Transporting A Performing Pearly King? Is This A forum First?

[alan_fincher]

With so any active members on the forum, it seems increasingly hard to claim a genuine "forum first".

 

This will clearly do nothing for our dubious standing in the world of historic boat ownership, but can any forum member claim to have beaten us to providing a floating stage for a Pearly King, please?

JRDX7158.JPG by James Rudd, on Flickr

[FadeToScarlet]

Not a Pearly King, but we did take Catrin Finch the harpist to the Canal Museum on the Bantam- duet for harp and JP2.

[Taslim]

I've not been a forum member for so very long but I think you've got this one in the bag. Well done that man!

 

Edit. To put order in the right letters.

Edited June 19, 2016 by Taslim

[mark99]

Did he finish off with a rendition of

 

"Any Old Iron"

Edited June 20, 2016 by mark99

[Bettie Boo]

It's when reading threads like this that I realize what a sheltered life I've lived. I had to google "Pearly kings" to figure out what you were on about Alan.

 

After living in the UK for 17 years, I had never heard of them; so even if you don't win the prize of being the first forum-nite to carry one, you win the prize for teaching me something new today

[Mike Tee]

Alan, I don't suppose you will remember, but is that 'Madeley' moored just behind you in the picture?

[Peter X]

It's the first time I've seen someone steering a boat wearing a brass face mask.

[David Schweizer]

It's when reading threads like this that I realize what a sheltered life I've lived. I had to google "Pearly kings" to figure out what you were on about Alan.

 

After living in the UK for 17 years, I had never heard of them; so even if you don't win the prize of being the first forum-nite to carry one, you win the prize for teaching me something new today

 

You can be forgiven for not knowing. The Pearly Kings and Queens are a tradition in the old London Boroughs (excluding the more recent Boroughs created by Local Government reorganization in the 1960's)

 

I suspect that many Brits born outside London have never heard of them either.

[zenataomm]

Totally lacking any photographic evidence ........ I transported the Pearly King and Queen of Croydon (yes I too questioned the likelihood of hearing Bow bells in Croydon, but they had the requisite button festooned jackets and hats) into the middle of the first ever Canal Cavalcade at Brownings Pool.

In a shrewd deal I then swapped them for a motley collection of Salvation Army band whom enthusiastically "oompah'ed" as I went round the island twice. Although my 15ft tug deck suggested gallons of room for them the center of gravity rose to an interesting level .... at least for those observing from the bank. One entrepreneurial individual was offering 2:1 against the Tuba player.

After I deposited them in the narrows I was immediately commandeered by half a dozen boys in blue who had it in mind to go and do a spot of prodding around Richard Branson's boat due to there having been a report the previous night of a body in the cut.

The only thing retrieved was a Sooty hand puppet.

Consequently half an hour later "Rigal" re-entered Brownings Pool with 6 assorted Rozzers singing the tune to "The Sooty Show" all being led by the great bear himself!

During the last 30+ years it's all been down hill really.

[Lysander]

It's the first time I've seen someone steering a boat wearing a brass face mask.

 

Nono! It's a very stylish chimney cowl...

[Cleyley Bob]

Alan, I don't suppose you will remember, but is that 'Madeley' moored just behind you in the picture?

 

Yes, that was Madeley moored in the background. Well spotted Mike - from a small glimpse of the roof line and a couple of windows.

[patty-ann]

Totally lacking any photographic evidence ........ I transported the Pearly King and Queen of Croydon (yes I too questioned the likelihood of hearing Bow bells in Croydon, but they had the requisite button festooned jackets and hats) into the middle of the first ever Canal Cavalcade at Brownings Pool.

 

In a shrewd deal I then swapped them for a motley collection of Salvation Army band whom enthusiastically "oompah'ed" as I went round the island twice. Although my 15ft tug deck suggested gallons of room for them the center of gravity rose to an interesting level .... at least for those observing from the bank. One entrepreneurial individual was offering 2:1 against the Tuba player.

 

After I deposited them in the narrows I was immediately commandeered by half a dozen boys in blue who had it in mind to go and do a spot of prodding around Richard Branson's boat due to there having been a report the previous night of a body in the cut.

