Pair for sale

[Ray T]

Thank you Pete.

[Tony Dunkley]

Yes, but soon afterwards it was converted again to a conventional counter sterned motor.

Do you have any of the rest of the photos that were taken at the same time as this one ? The occasion was the (re)launching of Forget me Not in 1929, and was the first horseboat to motor conversion done by Nursers for Henry Grantham (standing on the left, holding the long shaft). I was shown these photos and told about the conversion job when he was lock-keeper at Buckby. At the time the conversion was done Henry was one of the owner/boatmen (Number Ones) carrying to the papermills( Dickinsons). The engine was a 25 Hp water drip Bolinder.

Edited March 15, 2015 by Tony Dunkley

[Ray T]

"Henry Grantham was lock keeper at Buckby Locks, on the Grand Union Canal for 40 years. Always with a pipe in his mouth and with his sole companion at his side Rex, a cream Alsation dog.

Henry earned praise during his years at the locks for saving the lives of many people and animals who had fallen in the canal and for this reason he was often a subject in the local newspaper. In one such article in 1969, he explained that his dog didn't like trains anymore, because the steam train drivers had got to know Rex his dog so well, they used to throw bones out for him as they passed down the line and Rex would run after the trains. Then when the electric trains came the drivers had no chance as the trains travelled too quickly, but Rex could not understand why the bones no longer came.

Henry retired in August 1988 at the age of 75. Henry is commemorated by a decorated bench at the bottom lock of the Buckby Flight which was created from timbers of the old working boat 'Forget-Me-Not' which was operated by the Grantham family for many years."

 

[

H Grantham

 

 

Also here:

 

http://www.wbla.org.uk/pages/tale2.html

 

I seem to recall from reading somewhere, the Henry Grantham mentioned above was the son of Henry Grantham in the photo of Forget Me Not. The article said as a youngster he had fallen in the cut between a motor and a butty and was badly crushed and no longer able to work on the boats, which is why he became lock keeper at Buckby.

 

Could someone confirm or correct this please?

Edited March 16, 2015 by Ray T

[Tony Dunkley]

"Henry Grantham was lock keeper at Buckby Locks, on the Grand Union Canal for 40 years. Always with a pipe in his mouth and with his sole companion at his side Rex, a cream Alsation dog.

Henry earned praise during his years at the locks for saving the lives of many people and animals who had fallen in the canal and for this reason he was often a subject in the local newspaper. In one such article in 1969, he explained that his dog didn't like trains anymore, because the steam train drivers had got to know Rex his dog so well, they used to throw bones out for him as they passed down the line and Rex would run after the trains. Then when the electric trains came the drivers had no chance as the trains travelled too quickly, but Rex could not understand why the bones no longer came.

Henry retired in August 1988 at the age of 75. Henry is commemorated by a decorated bench at the bottom lock of the Buckby Flight which was created from timbers of the old working boat 'Forget-Me-Not' which was operated by the Grantham family for many years."

 

[

H Grantham

 

 

Also here:

 

http://www.wbla.org.uk/pages/tale2.html

 

I seem to recall from reading somewhere, the Henry Grantham mentioned above was the son of Henry Grantham in the photo of Forget Me Not. The article said as a youngster he had fallen in the cut between a motor and a butty and was badly crushed and no longer able to work on the boats, which is why he became lock keeper at Buckby.

 

Could someone confirm or correct this please?

 

I knew Henry very well back in the 1960's, and the story above and in the link fits with what I recall him telling me. He was injured when they were working for GUCCCo after the Number Ones who had been supplying the paper mills were finally all forced out of business by being undercut by Grand Union's. I'm not sure his age and retirement date are right though, I would have thought he was a bit older than that, and retired earlier than was said. He had a lot of photos of Forget me Not's re-launch after the first conversion job in 1929 in addition to the one you put on your Post, and Henry is the one standing on the left with the long shaft.

The article from the link was spot on in what was said about him, particularly his mischievous sense of humour. He was not a man to suffer fools gladly, and being of a somewhat rebellious nature, never passed up an opportunity to put one over on the British Waterways gaffers. One occasion in particular comes to mind when a long closure of Braunston Summit was stopping UCC's camping boats getting back to Braunston to prepare for the first trip of the season. In the early hours of one morning, Henry and I lifted a Petter PD4, that Janusz Rociki of Union Canal Carriers had bought from Bulls Bridge out of the bottom of 'Birmingham' and into 'Albert' using stop planks rigged across the top lock chamber, roping the engine up tight to them and then lowering 'Birmingham' from under it and raising 'Albert' up from underneath. BW was expecting the transfer to be done with a hired crane and the Area Engineer together with Everitt, the Section Inspector at Hilmorton and Joe Hogg, the Length Foreman all had a dicky fit when they found out what we'd done. The sight of Henry doing his best to keep a straight face while we were being admonished for our sins is something I will never forget. Needless to say, UCC were very happy, and it was quite a long time before Henry and I had to pay anything over the bar in the New Inn.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Tony Dunkley

[GilesMorris]

In happier times. Mabel with Forget Me Not on the cross straps that Peter liked (they made it so much easier to get a cup of tea from the galley). This was just North of Gailey (Staffs & Worcs), and I think it was around 1965. How many Health & Safety violations can we fit in one image? But I was happy!

 

[Timleech]

In happier times. Mabel with Forget Me Not on the cross straps that Peter liked (they made it so much easier to get a cup of tea from the galley). This was just North of Gailey (Staffs & Worcs), and I think it was around 1965. How many Health & Safety violations can we fit in one image? But I was happy!

 

 

Here is the man himself sorting out those cross straps, with the new, slimmer and more shapely Forget-me-Not on its first trip after rebuilding:-

 

 

Mabel had a lot of work done a few years before, 1974/5 I think:-

 

 

Paul Wallace busy there

 

 

This was not 'my' job, in the way that the Forget-me-Not rebuild was, I'd been away boating on the continent and came back later & lent a hand.

 

Atmospheric scene here, with Ray Brooks tending the boiler, and a bucket of chalico on the go:-

 

Some years later, on the Hayhurst slips in Northwich because Preston Brook and Saltersford Tunnels were both closed for the winter & the dry dock at Dutton was inaccessible, fitting a new counter block:-

 

 

Another view of the new fore end on Forget-me-Not:-

 

 

All these jobs on the Hotel Boats had to be done within strict time constraints, couldn't be started util mid-Octoer and had to be finished for the start of the new season, with cabins reinstated and everything smartly painted, there were three wooden boats, two composite and one steel all of which were generally docked every year.

 

Tim

[Tim Carter]

I have very fond memories of Mabel and Forget-me-not. I had them for a few years in the early 90's. They were basically pretty sound hulls having been well maintained and extensively re-built over the years. I did put a top plank, top plank and lining plank, gunnel in the motor in '92 as can be seen in the pictures. I actually went onto re-plank the whole of the cabin side shown, not surprisingly that was more than I had originally planned for that winter and as was customary, I was still finishing off as the first passengers arrived!

http://s1148.photobucket.com/user/tscarter/media/Tim%20Mabel_zpsbwraa6iy.jpg.html?

http://s1148.photobucket.com/user/tscarter/media/Mabel_zpsr5250wid.jpg.html?filters[user]=142772263&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=1

[Tim Carter]