Keith Ball of Stretton has died.

[Derek R.]

Bless you Christine - thanks for that. Happy memories.

 

Derek & Louise, previously of 'YARMOUTH'.

[alan_fincher]

Welcome Christine!

I'm glad you finally got resolution to your issues of not being able to log on and post.

What a lovely tribute, and thanks for adding more background about Keith to those who had only got to know him relatively recently. Thank you for taking the time and trouble to post it.

 

The Stretton yard was always full of surprises, and I'm glad to hear the work will continue. There are some wonderful projects there, and hopefully we will see some of them back on the water in the years ahead.

[stagedamager]

Welcome from me too.

With it being kept in the family long may the high standard of work continue.

Regards

Dan

[boats&goats]

Thanks to you all. Today I have paid into the bank all the cash, cheques & PayPal donations collected in Keith's memory. £600 in total which is a magnificent effort. I am hoping to take a cheque to the Stafford Chemo Unit later this week.

C.x

[boats&goats]

Last week the water can from nb *Hampstead* was in use again. After being used to collect donations, then sitting on Keith's coffin for a few minutes full of spring flowers it went with Tania & I to visit the Stafford Chemo Unit. We presented a cheque for £600 in memory of Keith Ball. Much of this was raised at the "Wake" we organised at "The Hartley Arms" on Feb 27th, a canalside pub in Wheaton Aston not far from Keith's boatyard at Stretton. The three nurses in the pic (Sarah, Bev & Lorraine) looked after Keith for over 5 years & he thought the world of them. Grateful thanks to all who made this magnificent donation possible. We will be visiting the unit again in July after it has moved to a new location in the hospital with more space. I hope to see Keith's presentation cheque on the wall somewhere.

 

Cheers,

Christine.

[Alan Herd]

So very sad to hear the news of Keith Ball. I met Keith whilst filming the restoration of Dover, he was always a gentleman, a great teacher and he made me laugh so much my sides hurt. So many great memories, condolences to all his family and friends.

Alan Herd.

[Jrtm]

I know the name why do i know the name?

[mark99]

I know the name why do i know the name?

 

Alan presented the TV series Narrowboat Afloat. Was/is a chippie also on a DIY programme (with Tommy Walsh).

Edited October 4, 2016 by mark99

[pete harrison]

 

Alan presented the TV series Narrowboat Afloat. Was/is a chippie also on a DIY programme (with Tommy Walsh).

[Chertsey]

And the original Narrowboat series, when they did Dover up. Keith was a consultant on that and did a lot of the work (the good stuff!) and also made a few appearances in the final programme. The best bet to stay in was when he told them the cabin was all wrong and would have to come off and be redone.

[bargemast]

I seem to remember that it was Keith who sold them "Dover" aswell, and after that the boat spend some time at his yard to do the most urgent steelwork Under Keith's guidance.

 

Peter

[alan_fincher]

The best bet to stay in was when he told them the cabin was all wrong and would have to come off and be redone.

 

IIRC There was a strong school of thought that said that even the second attempt at the back cabin still got the shape wrong!

 

There was a fairly detailed explanation I think from Tim Leech about why that might be. Tim had worked on Dover previously, (possibly it was he who originally bought the hulk from BW?), and the counter as it arrived at Keith's was apparently not standard Large Woolwich. Hence when a cabin with unmodified Large Woolwich dimensions was constructed on top of a non standard counter, the end result looked wrong.

 

I'm sure there are several old posts about this, and although it's possible I may not have remembered all the detail fully, I think I have got the basic gist of it.