Identification Of Places & Boats

[cheshire~rose]

Well I'm feeling fairly silly now!

 

I had originally convinced myself it could be Autherley, and the gate swing was correct, but then allowed myself to accept that Tim was correct!

 

I now have no idea how!

 

I apologise profusely.

 

Maybe that picture is of Autherley!

 

Please don't feel silly. You encouraged me to go off and check I had not got it all twisted around in my mind and find a photo to help illustrate it.

[X Alan W]

My understanding (though I could be completely wrong) was that the pontoon conversions I saw in the 70s were all relatively recent at that time. I certainly never thought of them as 20 years old. Which isn't to say there wasn't an earlier generation of pontoon conversions which had already made their way to boat heaven.

My Grandpa bought 2 pontoons from Leversleys ex WD sales in Alrewas can't remember the exact year but he converted it with the intention of attending the MK Harborough boat gathering in 1950, but couldn't because of illness My grandpa passed away in 1952 but my uncle took it over & still had it in 1955 when I had to do my military service, it was either sold or broken up by the time I returned to civvy street. I remember seeing the bill which was £1 18 shillings each & 7 shillings for delivery. it was pre war Ford 8 engine , gearbox & rear axle powered to a stern paddle wheel. A photo of a similar set up appeared on a post a few weeks back

Edited November 6, 2014 by X Alan W

[tarboat]

Image 2 is definitely Autherley Junction stop lock. This is another 1935 view cropped from the Britain from above site. You can see that the house matches and the building to the left of the house is also there.

http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epr000570

 

[tarboat]

Photo No.3 may have a slightly bemusing caption as it is looking the wrong way for the junction, but it is definitely Bridge 100 carrying Stokehall Lane over the canal at Barbridge. A modern view here:

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.105484,-2.574634,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m5!1e2!3m3!1s39644422!2e1!3e10?hl=en

[tarboat]

Photo No.1 is Essex Bridge at Shugborough. It has clearly seen some changes since that photo was taken, including the removal of the bases that show on the photo. These bases are also visible on this old postcard. I suspect deepening of the river to prevent flooding.

 

[cheshire~rose]

My Grandpa bought 2 pontoons from Leversleys ex WD sales in Alrewas can't remember the exact year but he converted it with the intention of attending the MK Harborough boat gathering in 1950, but couldn't because of illness My grandpa passed away in 1952 but my uncle took it over & still had it in 1955 when I had to do my military service, it was either sold or broken up by the time I returned to civvy street. I remember seeing the bill which was £1 18 shillings each & 7 shillings for delivery. it was pre war Ford 8 engine , gearbox & rear axle powered to a stern paddle wheel. A photo of a similar set up appeared on a post a few weeks back

 

Ahhhh - Levesleys!

 

Teenage years growing up in Lichfield we were always in that place eying up all kinds of weird and wonderful things they were selling off cheap! Those were the days

 

Photo No.3 may have a slightly bemusing caption as it is looking the wrong way for the junction, but it is definitely Bridge 100 carrying Stokehall Lane over the canal at Barbridge. A modern view here:

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.105484,-2.574634,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m5!1e2!3m3!1s39644422!2e1!3e10?hl=en

 

Thanks that is useful

[archie57]

Regarding the Autherley picture, I haven't yet turned up a photo, but looking at the DVD "By Canal in the Fifties (which incidentally features some marvellous boats!) you can see the hipped-roof house in question in the distance

[tarboat]

There is a photo of Autherley on page 54 of the November 2014 Waterways World which shows the house by the lock.

[cheshire~rose]

Well I'm feeling fairly silly now!

 

 

 

 

Alan, you are not the only one - in fact I am feeling extremely silly but now someone has shown me the error of my ways it appears that it IS Python in those pictures

 

What I had failed to do was scroll right down to the bottom of the page that each image in the search appeared on. Each photo has several other photos in the set and it is these photos that make the caption fit "the set" of images rather than just the first one I was seeing.

 

Am I the only one who didn't realise this?

 

Wow! .. so the mysterious Josher bow at Autherley with the caption "Views showing the British waterways naroowboats, motor 'Python' and butty 'Capella' negotiating the lock at the junction, the lock cottage can be sen in the background. Good views of the stern of the butty cabin."

becomes this in the next photo.. Tada!

 

 

 

 

 

I suspect she was reversing up to pick up the butty in this shot?

 

 

So that clearly places Python as being paired with Capella for at least one journey of her life.

 

It also revealed this in the series with that bridge that we think is Shugborough.

 

 

Then the one at Gnosall has this:

 

 

Then the one at Barbridge:

 

 

I am thrilled to find so many pictures of Python, especially after being so dissapointed when I thought I had found some but the pictures were not showing Python and then having further confirmation that the boat in the images was unlikely to be Python.

 

So - to Pete Harrison, All these images are captioned as being taken in August 1952. If we believe that date then we know that Python did at least one journey with Capella in that year. I think you may need to make an addition to your record for Python

 

It almost appears as though someone was documenting her trip as there are so many photos of her in different places on on The Shroppie that month. I would love to know why - or perhaps other boat owners are finding there are records of their boats taken that month?

 

They are running empty - does anyone have any knowledge of what boat traffic was doing using that canal at that time?

 

Is anyone able to identify the crew?

Edited December 1, 2014 by cheshire~rose

[johnthebridge]

Looks a bit like Mary Safe standing in Capella's hatches. If so, that would make it Joe on the motor.

Edited December 1, 2014 by johnthebridge

[Paul H]

Looks a bit like Mary Safe standing in Capella's hatches. If so, that would make it Joe on the motor.

 

or perhaps Mr and Mrs Sam Beechey as featured in an article by John Pyper in Narrow Boat Magazine Autumn 2008.Mind you the resolution of the free "taster" pics isn't great.

 

Paul

[pete harrison]

Wow! .. so the mysterious Josher bow at Autherley with the caption "Views showing the British waterways naroowboats, motor 'Python' and butty 'Capella' negotiating the lock at the junction, the lock cottage can be sen in the background.

 

So that clearly places Python as being paired with Capella for at least one journey of her life.

 

I am thrilled to find so many pictures of Python, especially after being so dissapointed when I thought I had found some but the pictures were not showing Python and then having further confirmation that the boat in the images was unlikely to be Python.

 

So - to Pete Harrison, All these images are captioned as being taken in August 1952. If we believe that date then we know that Python did at least one journey with Capella in that year. I think you may need to make an addition to your record for Python

I am pleased that you have been able to identify the motor in the aforementioned photographs as PYTHON.

[alan_fincher]

 

or perhaps Mr and Mrs Sam Beechey as featured in an article by John Pyper in Narrow Boat Magazine Autumn 2008.Mind you the resolution of the free "taster" pics isn't great.

 

Paul

I wondered if it might be Mrs Beechey, but if it is 1952, I'm not at all sure that she looks as I would expect, given how much later other published pictures of her are.

 

(Also there is no cigarette hanging from her mouth!.....)

[cheshire~rose]

As an aside. I have been told by Richard Allsopp, one of Python's crew (and himself a canal historian) that his former boat "Pebley" , now owned by the trustee in charge of Python has a water can that was painted by the late Bob Bush who was the owner of Capella after she ceased carrying.

 

It's a very small world!