NB Dover

[Hairy-Neil]

Why can't we be a little bit grateful for programmes - any programmes - even remotely connected to our hobby/interest/lifestyle?

 

Perhaps its because they took a historic item, close to my heart and vandalised it in the name of entertainment......

[John Orentas]

Perhaps its because they took a historic item, close to my heart and vandalised it in the name of entertainment......

 

 

It is typical of the attitudes within the BBC and others, they decided they would restore a boat, the logical thing may have been to approach a restorer with some experience or at least some knowledge of similar projects. Instead they go to one of their poncey chums who is more interested in Kensington loft conversions, he probably did one at some time for one of the limp wristed BBC lovies.

[Timleech]

It is typical of the attitudes within the BBC and others, they decided they would restore a boat, the logical thing may have been to approach a restorer with some experience or at least some knowledge of similar projects. Instead they go to one of their poncey chums who is more interested in Kensington loft conversions, he probably did one at some time for one of the limp wristed BBC lovies.

 

I didn't think the Beeb had anything to do with it?

I've never seen the programmes, mainly because they went out on some obscure cable channel IIRC??

 

Tim

[John Orentas]

I didn't think the Beeb had anything to do with it?

I've never seen the programmes, mainly because they went out on some obscure cable channel IIRC??

 

Tim

 

 

That is no doubt the case but it is the BBC and other large organisations that drive these things.

[NB Willawaw]

Because we're British and it just wouldn't be cricket if we didn't moan all the time.

A fellow member lent me his DVD's of the series and it was very good.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show and thought the boat looked superb at the end.

 

Well said Bazza!

 

When you consider how little TV exposure there is for other "fringe" activities eg dinghy sailing, vintage cars etc. I am always surprised how negative the reaction is on here to Waterworld, Dover, Locks and Quays etc.

 

Why can't we be a little bit grateful for programmes - any programmes - even remotely connected to our hobby/interest/lifestyle?

[Freetochat]

IIRC, it was a supplier to Discovery that made the sieries, but on a more serious note, wasn't the boat restored by a narrowboat builder with Alan just along for the ride and some photo opportunities?

[charles123]

It would have been Keith Ball, who has produced some excellent work, I am always on the look out for his boats as his style of boat mirrors my own taste. Alan Herd brought some sensible and fresh approaches to fitting out because he was not hide bound by the methods that so many buiilders seen to be stuck with because its the way they have always done it. Lots of lovely MDF

 

Charles

[GRPCruiserman]

Well said Bazza!

 

When you consider how little TV exposure there is for other "fringe" activities eg dinghy sailing, vintage cars etc. I am always surprised how negative the reaction is on here to Waterworld, Dover, Locks and Quays etc.

 

Why can't we be a little bit grateful for programmes - any programmes - even remotely connected to our hobby/interest/lifestyle?

 

I agree there is little coverage for the activities mentioned, and I am all for additonal coverage, but only when it makes for an interesting program.

 

I love sailing, and other boating activities, but there was a program on Discovery something or other where this guy was building a sailing dinghy in his garage with about £1000000000000000000 worth of tools, and two, two minute slots of actual sailing on it. The rest was just how to plane this piece of wood correctly and what you do to fasten it to this, which may have been inetesting to some, but even though I am soon to completely renovate my wooden speed boat, 'Klopp', just really bored me. Similarlt Locks and Quays went off on more tangents than a pertractor from school and didn't address many of the real issues facing the waterways, it was clearly not made for boaters, more as an advert for British Waterways, and made it very clear that only a narrow boat would do.

 

Waterworld is much better, addressing many angles at many levels, and as a boater I think that is in small part to the presenter, I can't remember his name.

 

There is not enough coverage for many minority activities, but I suppose that is why, they are a minority. I am a licenced Radio Amateur, and I dont ever remember a whole program ever being dedicated to that hobby, so as canal users, we should be thankful that there are some at least.

