The Canals Before the 1990s

[captain birdseye]

Sorry was trying to add some pictures but failed

Edited June 12, 2016 by captain birdseye

[captain birdseye]

Me and my wife both started boating as children, unfortunately I don't have photos of myself but here are a few of her taken on holidays in the early seventies

 

We met on WRG working partys in the early eighties and are still happily married after thirty years and still boat together with our two young children

Edited June 12, 2016 by captain birdseye

[captain birdseye]

Found one of me and my wife on one of our early boat holidays together. Camping boat holiday on Lindsey from UCC At Watford locks 1984

[AMModels]

Me and my wife both started boating as children, unfortunately I don't have photos of myself but here are a few of her taken on holidays in the early seventiesimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpeg

 

We met on WRG working partys in the early eighties and are still happily married after thirty years and still boat together with our two young children

early Bijou line cruiser?

[captain birdseye]

early Bijou line cruiser?

 

Yes Ruby

 

The dawncraft was theirs and I believe the picture was taken at Fladbury

Edited June 12, 2016 by captain birdseye

[Athy]

Re post # 64 ( the getting going early ) one of the first pieces of " advice" when I first started working was that every mile/lock got in before breakfast was worth 2 done after,

I can't agree with that - just have breakfast earlier! I like to get going early when I'm allowed to (which is rarely) but I would not want to do so on an empty stomach.

[X Alan W]

I can't agree with that - just have breakfast earlier! I like to get going early when I'm allowed to (which is rarely) but I would not want to do so on an empty stomach.

If you would have eaten breakfast to enable a 4.30 am set off Lunch would have been required at approx 9am & so on, so it wouldn't have been 3 meals a day it would have been 6..With nonstop r ( food eaten on the move)12 to 18 hr days the butty steerer (when loaded ) didn't want to be preparing food any more than needs be but each to his own, although the need to "get on" is not as important so the less traffic moving the better, but if Food is your requirement no problem

Edited June 13, 2016 by X Alan W

[NickF]

Re post # 64 ( the getting going early ) one of the first pieces of " advice" when I first started working was that every mile/lock got in before breakfast was worth 2 done after, the number of bleary eyes & uncomprehending looks on faces peering out of the pleasure boats at around 5 30 am used to make me chuckle,I always liked getting underway as it got light , dawn boating in autumn was my most enjoyable boating time.

I once did Wigan before breakfast! ,I do agree it's the best time of the day.

Me and my wife both started boating as children, unfortunately I don't have photos of myself but here are a few of her taken on holidays in the early seventiesimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpeg

 

We met on WRG working partys in the early eighties and are still happily married after thirty years and still boat together with our two young children

The second and third photo are (I think) a Bijou Line boat from Penkridge. I once hired from them, all I remember is unlined fibreglass cabin causing condensation that soaked your bed and having to go into dry dock mid holiday due to some sort of leak near the stern tube.

 

Edited June 13, 2016 by NickF

[Athy]

If you would have eaten breakfast to enable a 4.30 am set off Lunch would have been required at approx 9am & so on, so it wouldn't have been 3 meals a day it would have been 6..With nonstop r ( food eaten on the move)12 to 18 hr days the butty steerer (when loaded ) didn't want to be preparing food any more than needs be but each to his own, although the need to "get on" is not as important so the less traffic moving the better, but if Food is your requirement no problem

I see exactly what you mean. Some people can function normally on an empty stomach. This people can't, or at least would much rather not.

[X Alan W]

I see exactly what you mean. Some people can function normally on an empty stomach. This people can't, or at least would much rather not.

I guess I must have been one of those IIRC best I've ever done is single handed 18 tons load of interlocking steel piles single motor load 113/4 hours on 2 slices of bread & jam & kettle & teapot going all the time, last 5 hrs in a snow storm which included a good number of the Cheshire locks. I guess with age comes a I'm not doing that attitude.

[Athy]

I guess I must have been one of those IIRC best I've ever done is single handed 18 tons load of interlocking steel piles single motor load 113/4 hours on 2 slices of bread & jam & kettle & teapot going all the time, last 5 hrs in a snow storm which included a good number of the Cheshire locks. I guess with age comes a I'm not doing that attitude.

That's a laudable achievement!

It's not just "with age" in my case. I remember that when I was a young teacher in the 1970s I used to get up half an hour before I really needed to so that I would have time to cook and eat breakfast before going to catch the 'bus or train.

[FadeToScarlet]

Tea and cigarettes- boater's breakfast!

[sal garfi]

The second and third photo are (I think) a Bijou Line boat from Penkridge. I once hired from them, all I remember is unlined fibreglass cabin causing condensation that soaked your bed and having to go into dry dock mid holiday due to some sort of leak near the stern tube.

 

Ah.., an unlined fibreglass cabin with loads of condensation! It's amazing what people were willing to accept to have a holiday on the canals. I find things like this interesting because it shows how boats, especially as living spaces, have changed. It reflects the attitudes of people and whether or not they could experience the cut in a simple fashion, or one that requires a good deal of modern conveniences.

[cuthound]

For many years when I was working, nothing passed my lips until I reached the office, when I had a coffee.

 

In those days I valued my sleep more than breakfast. Priorities changed when I reached 50!

