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Old Hire Companies


kienik

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1 hour ago, zenataomm said:

Errrr …… Marston's Pedigree in those days was made by …… Marston's ……. now it's Banks'.

So Athy, unless you have a supply of NOS to hand ……...

Surely Pedigree is still brewed at Burton, in the original wooden vats, using the original yeast. In 2000 we had a club cruise to Burton, and I contacted Marstons with a view to a brewery tour. I was told they were no longer planned as the future was uncertain owing to a hostile takeover bid from Banks's. When they knew there would be 40 of us, they laid on 2 tours for us for about £5 each. This included 1 hour + in the hospitality bar and whatever you could drink: Pedigree direct from the vat was nectar and even went down very well with the women in our party. They also opened the shop and sold promotional items at knockdown prices, as it was thought the brand would go. I still have a table umbrella that cost £5. As it happened, the tables were turned, and the long established Banks's Brewery was taken over by Marstons. You now see many Marstons pubs around the midlands, and there are probably only 2 beers that bear the Bank's name. Marstons has subsequently absorbed several smaller breweries such as Hobgoblin, Ringwood, Jennings and I think Thwaites. A lot of these are distributed from the original Park Brewery in bottles. Park brewery also brews some niche beers to international recipes, such as Shipyard.

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9 minutes ago, Ex Brummie said:

Surely Pedigree is still brewed at Burton, in the original wooden vats, using the original yeast. In 2000 we had a club cruise to Burton, and I contacted Marstons with a view to a brewery tour. I was told they were no longer planned as the future was uncertain owing to a hostile takeover bid from Banks's. When they knew there would be 40 of us, they laid on 2 tours for us for about £5 each. This included 1 hour + in the hospitality bar and whatever you could drink: Pedigree direct from the vat was nectar and even went down very well with the women in our party. They also opened the shop and sold promotional items at knockdown prices, as it was thought the brand would go. I still have a table umbrella that cost £5. As it happened, the tables were turned, and the long established Banks's Brewery was taken over by Marstons. You now see many Marstons pubs around the midlands, and there are probably only 2 beers that bear the Bank's name. Marstons has subsequently absorbed several smaller breweries such as Hobgoblin, Ringwood, Jennings and I think Thwaites. A lot of these are distributed from the original Park Brewery in bottles. Park brewery also brews some niche beers to international recipes, such as Shipyard.

Try this https://www.marstonsbrewery.co.uk/brewery/brewing-process/

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Yes it is brewed there with what you said.

I was in the licensed trade at that time, and the Marston's Master Brewer was a long time friend of mine.

He was worried for the future, as they all were (as you say).

 

I had dinner with him shortly after the take over.  He was invited to a one to one where he was promised his job was safe and nothing about the flagship brew would be changed.

Within a month he resigned, the sugar Marston's had always used was substituted for a much cheaper one.  

I was still serving the product.

I have to say most customers didn't really notice, but us diehard addicts detected a less smooth after taste and an increase in the headache quotient that was new. 

 

That was nearly 20 years ago, and although I haven't touched it since I'd be quite prepared to if someone is buying?

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3 hours ago, zenataomm said:

Errrr …… Marston's Pedigree in those days was made by …… Marston's ……. now it's Banks'.

So Athy, unless you have a supply of NOS to hand ……...

Sort of. Wolverhampton Breweries (which includes Banks') bought Marston's, but have now renamed themselves Marston's. But Pedigree is still brewed in the Burton brewery.

NOS? No  I drink it through my MOUTH.

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11 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Well we hired from Penkridge now gone and then Weedon Concacraft I think it was called also gone.

 

We hired from Concaform Marine at Weedon, Cottonweed IIRC. Immediately after the IML hire.

 

 

11 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Well we hired from Penkridge now gone and then Weedon Concacraft I think it was called also gone.

 

Then we hired from Teddesley at Penkridge (Peter & Linda Millward) until we bought a share in our first shareboat in 1992.

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1 hour ago, cuthound said:

 

We hired from Concaform Marine at Weedon, Cottonweed IIRC. Immediately after the IML hire.

 

 

 

Then we hired from Teddesley at Penkridge (Peter & Linda Millward) until we bought a share in our first shareboat in 1992.

We didnt intend to hire from Penkridge but when we turned up at Brook line in Dunhampsted  to be told our boat had not returned due to a breakdown so they had aranged a replacement at Penkridge for us.  We also had Cottonweed twice

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14 hours ago, Big Bob W said:

We hired Hawkweed from Concoform some 30 odd years ago. Interestingly, the boatyard in Weedon is now operating a hire fleet again with a number of the old "Weed" boats in the original Concoform paint scheme. Hawkweed being one of them.

