 by Ray T

[koukouvagia]

Lovely man. I remember him 30 years ago when we had our first boat craned in at Braunston. Arthur watched me struggling to tie a loop in a mooring line and he quietly showed me how to splice the end properly . Our newly launched Springer was bobbing about like a cork and he organised some extra ballast - concrete lumps, if I remember correctly.