The Canals Before the 1990s

[Johnboy770]

I started in 1976 with my parents as a small baby, we had a Fairline 20 (Pepajo) then but previous to that my dad built his own boat called Neptune, we then moved unto a 25ft Buckingham (WhiteFoam) after my brother was born, we went out on the fairline then whilst stopped at Venetian Marina my dad liked the look of the Buckingham money was changed hands belongings swapped across and off we went Haha.. As me and my brother got older we progressed to Steel and the rest is history.

[Joseph]

Hello everyone

 

Coming to this thread late, but it contain some very welcome musings and information.

 

Well, the last holiday on canals that I had staying overnight (as opposed to day trips) was in 1977. I agree with all the comments about deprivations - not that different, perhaps from camping holidays or seaside boarding houses, but something that just would not attract many holidaymakers today.

 

My father's later boats had parts that leaked, and dripping fibreglass...onto one's head in bed...memories indeed!

 

We had begun in 1963 hiring from Ernest Thomas at (then) Gailey; Dad booked Heron at the end of that holiday, for August 1964, but by the time that summer came around, we had a Sand Robin boat. This was a little plywood cabin cruiser which was not all that old but was already rotting, and sank when it was launched at Deans in Rowton Bridge. He got rid of that fairly soon, acquired an L G Allbutt boat Peel Castle, then a Dawncraft Dudley Castle, then a Norman fibreglass, finally a metal boat which is still afloat. My last boat holiday was on the Norman, when I managed to drive the fixed fibreglass windscreen into a low bridge on the lower Staffs & Worcs, demolishing same (the windscreen, not the bridge). Dad was very good about it, but some of his generation (very authoritarian) would have been absolutely furious.

 

I suppose I am one of the youngest people to recall seeing working narrow boats and thinking nothing of it, as they were still routine on the southern Shropshire Union. Was it all so wonderful? Very uncomfortable, as I recall; ghastly thin sleeping bags, the abovementioned water drips, the engine always breaking down. Hard to judge. Nostalgia is for the things, and especially the people, missed or underappreciated.

 

I do agree with sal garfi - there is a "heritage" or early boaters and campaigners, and if 21st century people are going to understand something of their role and experiences, more will need to be set down. A project for someone - perhaps me! I would be very interested to read any more reminiscences about an era that I only glimpsed in part.

 

Joseph

 

https://josephboughey.wordpress.com/