. . . and very smart the five Weed boats are now.  I don't know who built the original Concoform boats, but they have stood the test of time well and look great now they have been refurbished.

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1 hour ago, koukouvagia said:

. . . and very smart the five Weed boats are now.  I don't know who built the original Concoform boats, but they have stood the test of time well and look great now they have been refurbished.

All the early ones were Harborough's

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Hired in 1981 from Barrington Boats at Stenson followed by Roger (I think) at Thurmaston also Blisworth Boats when they ran out of Shardlow. Also Swanline at Fradley -You have probably guessed by now these were all male trips. Still hiring today for my pals Sowerby Bridge this year.

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Concoform either changed their name to something else, or from something else to Concoform - can anyone remember what it was? I guess that, given the "weed" names of their boats, Weedon may have figured in that company name. 

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2 hours ago, koukouvagia said:

. . . and very smart the five Weed boats are now.  I don't know who built the original Concoform boats, but they have stood the test of time well and look great now they have been refurbished.

I think they started to build their own.  Earlier ones were straight Harbourough Marine boats, and the low slung look was retained in those that followed.

 

Incidentally "Concoform" come from the fact that they were originally set up to build "concrete" (i.e. Ferrocement) boats

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3 hours ago, Athy said:

Concoform either changed their name to something else, or from something else to Concoform - can anyone remember what it was? I guess that, given the "weed" names of their boats, Weedon may have figured in that company name. 

 

Concoform Marine was the original name. They used to have a concrete casting business hence the name. They bought the old disused Weedom Station and dug out the small basin to start their business.

 

Many years later, I guess to help people searching the then new fangled interweb thingy, they changed the company name to a more relevant and search friendly Canal Boat Holidays.

  • Greenie 1
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38 minutes ago, Mike55 said:

I thought the basin at Weedon was the entrance to the arm that went to the barracks. 

 

Possibly but Google Maps shows the hire base is slightly further north. However the basin does seem to lead to the old barracks.

 

Weedon Bec
Northampton
https://maps.app.goo.gl/hJKui

Edited by cuthound
Clarification
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5 hours ago, Athy said:

Concoform either changed their name to something else, or from something else to Concoform - can anyone remember what it was? I guess that, given the "weed" names of their boats, Weedon may have figured in that company name. 

 

1 hour ago, cuthound said:

 

Concoform Marine was the original name. They used to have a concrete casting business hence the name. They bought the old disused Weedom Station and dug out the small basin to start their business.

 

Many years later, I guess to help people searching the then new fangled interweb thingy, they changed the company name to a more relevant and search friendly Canal Boat Holidays.


This link is quite informative.

It onfirms my claim that eventually they built their own distinctive boats for the fleet.

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In 1967 or 68 we hired a wooden outboard cruiser from Blue Line at Braunston, they had other craft for hire.  At the same time Willow Wren were hiring out old working boats as campers, and some cut-down ones too.  Magpie line I remember.

1974/5 I was helping refurbish BWB hire boats, cut down from working boats, at Castle Mill Boatyard in Oxford.  Next door was College Cruisers with Springers, Yanmar engines.

blue.jpg

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1 hour ago, Chris Williams said:

In 1967 or 68 we hired a wooden outboard cruiser from Blue Line at Braunston, they had other craft for hire.  At the same time Willow Wren were hiring out old working boats as campers, and some cut-down ones too.  Magpie line I remember.

1974/5 I was helping refurbish BWB hire boats, cut down from working boats, at Castle Mill Boatyard in Oxford.  Next door was College Cruisers with Springers, Yanmar engines.

blue.jpg

Memories! In 1965 my parents hired Blue Peter, a 24ft (I think) centre cockpit outboard-powered plywood cruiser from Blue Line. Painted in the same style as above. In a week we travelled from Braunston to somewhere south of Banbury and back. My parents slept on V-bunks in the bow, behind that was a small galley on one side and bathroom (Elsan, washbasin, no shower) opposite, then the cockpit and a rear cabin with side berths for my sister and me. The outboard well intruded between the bunks and there was an opening window in the rear bulkhead giving access to the engine.

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54 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Memories! In 1965 my parents hired Blue Peter, a 24ft (I think) centre cockpit outboard-powered plywood cruiser from Blue Line. Painted in the same style as above. In a week we travelled from Braunston to somewhere south of Banbury and back. My parents slept on V-bunks in the bow, behind that was a small galley on one side and bathroom (Elsan, washbasin, no shower) opposite, then the cockpit and a rear cabin with side berths for my sister and me. The outboard well intruded between the bunks and there was an opening window in the rear bulkhead giving access to the engine.

'Blue Peter' sounds right for one of the bigger ones. 'Swallow' had a Marine toilet (straight into the cut!).  We took it into Brum and Coventry.and as far north as Fradley.

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