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Can anyone date the image in this Dail Mail report


Leo No2

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The Daily Mail has produced an article saying the South Northants is the 7th best place to live in the UK. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-2880889/The-50-best-places-live-UK-Hampshire-district-retaining-Hart-retains-spot.html) Be that as it may there is a quite nostalgic image of Stoke Bruerne (raised to being a town) in the article. 'Cleyley Bob' (of this Parish) suggests the butty is Bakewell (he is younger than me and probably has better eyesight!). The gut feel is the image is from about 1959/1960 - the interesting things are:

 

1) No weighing machine in the dry lock

2) Museum tearooms don't exist

3) Boat Inn extension not there (late 1970s construction)

4) Only one (may be 2) poplar trees

5) H type TV aerial on Jack James' cottage (No 3) for BBC2?

6) Is Jack James the man in the middle of the three in the butty?

7) Could the young man on the right be John Thorpe who later wrote 'A windlass in my belt'?

 

It's a nice nostalgic image in my view but would be interested if anyone can provide more information.

Edited by Leo No2
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The Daily Mail has produced an article saying the South Northants is the 7th best place to live in the UK. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-2880889/The-50-best-places-live-UK-Hampshire-district-retaining-Hart-retains-spot.html) Be that as it may there is a quite nostalgic image of Stoke Bruerne (raised to being a town) in the article. 'Cleyley Bob' (of this Parish) suggests the butty is Bakewell (he is younger than me and probably has better eyesight!). The gut feel is the image is from about 1959/1960 - the interesting things are:

1) No weighing machine in the dry lock

2) Museum tearooms don't exist

3) Boat Inn extension not there (late 1970s construction)

4) Only one (may be 2) poplar trees

5) H type TV aerial on Jack James' cottage (No 3) for BBC2?

6) Is Jack James the man in the middle of the three in the butty?

7) Could the young man on the right be John Thorpe who later wrote 'A windlass in my belt'?

It's a nice nostalgic image in my view but would be interested if anyone can provide more information.

The caption says the 60's

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Can David Blagrove provide the information?

Have spoken with David this afternoon and he thinks it is pre 1963 (Museum opening) but more than that he's not said too much other than comment on buildings as they were and (sadly) aren't now.

 

David did make this comment:

 

The fact that the first pair has "slacked" above the top gates would suggest that the family concerned worked two pairs of BW boats, a not uncommon practice if there were several teenage sons and daughters

 

Edited by Leo No2
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The pair in the lock, including Bakewell, look particularly well turned out, and seem to sport the much more elaborate earlier form of the British Waterways livery, like these wonderful ones from the recently shown Hardwicke Knight photos....

(EDIT: On looking again in more detail, I have changed my mind - it is the later less elaborate livery, I now believe)

I believe one of the Hambridge families had the boat at some stage, so could it be them, I wonder ?

The massive "bespoke" gear wheel on the motor should identify it to to someone in the know, I think, but I seem to recall that pictures of Baldock have shown it once carried something similar.

If you ask Pete Harrison he may well be able to tell you from the fleet lists he hold copies of whether Baldock and Bakewell were recorded as working together, and when, and maybe even which steerer.

Have you tried asking David about the photo? (EDIT: To acknowledge that you have!). My gut feel is that it is too early for that to be John Thorpe...... (EDIT: Yet another retraction - John Thorpe would have been an adult by the likely dates involved!....)

Another dating aid might be that there are gate paddles at the top end - for many years, I believe there were not, but I don't know when they were first removed. Probably a very long way after this photo, so probably not helpful!

EDIT: To correct wrong butty name!

Edited by alan_fincher
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Doesn't it look nice without all the stupid signage.

It does but I suppose without the modern boats the waterways would not now exist and the number of boats (and those that push the regulations) means signage becomes a necessary evil. But I agree it looks so much better in the image on the Daily Mail website albeit a little austere.

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I reckon just prior to museum opening, note the things stacked against the wall, they could be the signs.

 

But I think the museum only opened the same year (1963), as BW gave up most of its long distance carrying operations.

 

I reckon this is has to be earlier than the big freeze.

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It could be 1962. The (pre-) museum isn't in the photo, but everything else is.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2279578

 

Or, most likely, 1960 with the same objects up against the wall of the mill.

http://workingboatphotos.co.uk/collections/colin-scrivener-1960-to-1969-photos/?page=2

 

Looking at the flowers, I reckon the Daily Mail photo is March/April.

Edited by Québec
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Thank you all for your input. I think the outcome is:

 

1) it is very early 1960s

2) the butty is Bakewell

3) it is odd that the Daily Mail should have used a 1960s image

4) things look much better without the signage!

5) Stoke Bruerne remains a village and not a town as described by the DM

Edited by Leo No2
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5) Stoke Bruerne remains a village and not a town as described by the DM

 

Hi

 

It is a good picture - I think it was an example of a region (South Northants) rather than a town.

 

Northamptonshire is a beautiful county, lovely ironstone buildings.

 

The report you submitted (in another post) cncerning the unfortunate loss of a 'plane was excellent - except no mention of the divine intervention of God - amazing that there was no loss of life - another example was the wartime bomb through the Mosta Dome in Malta..... it does happen.

 

Have an excellent Christmas and all the best for 2015.

 

L

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Or, most likely, 1960 with the same objects up against the wall of the mill.

http://workingboatphotos.co.uk/collections/colin-scrivener-1960-to-1969-photos/?page=2

 

 

Looks about right to me - everything of Jack James' adoption of the area in much the same condition, in each picture I would say.

 

About 1960 "feels" about right to me anyway, and comparing to the Colin Scriviner photo seems fairly conclusive.

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I have seen very few photo,s with the chimney of a boat protected with what appears to be a polythene bag, there is however another one in this months 'Narrowboat' - the boat being Bluelines 'Stanton' steered by Doris Collins.

 

Just a thought - i may be miles off the mark though.

 

Happy Christmas all !

 

Max.


Did the Collins family work for BW prior to Blueline ?

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