Film "The Boat People"

[Ray T]

Thanks for that Ray. I didn't know Bill Humphries, but I think I've heard someone of that name spoken of by Laura Carter or Ernie Kendall on some occasion when they were talking about one of Barlows motors that had a forecabin, the 'Hardy' if I remember right.

 

Hardy is correct, one of Mike's other Barlow boats was Gort, BW ones, Tyco, Sutton and Cambourne.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Ray T

[archie57]

Yes I believe two of the Ron Hough's were distant cousins. I was speaking To Mike Humphries on Wednesday and he backed this up. I stand to be corrected but I believe what I will call The Exhall Ron Hough died quite recently?

 

Tony, Mike was also telling me that he worked with Tyco for a while.

Ron Hough died 10 years ago this March

[Ray T]

Ron Hough died 10 years ago this March

 

Thank you, Mike was not too sure.

[alan_fincher]

There are apparently concerns that the person who uploaded this footage to You Tube should not have done so.

I have now been told a copy of the film had been made available to members of his family in the past, with the strict understanding that it was not put in the public domain.

Clearly I was not aware of this when I posted the You Tube footage.

Daniel has now changed the embedded video link to instead just be a URL link to You Tube, but to be clear the video has not been uploaded on to this site, and the thread simply relates to something that is freely in the public domain elsewhere, and is being widely shared outside of the forum.

I apologise if my trying to share this lovely film has actually caused concerns about whether this should have happened - I did so in good faith.

[Cloudinspector]

Superb video. Film like this shouldn't be kept under wraps. It's an important record of this country's history and heritage.

[Ray T]

Superb video. Film like this shouldn't be kept under wraps. It's an important record of this country's history and heritage.

 

I too feel a little saddened that some fascinating archived footage never gets into "the out side" world. Films like this can bring pleasure to so many.

 

Yes, I understand copyright can be and is abused.

 

Just my ramblings

[Laurence Hogg]

It would be interesting to find out why this was made and by whom as it does seem to promote the lifestyle what DIWE at the time wanted to suppress. It is odd there is no BBFC certificate at the beginning which tends to indicate it was never released, however being made at Pinewood with Warner involved and Sam Kydd narrating it wouldn't have come cheap. A smple rebalancing of the output would recify the overall green problem and restore the blue. however recording from You Tube and processing and then re up loading would infringe copyright of the owner, who ever that is..

[jeannette smith harrison]

I do understand what you mean about being their own community. The times I spent living amongst and working with those of them who were either still boating, or 'on the Company' or otherwise still connected with the Cut in some way, are a source of some of the best and fondest memories I have, and I count myself as being very privileged and lucky to have known them. One of my greatest regrets in life is not being born a few years earlier than I was, and so not having a few more years of that way of life before it all ended.

If you don't mind my asking, what relation are you to Joe Harrison, and also Mark Harrison and his brother in law Tom Humphries.

Tony I have 11 Robert's 7 Tom's21 Allen's & 14 Mark Harrisons in my working boatman tree one of them is my Father & half Brother Mark being the third most given name

I am guessing you are referring to Mark who worked for Willow Wren & then 3 fellows if so this Mark my Dad was named after him he was also Dads Godfather &

my granddads youngest surviving

brother. By the time Mark was born Granddad was already working with his godparents Robert & Anne

Harrison who he spent most of his time with until he Married & got his own boats, when this happened he took on Roberts son who was his nephew & Godson also called

Robert but known as Joe Harrison. This Joe stayed with them until he himself married .Uncle Joe was v close with my Grandparents & Dad , I knew him when I was

young but then lost contact but managed to trace him a few years before he went a boating in the sky. Joe was more like a father to me we where v close I still

miss his company at canal related events. A lot of my

knowledge was gained from him. lastly Tom Humphries you say brother in law to Mark if I have the right Mark then also Grandads brother in law Harry although he

was known

as Tommy Humphries & married granddads sister . Tommy or Tom is a name given a lot in the Humphries line another one did the lime juice run. Two of my Grandads sisters married Humphries so the connections are a little complicated its best

to see it on paper to understand as Humphries ,Green ,Carter, Lane, Harrison cross over several times . there are 7 close connections in this line. One of the other sisters was Aunt siccy who married Albert Sibley half brother to Tom Sibley these where my Godparents they trained Eily Gayford a lot can be read about

them in Eily Gayfords book the Amateur boatwoman . another of Grandads sisters married the brother of Charlie Atkins (Choclate Charlie). siccy,Grandad & uncle Benny (Ben Nixon) & other family members all lived close together when they settled on the bank & these where all part of of my life growing up with the old traditions.

[Tony Dunkley]

Tony I have 11 Robert's 7 Tom's21 Allen's & 14 Mark Harrisons in my working boatman tree one of them is my Father & half Brother Mark being the third most given name

I am guessing you are referring to Mark who worked for Willow Wren & then 3 fellows if so this Mark my Dad was named after him he was also Dads Godfather &

my granddads youngest surviving

brother. By the time Mark was born Granddad was already working with his godparents Robert & Anne

Harrison who he spent most of his time with until he Married & got his own boats, when this happened he took on Roberts son who was his nephew & Godson also called

Robert but known as Joe Harrison. This Joe stayed with them until he himself married .Uncle Joe was v close with my Grandparents & Dad , I knew him when I was

young but then lost contact but managed to trace him a few years before he went a boating in the sky. Joe was more like a father to me we where v close I still

miss his company at canal related events. A lot of my

knowledge was gained from him. lastly Tom Humphries you say brother in law to Mark if I have the right Mark then also Grandads brother in law Harry although he

was known

as Tommy Humphries & married granddads sister . Tommy or Tom is a name given a lot in the Humphries line another one did the lime juice run. Two of my Grandads sisters married Humphries so the connections are a little complicated its best

to see it on paper to understand as Humphries ,Green ,Carter, Lane, Harrison cross over several times . there are 7 close connections in this line. One of the other sisters was Aunt siccy who married Albert Sibley half brother to Tom Sibley these where my Godparents they trained Eily Gayford a lot can be read about

them in Eily Gayfords book the Amateur boatwoman . another of Grandads sisters married the brother of Charlie Atkins (Choclate Charlie). siccy,Grandad & uncle Benny (Ben Nixon) & other family members all lived close together when they settled on the bank & these where all part of of my life growing up with the old traditions.