[J R ALSOP]

not to sure about gas bottles on back deck!

[roland elsdon]

Tea and easy start

[captain birdseye]

Ah.., an unlined fibreglass cabin with loads of condensation! It's amazing what people were willing to accept to have a holiday on the canals. I find things like this interesting because it shows how boats, especially as living spaces, have changed. It reflects the attitudes of people and whether or not they could experience the cut in a simple fashion, or one that requires a good deal of modern conveniences.

On the camping boats we used to hire you slept on bunks in the hold, with the convenience of a bucket and chuck it in the cratch, a trestle table and benches to eat at, a gas cooker and a hand pump for the cold water, no hot water unless out of a kettle.

With twelve blokes eating chilli and take aways, drinking beer all lunchtime and every night sleeping under canvas on a hot summers night you woke up and got out before you took your first breath of the day!

Edited June 13, 2016 by captain birdseye

[zenataomm]

not to sure about gas bottles on back deck!

 

Around 1966 we were about to enter Crick tunnel when we found an Aylesbury Boat Hire craft sitting just outside with the deck boards up and a middle aged German tourist along with his two sons peering down at the unhappy air cooled Lister.

"Problem?" asked my Father, always a master at guessing the bleedin' obvious.

"The engine it gets too hot and stops often" was the accurate explanation.

My Father peered in and visibly blanched, "There should be trunking between the engine and the exit hole in the hull" he surmised. "To let the hot air escape over the side, at the moment it's breathing its own super heated air, I suggest you stay here, I'll go through the tunnel and call your hire company out to you"

"Please don't bother." The German tourist said. "Please continue, we'll wait a minute for it to cool down and continue, this has been happening all week."

My Dad coherently explained. "Err ... well ..... ummmm...." and then decided "I think we'll stop for a cup of tea and let you clear the tunnel first."

I earned a clout round the head by piping up with "But we only stopped for tea ten minutes ago Da....... ouch!"

 

We did tie up, and in fact allowed another couple of boats into the tunnel before we followed through, we didn't have any tea though.

It was several years later that my Father explained that not only was the air super hot in the hire boat's engine compartment due to the lack of trunking but he reckoned you could have fried eggs on the two Calor Gas bottles that were sitting next to the engine.

He didn't want to be in the tunnel at the same time as them in case it went up, he reckoned there'd be an interesting exit from both ends of Crick tunnel which he'd prefer to observe from outside.

[Derek R.]

 

(snipped) . . . I find things like this interesting because it shows how boats, especially as living spaces, have changed. It reflects the attitudes of people and whether or not they could experience the cut in a simple fashion, or one that requires a good deal of modern conveniences.

 

This is true of all types of living spaces. As standards of living have improved with greater disposable incomes (compare to the fifties!) so have the available gadgets, and the desires for more. Sometimes a return to certain simplicities does the soul good. Homes, cars, and life in general has become to complex, filled with electronics that few understand or can 'fix', that simple values become greater for their simplicity, and their ease of being understood. Though I think I would draw the line at 'dolly' tubs and condensation.

[NickF]

not to sure about gas bottles on back deck!

 

 

Pretty unbelievable now isn't it. I remember they froze one morning so we had no gas at all.

[David Mack]

On the camping boats we used to hire you slept on bunks in the hold, with the convenience of a bucket and chuck it in the cratch, a trestle table and benches to eat at, a gas cooker and a hand pump for the cold water, no hot water unless out of a kettle.

Still much the same on Fulbourne...

[roland elsdon]

Until 2 years ago we had to cook outside on Fenny because the hob( new on purchase and the gas system had failed the coc.

In British summer ( rain) we had a sort of cover. Mobile phone tinternet no problem cooking and Hot water impossible... It was a pyramid job to fix one thing you had to fix another etc etc etc, and because we had no where else to stay the inconvenience got put up with. Used to fly home for 8 months of internal cooking and showers, strangely I have no interest in the great Australian culture of burning food outside..

[Derek R.]

(snipped) . . . cooking and Hot water impossible... (snipped)

I have no interest in the great Australian culture of burning food outside..

 

Nor me, but for heating water and for stews - you need one of these:

 

 

 

[jake_crew]

On the camping boats we used to hire you slept on bunks in the hold, with the convenience of a bucket and chuck it in the cratch, a trestle table and benches to eat at, a gas cooker and a hand pump for the cold water, no hot water unless out of a kettle.

With twelve blokes eating chilli and take aways, drinking beer all lunchtime and every night sleeping under canvas on a hot summers night you woke up and got out before you took your first breath of the day!

One of my best holidays EVER - 12 A-level students (incl 2 girls who had the back cabin).

 

We hired Plover from Braunston bottom lock. It was exactly as you describe it

 

Got the bus there from St Albans to Braunston bridge. That would be around 1973.

Edited June 14, 2016 by jake_crew

[roland elsdon]

Yep Thaxted had 2 burners 1 brand new Tilly and an old burnos stove. 17 years of smelling of paraffin . Only rigged up the temp travel cooker on Fenny coz it was lying around.

The challenge was when the range was Just out putting the paraffin stove on the still warm stove to boost the kettle was always interesting.

We still use the engine to make bread rise