Photos of canal folk from the 1940's & 50's - Daily Mail

[Martin Megson]

Some lovely photos of boat folk from the 40's and 50's. Although I had to laugh at the caption for the girl leaning over the bow who they claim is sunbathing. Unlikely to be sunbathing as she is resting on the T-Stud - more likely trying to repair the bow fender which is hanging off.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2213750/Inland-voyage-discovery-Unique-photos-capture-generation-work-Britains-industrial-canals.html

[Nightwatch]

Lovely set of piccys.

 

You're right,the t stud looks a little uncomfortable, I agree she's not taking in the sun.

[alan_fincher]

Doubtful though that she changed into a swimming costume to refit a bow fender. Other pictures by the same photographer show that the kids paddled in the canal, despite the on occasions black looking waters.

 

If you like Longden's work, (and to my mind they are the absolute best pictures to emerge of the era), then lots more are published in the book "A Canal People", which was assembled and captioned by the late Sonia Rolt. It is marred slightly by Sonia getting quite a bit of the captioning wrong, but certainly not enough to in any way detract from Longden's fabulous photos.

Edited October 7, 2016 by alan_fincher

[Ray T]

Pedant hat on.

 

This image of Nellie Stokes on Ray is persistently published from the wrong side of the original glass slide:

 

 

The weatherboard is not on the LHS as depicted. Also the butty is not named YAR!

 

As it should be:

 

 

 

Some of the Barratt boys with Phoebe Barratt.

 

Edited October 7, 2016 by Ray T

[Captain Pegg]

The weatherboard is not on the LHS as depicted. Also the butty is not named YAR!

 

Since pedantry is the order of day I should point out is wasn't called RAY either.

 

JP

Edited October 7, 2016 by Captain Pegg

[Ray T]

Since pedantry is the order of day I should point out is wasn't called RAY either.

 

JP

 

All the historical evidence I can find points to the fact that Butty "Ray" was paired with Mimas during the tenure by the Stokes:

 

Ray entered fleet 01.1941 Registered at Rickmansworth as No 61 on 27.01.1941 Ex GUCCC (Hebe)

 

Best picture I can find.

 

 

 

See also NarrowBoat Winter 2007 for full article on the Ovaltine fleet and A canal People pages 33 & 105.

 

I cannot see what else it could be named at the time of the photo's depicted.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Ray T

[Sea Dog]

And I don't think that Nellie Stokes is likely to be facing backwards and applying full left rudder (or right as the reversed picture is printed) in that gap if she was "steering a butty down the Oxford canal" either. Cracking photographs though, however poorly judged the captions are, eh?

[Captain Pegg]

Butty Ray was paired with Mimas during the tenure by the Stokes:

 

Best picture I can find.

 

Nellie Stokes.jpg

 

See also NarrowBoat Winter 2007 for full article on the Ovaltine fleet and A canal People pages 33 & 105.

 

Wasn't it RAE rather than RAY though? That can be seen on the photo above.

 

JP

[Ray T]

Wasn't it RAE rather than RAY though? That can be seen on the photo above.

 

JP

 

No that was either a misprint or one of Sonia's mistakes. If you look at the first photo in post #4 a backwards Y is visible. Or as should be on the flipped photo.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Ray T

[jeannette smith harrison]

Mable Wilson nee Nixon

married Earnest Wilson

Ann Harrison daughter to Mark Harrison & Dolly Ward

[LEO]

Mable Wilson nee Nixon

married Earnest Wilson

Ann Harrison daughter to Mark Harrison & Dolly Ward

 

Loved the picture of the child with the collection of discarded tins, looks as though she has a couple of clockwork train rails as well.

 

Where are those children now? I wonder?.

Edited October 7, 2016 by LEO

[jeannette smith harrison]

The step Grandson of Robert Longdon is now the owner of all his surviving photos & cambra

a few years ago a display of many of the photos toured around the country inc @ the London Canal Museum.

I was asked to help him re produce the book editing all the mistakes & adding upto date info on the people in the pictures

as 40% of the pictures are within my tree..

This i declined as he is not a liked person amoungst the older generation of boating people .

His attitude & bad mouthing of them at a talk in Coventry several years ago has made him so hated amongst them,

to have helped him would have been a great dishonour to them.

So for now the re publishing has not gone ahead although I understand it is being worked on.

[Athy]

And I don't think that Nellie Stokes is likely to be facing backwards and applying full left rudder (or right as the reversed picture is printed) in that gap if she was "steering a butty down the Oxford canal" either. Cracking photographs though, however poorly judged the captions are, eh?

It looks as if she's going through Sutton Stop lock.

[Ray T]

 

Loved the picture of the child with the collection of discarded tins, looks as though she has a couple of clockwork train rails as well.

 

Where are those children now? I wonder?.

 

I can tell you where one of the children in this Longdon Photo is

 

 

 

Mike is back row second from the left.

 

Lives in Longford not far from the Engine PH. A few of the Barratts are still around as well. Some of Mike's relatives are still involved with canal work at Braunston.

 

At Stoke Bruerne this year.

 

 

 

Mike with Barry Argent and Lorna York.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Ray T

[jeannette smith harrison]

 

Loved the picture of the child with the collection of discarded tins, looks as though she has a couple of clockwork train rails as well.

 

Where are those children now? I wonder?.

 

Still with us as are several of the children & young adults in the pictures

Apart from myself all in this photo appear in the book & all still with us except for sadly the Lady on the far right

[jeannette smith harrison]

Another family gathering

some are in the book the rest are almost all children & grandchildren

of people in the book Harrison ,Humphries, Monk, Nixon , Bannister ,Carter ,Bradshaw,

Hollis ,Holt.