Hello Jeanette, I thought there'd be a quite a lot of Joe's, Mark's and Tom's when I asked the question. The Joe Harrison I was thinking of lived in Leighton ( Buzzard) in the 60's and worked for Wyvern Shipping after the firm was sold and then ran Hire boats.

It was Mark who worked for Willow Wren until about '69 that I meant, and Tom Humphries who was on the Lime juice. There was an Erne Humphries on the Lime juice as well, but I can't remember what relation he was to Tom.

[archie57]

Ernie told me that he was no relation to Tom

[Tony Dunkley]

Ernie told me that he was no relation to Tom

Now you mention it . . . I think I recall him saying that too. . . . it was in the pub at Ricky one night, wasn't it ?

[jeannette smith harrison]

Tony

We are both talking about the same Mark & Joe Harrison for some reason I cant get photo bucket to work but if you p.m. me your e mail

I will send you a photo with uncle Joe & I with a picture of his mother behind us(The Brentford Boatgirl) Alen Fincher worked @ Wyvren with Joe & his brother

also had joe's butty Lyra

who my cousin was born on .

Joe also did a lot of painted goods for David Bladgrove to sell when he first moved to S/Brurne. Uncle Mark & David where great mates

in their working boat days & I love listning to Davids tales about my family & how uncle mark was such a mate that he against all rules towed David off the

Thames @ Brentford when he broke down..

Humphries had two separate lines that crossed over many times My Granddads sisters each married into seperate lines hence the connection with Carters, Hollingshead

,Green, Skinners & Hone Wallington, Wain & Jacksons, Granthams ( told you it was complicated) archie as far as I can tell is correct Ernie & Tom where

not blood connected

[archie57]

Now you mention it . . . I think I recall him saying that too. . . . it was in the pub at Ricky one night, wasn't it ?

No, it was over a cup of tea in his house at Longford!

[Tony Dunkley]

No, it was over a cup of tea in his house at Longford!

That doesn't help me trying to figure out who you are though.

[archie57]

You know very well who I am - but what has that got to do with this topic?

[Tony Dunkley]

You know very well who I am - but what has that got to do with this topic?

I've come up with one or two names, but I really can't make my mind up . . . I'll have to explore some more trains of thought.

[The Bearwood Boster]

We'll I know who Archie is but I know his wife even better...since Sept 1976.

[Tony Dunkley]

We'll I know who Archie is but I know his wife even better...since Sept 1976.

That's eliminated one of the possibles.

[Laurence Hogg]

There is evidence emerging that this may be a British Waterways owned film, having been passed to BFI for careful storage due to deteriation of the print. Can anyone add to this?

[Tony Dunkley]

You know very well who I am - but what has that got to do with this topic?

 

Well no, it hasn't got anything to do with topic, but I think I may have got it now . . . . I reckon you used to go about with a friend called Henry and a girl who might.

[Laurie Booth]

There is evidence emerging that this may be a British Waterways owned film, having been passed to BFI for careful storage due to deteriation of the print. Can anyone add to this?

It is a J .Arthur Rank production made at Pinewood Studios and I think it would of been shown with a main feature film.

[archie57]

Well no, it hasn't got anything to do with topic, but I think I may have got it now . . . . I reckon you used to go about with a friend called Henry and a girl who might.

Never had any friends and the girls never would!

[jeannette smith harrison]

It is a J .Arthur Rank production made at Pinewood Studios and I think it would of been shown with a main feature film.

That's interesting to know Laurie as this clip shows a lot of bulls bridge & this is where most of the boatmen where taken from

by coach for several of the other canal related filming .my Grandad & other family members appear in several including Painted Boats.

Each time they where called to Bulls Bridge then taken by coach to the filming location where paid the same day's monies they would have got

for delivering a load plus an added bonus to cover food & beer whilst waiting around .

[jeannette smith harrison]

Now you mention it . . . I think I recall him saying that too. . . . it was in the pub at Ricky one night, wasn't it ?

The last time I heard this tale I was enjoying the company & David's tales at Braunston show 2013 2am a lock in at the Admiral Nelson in the Company of

Barry Adams and the crew from Nuneaton & Brighton. David also told a tale of being thrown out of there with another of my family because he blew

the stove up but that's another tale for another day .

[Laurie Booth]

That's interesting to know Laurie as this clip shows a lot of bulls bridge & this is where most of the boatmen where taken from

by coach for several of the other canal related filming .my Grandad & other family members appear in several including Painted Boats.

Each time they where called to Bulls Bridge then taken by coach to the filming location where paid the same day's monies they would have got

for delivering a load plus an added bonus to cover food & beer whilst waiting around .

Wow, fantastic to have relatives in this lovely film. Rank got off cheap paying the boat crews so little but was still good for your family to get paid and become part of history.