miscellaneous photographs

[keithbo]

I recently discovered these photographs I suspect they were taken early to mid 70's but don't know where or when. Any help with identification would be gratefully appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This may be a clue as it is in the same batch

 

 

Sorry for the poor quality of the photographs.

 

Keith

[furnessvale]

Manchester, Rochdale 9. Someone will be along in a minute giving chapter and verse.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Pluto]

The top photo is of one of the two Rochdale Canal boats named after flowers and built, IIRC, at Northwich around 1900, which were sunk in the canal at Manchester. The next down is one of Monk's wooden L&LC Canal Transport boats, but I am not sure which one. It is at the bottom of the Rochdale locks, on the bottom of the Bridgewater Canal. The third and fifth ones show Albert Blundell's Christine, ex Canal Transport Don, which was originally Lancashire Canal Transport's 31. It was built as a horse boat in 1927 and motorised in 1934/35. The fourth is another view of one of the two sunk Rochdale Canal boats, showing their composite construction, ie wood planking on steel framing. The last looks like lock 92, which was built and operated for many years by the Bridgewater Canal to control access to and from the Rochdale Canal.

[Laurence Hogg]

Here is "Christine" in 1980:

 

[keithbo]

Hi Mike and Lawrence Thanks very much for your prompt replies

 

Suspect this may be you Mike about the same year

 

 

Keith

[David Mack]

I recently discovered these photographs I suspect they were taken early to mid 70's but don't know where or when. Any help with identification would be gratefully appreciated.

 

I suspect that date is about right. This is a similar view dated 9 September 1979 from http://canalplan.eu/cgi-bin/showstuff.cgi?mode=photo&id=06ni_4

[Pluto]

Hi Mike and Lawrence Thanks very much for your prompt replies

 

Suspect this may be you Mike about the same year

 

 

 

Keith

It is, and the year would be 1972, shortly after I had bought Pluto and before I had done any repainting. It looks a bit like near Top Locks at Burscough.

[billh]

The boat in the Bridgewater is ,I think, the George. That boat and Christine were supposed to go somewhere up the Nine to make restaurant boats . There were two others already in place at Princess St, later moved to Dale St. The two in question arrived at Castlefield only with the assistance of two diesel pumps on deck to keep them afloat . Within a short time both had sunk though it was possible to re-float Christine by emptying and re-filling the pound quickly though she sank again in a few hours. George was there for a few years,i don't know it's fate. Christine was finally destroyed when the canal was dredged in the 1990's, there are still some bits left in the bed of the canal. Is that enough chapter & verse?

[keithbo]

It is, and the year would be 1972, shortly after I had bought Pluto and before I had done any repainting. It looks a bit like near Top Locks at Burscough.

 

I suspect that you were on your way to the IWA national rally at Lymm. My wife and I thumbed a lift with you some of the way. We should of attended on Mary of George and Mary fame but she wasn't completed she was moored at Burscough and I think Nigel fixed us up with a lift from you. Unfortunately it is a long time ago and I can remember very little of the event today.

 

Keith

[Timleech]

Here is "Christine" in 1980:

 

 

...and in happier times, Barton Power Station, 1966:-

 

 

Tim

[Pluto]

The boat in the Bridgewater is ,I think, the George. That boat and Christine were supposed to go somewhere up the Nine to make restaurant boats . There were two others already in place at Princess St, later moved to Dale St. The two in question arrived at Castlefield only with the assistance of two diesel pumps on deck to keep them afloat . Within a short time both had sunk though it was possible to re-float Christine by emptying and re-filling the pound quickly though she sank again in a few hours. George was there for a few years,i don't know it's fate. Christine was finally destroyed when the canal was dredged in the 1990's, there are still some bits left in the bed of the canal. Is that enough chapter & verse?

Just a bit more. George was built as a horse boat for the coal merchants G B Leach of Blackburn in 1922, sold to J & W Tomlinson, as coal merchants, in 1939 and converted to motor in 1945, before being sold to Monks in 1954. Lune was also moored above lock 92, and was subsequently sold and sinking at Altham circa 1972. Geoff Wheat then bought her after being raised. There were two wooden L&LC long boats converted to a restaurant. I seem to remember one was Hopewell, built as a steamer for J R Thornton, the Skipton coal merchant, in 1928 and sold to Billy Wells in 1943. I can't remember the name of the other, but it may also have been ex-Wells.

[jam]

I remember it well from some of my old photographs.

 

Here is Christine at the same location as the OP with the pound drained. If I recollect the photo was taken in 1971.

[Derek R.]

I remember it as a linear rubbish tip, certainly graunched over some stuff in '81.