[carlt]

Well I like Narrow Boat Dover, I like the way it looks now, I like the way it was fitted out and I like Alan Herd

 

I'm a newcomer to the canals so don't have a full appreciation of the finer details of the old working boats but I know what I like and that's what's important to me

 

For the quality of the work and the way it looks I WOULD pay 98 grand for it - if I had it

It may be good quality work and with new ideas but it's like Tim Westwood doing up a Vincent, or Aston Martin DB4 on Pimp my Ride.

[sarahavfc]

For me, I would have found the program much more interesting if they had either done a new build, and thrown loads of cash at that, rather than ripping the soul out of an old Grand Union boat. Or if they had restored it to how it was meant to be in the first place.

[Starcoaster]

Reported

[Psycloud]

Reported

But it has bumped an interesting thread. I wonder what happened to Dover? We watched both series just before buying a boat to live on and enjoyed them immensely.

[adam1uk]

But it has bumped an interesting thread. I wonder what happened to Dover? We watched both series just before buying a boat to live on and enjoyed them immensely.

 

 

Starman of this forum saw it on the Oxford summit this week.

[Athy]

So Dover has finally been sold? Remembering how immaculate she looked in the broker's photos, I am surprised how scruffy the external paintwork looks.

One of Starman's boat guests looks as if he's really relishing the summer weather.

[Nightwatch]

We saw it a couple of weeks ago coming down Watford Locks. Youngish couple were on boat.

 

I said 'Arh! The famous Dover' he replied 'two owners from new,not bad.'

Edited July 31, 2015 by Nightwatch

[starman]

So Dover has finally been sold? Remembering how immaculate she looked in the broker's photos, I am surprised how scruffy the external paintwork looks.

Blame the photographer (me) - it actually looked pretty smart and was being handled very professionally. A big, deep boat ain't easy on that stretch.

[Lady Muck]

She looked lovely when we followed her up Napton on Saturday.

[dunfixing]

I saw it when it when it was up for sale the first time, not a pretty site, all the paint on the aft cabin was coming of because of the rust under the paint and it was going into dry dock because the hull was breaking in half.

I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

It does look nice now it's been re-painted. But Get the hull surveyed first.

[adam1uk]

We saw it a couple of weeks ago coming down Watford Locks. Youngish couple were on boat.

 

I said 'Arh! The famous Dover' he replied 'two owners from new,not bad.'

 

Also not true, seeing as they're at least the second owners since the tv series.

[IanM]

I saw it when it when it was up for sale the first time, not a pretty site, all the paint on the aft cabin was coming of because of the rust under the paint and it was going into dry dock because the hull was breaking in half.

I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

It does look nice now it's been re-painted. But Get the hull surveyed first.

 

It had a load of hull work done a few years ago IIRC.

[stagedamager]

She did. I think I am right in thinking it was Dave Thomas' last job before retiring.

Dan

[alan_fincher]

We saw it a couple of weeks ago coming down Watford Locks. Youngish couple were on boat.

 

I said 'Arh! The famous Dover' he replied 'two owners from new,not bad.'

 

 

 

Also not true, seeing as they're at least the second owners since the tv series.

 

Well without having access to Pete Harrison's detailed knowledg,. this is clearly nonsense.

 

The owners would seem to include....

 

1) GUCCCo

2) DIWE / BW

3) Tim Leech (see earlier in thread)

4) (Presumably) Keith Ball / Industry Narrowboats

5) Whoever bought it to make the TV series

6) Another owner it was eventually sold on to

7) Owner who has apparently recently bought it via ABNB.

 

That may not be spot on, but clearly "two owners from new" whilst sounding impressive is a load of b****cks!

[stagedamager]

Maybe the new owners were making a jovial reference to the fact she is a bit of a triggers broom and therefore being new when the televised "restoration" was completed.

[alan_fincher]

Maybe the new owners were making a jovial reference to the fact she is a bit of a triggers broom and therefore being new when the televised "restoration" was completed.

 

Yeah but.....

 

It appears that it was a long way from restored for the TV series, as it then went on to have fairly massive amounts of hull work done by Dave Thomas at Braunston after wards.

 

The "surprising" bit is that before all that further hull work was done, it had already been on the market being marketed for a figure something like (from memory!) £145K.

[stagedamager]

Hence "restoration"...