Fellows Morton & Clayton trio - Butty, Steamer & Motor

[Derek R.]

Some time in the mid to late eighties we tied up in the museum and spent some time with one of the staff in the house adjacent to the chain-making area. With a lovely coal fire blazing away in the hearth, we were told he works to 1910 patterns - no later. We came away with a good crow bar he had made, and still have it today. Nothing out the ordinary, but a nice gesture.

[Jrtm]

The last time i spoke about using the dock at bclm they dont use it as they dont have any proper dock workers anymore and they wanted to make it out like a dock use to be diamond is ment to look like a boat having its bottoms replaced ect ect.

 

Its a bit mad as they could dock a boat once a year and every 4-5 years each boat would be docked + its free but they dont well didnt see this (office staff have changed)

Peacock went to brinklow as they did the work in 2008 on the bottoms + no one elts close could do it as birchills was being rebuild at the time.

[Derek R.]

Only guessing - but having a working boat dock in a museum would meet with a working place - vs - members of the public. You would need to keep the two a bit separate, and the other issue might be that modern tools and equipment would contradict the 'museum' feel. Keeping it as it, is keeps that 'feel'. Pity, because it does attract the mausoleum comments. Re-building and repairing a boat in the manner of the time the museum depicts, would certainly cause problems with the time required to complete any given job, and thereby the costs.

 

It's a 'shop window' of artefacts, like you cannot buy the goods in the hardware shop or the chemist. But would you drink the beer and eat the cheese rolls from the Glass & Bottle if they were made circa 1910?

Edited July 5, 2015 by Derek R.