[Captain Pegg]

No that was either a misprint or one of Sonia's mistakes. If you look at the first photo in post #4 a backwards Y is visible. Or as should be on the flipped photo.

Yes. Have to concede I was wrong. And I very nearly made a joke about it being a misprint the other way round. I would have looked doubly daft if I had.

 

On most photos the sign writing is very hard to make out. The one on page 105 is clear but the last letter is covered over. I thought that the A was actually an E and the A wasn't visible.

 

I have seen it written RAE so many times I had taken it to be correct.

 

Comparison of the artwork on the doors of the photo on page 129 also confirms you were right about the photo in Sutton Stop lock being published the wrong way round. The Longden archive has a print for sale that is reversed. The photo on page 105 also appears to show different artwork.

 

JP

Edited October 7, 2016 by Captain Pegg

[Sea Dog]

It looks as if she's going through Sutton Stop lock.

Certainly somewhere like that - hardly a place where full rudder is likely! Looks to me like maintenance or cleaning. Still great photos.

[churchward]

Doubtful though that she changed into a swimming costume to refit a bow fender. Other pictures by the same photographer show that the kids paddled in the canal, despite the on occasions black looking waters.

 

If you like Longden's work, (and to my mind they are the absolute best pictures to emerge of the era), then lots more are published in the book "A Canal People", which was assembled and captioned by the late Sonia Rolt. It is marred slightly by Sonia getting quite a bit of the captioning wrong, but certainly not enough to in any way detract from Longden's fabulous photos.

The girl isn't wearing a swimming costume it's a pair of dungarees you can see the top of from what I can see.

[Tam & Di]

Pedant hat on.

 

This image of Nellie Stokes on Ray is persistently published from the wrong side of the original glass slide:

 

 

The weatherboard is not on the LHS as depicted. Also the butty is not named YAR!

 

 

HOWEVER ......... In the 60s it was moored in retirement on the offside near West Drayton and was lettered RAY on one side of the stern and YAR on the other. Douggie Jones eventually bought it and paired it back with Mimas, repainting them in their former glory. (and with the name painted correctly on each side )

[alan_fincher]

It looks as if she's going through Sutton Stop lock.

 

 

Certainly somewhere like that - hardly a place where full rudder is likely! Looks to me like maintenance or cleaning. Still great photos.

 

 

The stop lock is a really quite short one with a full length boat.

 

Obviously it is shallow enough that the top cill is unlikely to be a hazard, (although in modern times it does sport a "Keep clear of cill" notice), but it may be that it is a good idea that a butty elum is held over in order to move the boat back sufficiently to get the (single) bottom gate opev, (which clearly requires that the boat is nearly 7 feet away from it).

 

Just a suggestion, but I know there isn't a lot of room when we need to get Flamingo out of this particular lock.

 

The girl isn't wearing a swimming costume it's a pair of dungarees you can see the top of from what I can see.

 

Yes, now I look at it properly I concede my error.

 

I still think she is at leisure though, not intending to fix a fender.

[alan_fincher]

 

Douggie Jones eventually bought it and paired it back with Mimas, repainting them in their former glory. (and with the name painted correctly on each side )

 

Presumably the name of the chap who had the pair down the arm of the Chess at Rickmansworth?

 

I remember him well, but not the name. He once showed me a bit of thick felt that he had acquired which was in the front basket of his ancient "sit up and beg" lock wheeling bike. He explained how he used this material clamped down with other bits of wood and screws to seal the worst leaks. I think that was when I first decided wooden boat ownership was not for me!

 

Is he still with us Tam, do you know, or is he amongst the many who no longer are?

[Tam & Di]

 

Presumably the name of the chap who had the pair down the arm of the Chess at Rickmansworth?

 

 

I seem to have put an unnecessary double "g" in his name, but yes, he is still going strong. Slightly more recent than this topic and I may have put it on here before but he took this photo of us at Lock 80 with Towcester and Bude in 1973 while we had Bude on lease from BW before buying Stamford and Bude on tender. We inherited some of Tom and Ellen Humphries' lace plates with it, and still have the original table top in our shed somewhere from when we refurbished the cabin. It was also the time when the barrels were nice ethnic 40 gallon wooden ones - the limejuice came in steel drums the following year. The children are our two boys of course. Neither has flowing locks like that now - the younger one lost his when he became a Marine and the older one has a yacht repair business in Majorca where it is too hot for such frivolity. Mine still exist but are rather thinner, and Di's stopped being blond a long time ago.

 

[churchward]

 

 

 

 

The stop lock is a really quite short one with a full length boat.

 

Obviously it is shallow enough that the top cill is unlikely to be a hazard, (although in modern times it does sport a "Keep clear of cill" notice), but it may be that it is a good idea that a butty elum is held over in order to move the boat back sufficiently to get the (single) bottom gate opev, (which clearly requires that the boat is nearly 7 feet away from it).

 

Just a suggestion, but I know there isn't a lot of room when we need to get Flamingo out of this particular lock.

 

 

Yes, now I look at it properly I concede my error.

 

I still think she is at leisure though, not intending to fix a fender.

I agree she doesn't look to be doing anything purposeful rather a posed shot I think and the T stud makes it look uncomfortable. A nice Photo all the same

[Ray T]

The girl isn't wearing a swimming costume it's a pair of dungarees you can see the top of from what I can see.

 

According to a photo in a magazine "Coventry Frame by Frame" published by the Coventry Telegraph the young lady is Joyce Hewson.

 

Is this the same "Ray" in the Troy Cut?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think the photo's are Chris Collins.

 

From CRT archive.

 

 

Edited October 7, 2016 by Ray T