 

The only thing retrieved was a Sooty hand puppet.

 

Consequently half an hour later "Rigal" re-entered Brownings Pool with 6 assorted Rozzers singing the tune to "The Sooty Show" all being led by the great bear himself!

 

During the last 30+ years it's all been down hill really.

That sounds a fab day

[alan_fincher]

Alan, I don't suppose you will remember, but is that 'Madeley' moored just behind you in the picture?

 

Yes

It's the first time I've seen someone steering a boat wearing a brass face mask.

 

If you are asked to do some of the things we are asked to do, perhaps you choose to disguise your appearance a bit!

I transported the Pearly King and Queen of Croydon (yes I too questioned the likelihood of hearing Bow bells in Croydon, but they had the requisite button festooned jackets and hats)

Croydon?

 

More like to hear Bow bells there than in Peterborough, which is appareantly where our peraly king comes from (!)

[Catrin]

Being a Londoner, I do remember seeing pearly kings and queens when I was a kid. I can't for the life of me remember where - posssibly at the Lord Mayor's Show, when my father was performing with them.

 

It's one of those English charitable traditions that make the world a more interesting place.

[David Schweizer]

Totally lacking any photographic evidence ........ I transported the Pearly King and Queen of Croydon (yes I too questioned the likelihood of hearing Bow bells in Croydon, but they had the requisite button festooned jackets and hats) into the middle of the first ever Canal Cavalcade at Brownings Pool.

 

 

Just a small pedantic point, The Pearly Kings and Queens have nothing to do with the Bow Bells, that is Cockneys, who have to be born within the sound of the Bow Bells to claim the right to be called a Cockney.

 

The Pearly Kings and Queens covered the whole of London, one pair for each of the Old London Boroughs (plus the Cities of London and Westminster) as constituted in the 1870.s ( or thereabouts)

Edited June 21, 2016 by David Schweizer

[jeannette smith harrison]

Angel canal fest 2012

Islington appear to have more than 1 set of pearlys

[Pluto]

I and Pluto did appear with the Britannia Coconutters from Bacup back in 1972. They arrived in a rather ramshackle ex-NCB van. The filming was for the programme 'Black Safari', which featured four 'Africans' (3 were West Indian) trying to find the centre of England whilst travelling on their boat - a much dressed up Wye.

[ditchcrawler]

It's the first time I've seen someone steering a boat wearing a brass face mask.

Often see that, along with pots of flowers etc, Some even just put their hats on top of top boxes, thats how you know someone is steering.

[David Mack]

Often see that, along with pots of flowers etc, Some even just put their hats on top of top boxes, thats how you know someone is steering.

And occasionally a veritable garden-centre-ful of plants.

[zenataomm]

I still can't find a photo of me and the Pearly K&Q of Croydon, but this is a few years later and shows me about to unload a cargo of miscellaneous Bishops, Vicars and Loose Canons at Shardlow Basin.

 

[Peter X]

Pearly Kings and Queens are mostly an inner London thing, but not necessarily Cockney as they cover a wider area than just that small area of the East End. If there is a Croydon pair I haven't heard of them, and they're keeping a low profile on the Internet; all I could find was one mention of a Samantha Bisset, and a Google search of that name just came up with a murder victim of the same name.

[David Schweizer]

Pearly Kings and Queens are mostly an inner London thing, but not necessarily Cockney as they cover a wider area than just that small area of the East End. If there is a Croydon pair I haven't heard of them, and they're keeping a low profile on the Internet; all I could find was one mention of a Samantha Bisset, and a Google search of that name just came up with a murder victim of the same name.

 

As already indicated in my earlier posts, the Pearly Kings and Queens are a tradition of all the old London Boroughs (plus the Cities of Westminster and London). Today they have extended their range to include most of the newer London Boroughs , including Croyden where they presently only have a Pearly Queen (plus a pearly Pince and Princess!)

[alan_fincher]

I didn't realise David had videoed some of this.

 

Here you go - enjoy!

 

[HaulierP]

I enjoyed that Alan,cheered me up on a wet day,sound quality was surprisingly good also