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jackson-best

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jackson-best Explorer

jackson-best

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Hi everyone

I thought I would join something like this to find friends and family of my parents George & Lucy Jackson (Nee Best)

 

Thomas&Elizabeth Jackson. Son George.

Alf&Frances Best(nee Wallington). Daughter Lucy

I also vaguely remember hearing my dad had a son and daughter before my mum n dad got together... any ideas anyone ??

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Pretty sure Alf Best captained the pair of boats "Darley" and "Ayr" displayed at the festival of Britain in 1951, he also appears in the BTW film "There go the boats".

Correct

 

I stand correction here but I think Alf Best Captained Mimas and Ray after The Stoke's.

No, I don't think so.

 

It is possible to read into a caption in Sonia Rolt's book that Alf Best had Mimas and Ray, but I think that at the time of that picture the Stokes were at that rally with the Ovaltine boats, whereas Alf Best attended with a smart pair of BW boats, (probably Darley and Ayr, but I would need to check).

 

Alf & Frances Best later provided a crew for Willow Wren, at least in their early days, and are listed as having Mallard & Shoveller.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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I should have course welcomed our new member - my apolgies.

 

Additionally Alf and Frances best appeared on TV in the episode of "This Is Your Life" that covered Sister Mary Ward.

 

Later on Alf worked on the BW maintenance team on the Southern Grand Union.

 

This is my picture from (I think) 1973, steering the icebreaker tug "Sickle" which I and my wife now own.

 

Sickle_1.jpg

 

Actually these (also my photos) show Alf at the tiller of our "Sickle" rather better, I think....

 

322827_283423311773507_1782157816_o.jpg

 

53856_283423318440173_1949952975_o.jpg

 

220266_283423308440174_425841794_o.jpg

 

616074_283423345106837_1584415433_o.jpg

 

 

"Sickle" has its own Facebook page, (see link in my signature), and these and other photos can be seen there.

Edited by alan_fincher
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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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This is also Alf....

v0_web.jpg

From a photo in the CRT Digital Archive here.


Spoke to his son at ricky last year, a real gent he was and More than happy to chat.

Darren

 

Those who worked with Alf describe him the same, as a "perfect gentleman of the canals".

There are people who started on British Waterways at a young age, who remember him very fondly as a kind of father figure - a grandfather to be proud of by any account I have heard.


I guess you have this, but this is my favourite image I have seen of the man!

 

10945061_716559601792257_654435120_n.jpg

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jackson-best Explorer

jackson-best

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Spoke to his son at ricky last year, a real gent he was and More than happy to chat.

 

Darren

Which son was it do you know?

Possibly Ron or John I'm guessing x

Thank you all for your replies.

Yes I too have always heard great things about my grandad and remember him well myself.

Love all the pictures you have provided.

 

Alan I love that pic too. I have that somewhere...

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jeannette smith harrison Proficient

jeannette smith harrison

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Welcome Cousin

Lynsey it is n ice to have one of the Jackson clan on this forum.

Can any forum members help out here as quite some time ago there was a posting on some of Alf Bests paintings

that where sold on e /bay .

I have checked through old posts but can find nothing on said mentioned ,If memory serves me right it was a can & a dipper.

Lyndsey's brother is eager to fetch some of his work back into the family fold's

for those that know members & past members from my family my Uncle Joe Harrison's mother in law was a Jackson

& there are 3 other connections to this side .

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archie57 Proficient

archie57

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Correct

 

No, I don't think so.

 

It is possible to read into a caption in Sonia Rolt's book that Alf Best had Mimas and Ray, but I think that at the time of that picture the Stokes were at that rally with the Ovaltine boats, whereas Alf Best attended with a smart pair of BW boats, (probably Darley and Ayr, but I would need to check).

 

Alf & Frances Best later provided a crew for Willow Wren, at least in their early days, and are listed as having Mallard & Shoveller.

Alf Best had the "Coleshill" when at Mkt Harborough rally. Incidentally, we used to sell coal to his brother Bill when in Gloucester, before retiring he was bridge keeper at Llanthony bridge. I'd be interested to know more about the family, and how Bill ended up down there!

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Alf Best had the "Coleshill" when at Mkt Harborough rally.

Is this their boats here in this video at about 09:50 to 10:00?

 

The boats look immaculate, but I can't spot the family.

 

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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And again on here, briefly, about 10 seconds in.

 

Presumably Mrs Best on the butty "Ayr"?

 

Ray T referred to the Syokes family earlier, and the Ovaltine boats "Mimas" and "Rae". Nellie Stokes and her two daughters can clearly be seen on those boats at around 0:45 in this video

 

Edited by alan_fincher
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jackson-best Explorer

jackson-best

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Alf Best had the "Coleshill" when at Mkt Harborough rally. Incidentally, we used to sell coal to his brother Bill when in Gloucester, before retiring he was bridge keeper at Llanthony bridge. I'd be interested to know more about the family, and how Bill ended up down there!

Hi Archie

Unfortunately I didn't know my Grandads family... I might be able to find out some information from somewhere. If I do I will let you know.

 

Thank you x

And again on here, briefly, about 10 seconds in.

 

Presumably Mrs Best on the butty "Ayr"?

 

Ray T referred to the Syokes family earlier, and the Ovaltine boats "Mimas" and "Rae". Nellie Stokes and her two daughters can clearly be seen on those boats at around 0:45 in this video

 

10 seconds in it looks like my mum. Lucy Best...Xx

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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10 seconds in it looks like my mum. Lucy Best...Xx

 

Ah!, Well there you go!

 

If this was 1950, then their boats only actually date from 13 or 14 years previously, so perhaps it isn't surprising they look relatively new.

 

These types of boats are now not far off 80 years old, so that film really is a bit of history!

 

The butty boat "Ayr" is officially scrapped some years ago, but this is generally not accepted to be the case by boat historians. The generally accepted explanation is that "Ayr" was supposed to be being scrapped, but an error was made and a similar boat "Berkhampstead" was cut up by mistake. However British Waterways had already agreed a sale of "Berkhampstead", so allegedly "Ayr" was quickly repainted and passed off as that boat. So it is felt that the boat that now actually masquerades as "Berkhampstead" is actually "Ayr", particularly as those actually familiar with Ayr at the time can identify the dents they know it had in it!

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jackson-best Explorer

jackson-best

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Ah!, Well there you go!

 

If this was 1950, then their boats only actually date from 13 or 14 years previously, so perhaps it isn't surprising they look relatively new.

 

These types of boats are now not far off 80 years old, so that film really is a bit of history!

 

The butty boat "Ayr" is officially scrapped some years ago, but this is generally not accepted to be the case by boat historians. The generally accepted explanation is that "Ayr" was supposed to be being scrapped, but an error was made and a similar boat "Berkhampstead" was cut up by mistake. However British Waterways had already agreed a sale of "Berkhampstead", so allegedly "Ayr" was quickly repainted and passed off as that boat. So it is felt that the boat that now actually masquerades as "Berkhampstead" is actually "Ayr", particularly as those actually familiar with Ayr at the time can identify the dents they know it had in it!

 

 

 

Just had a better look on the laptop. It does look more like my mum to me. The hair gives it away.

 

That's a good bit of history. So they sold it on knowing it was wrong tut tut

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6Bll3DEchU

Alf Best and daughter Lucy at 9.42 - I bet most people have seen this many times!

 

to be clear, that is the timing Huntley Archive have added to the film - in terms of the You Tube timings at the bottom, more like 08:38, I think

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