Is this photo genuine?

[NB Esk]

If so, can anyone give the story behind it.  It's on the cover of one of my books, Wash in the Calder, Rinse in the Aire.  The book was published in 1994 and I can't find any reference at all to the cover photo.  I showed it to a mate who immediately identified the scene as "the main road through Castleford".  It looks fairly convincing in that the wash from the boat is more pronounced where it hits the far end of the bank (building) but still not sure about it.

The boat is clearly loaded and looks like it could be a Sheffield size keel, or similar, in which case it's likely to need six or seven feet under it.  When you think about obstructions in the road and where it might have come from (it seems to know where it's going, lol) it seems a little unlikely.  If it is genuine, it must have been a major flood, can someone shed some light on it?

 

[matty40s]

The bank windows (on bank street) are covered at the bottom, probably 3 foot off the ground....

[NB Esk]

Matty, that's a good way of showing it, didn't think of that.  Don't think the boat would be making such good headway at that depth.

[matty40s]

Actually, looking at the drain pipe supports and car heights, it's probably 5 or 6 feet deep. If the picture is real,  I would think the boat has come up Calton St and turned right to take it above the wier.

There does appear to be some distortion, however,, this could be because the photo is taken from the upper floor looking down.

The water through the town would be quite slow unlike the Aire.

Edited March 3, 2018 by matty40s

[NB Esk]

2 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Actually, looking at the drain pipe supports and car heights, it's probably 5 or 6 feet deep. If the picture is real,  I would think the boat has come up Calton St and turned right to take it above the wier. 

I'm looking for the groove in the Tarmac, as we speak, lol....

[TheBiscuits]

https://britainfromabove.org.uk/image/eaw002540

There were extensive floods in Castleford in 1946, but that doesn't help with the photo!

I agree with matty40s second comment - the windows seem to be about three feet at the far corner, but it looks like the road drops down toward the foreground, making the windows about car roof height where the boat is pictured.

[mrsmelly]

I will check but I think its looking fake. At that location the boat is at the top of an incline and heading towards  Aire street and obviously the Aire. The depth of water there would have to be several feet above anything resembling normal. Even Aire street itself which is several feet lower than Carlton street and the top of bank street junction where the foto is taken is well above the level of the aire. Whilst I cannot think anyone would fake such a scene it just doesn't seem at all likely to me but......................

Edited March 3, 2018 by mrsmelly

[matty40s]

The Midland Bank lettering seems to be 60s or 70s.....perhaps MrSmelly can confirm this...

[zenataomm]

Yes ..... it is definitely genuine. 

A real photo taken by a visiting Nigerian Prince, who incidentally needs to remove several million dollars into a total stranger's bank account in exchange for 25%  ...... if you're interested please pm me.  

[mrsmelly]

1 hour ago, matty40s said:

The Midland Bank lettering seems to be 60s or 70s.....perhaps MrSmelly can confirm this...

The street picture is correct. However if the depth of water at that location was as seen on the foto then the houses in Lock lane would have water coming through their bedroom windows. The worst I ever saw in lock lane was about a foot deep and that was a very wet winter. To put it into context for those who do not know the area of Castleford to have water at that point at that depth would be similar to Midland swindlers at Braunston being completely submerged over the roof.

[carlt]

Fake...

Totally out of proportion bearing in mind the beam of the keel is 15' and the car doesn't look much narrower.

Also if you look at the bank windows then the boat would have to be no more than 25' or so long, not to mention the draught of a loaded keel, up to 7'.

[jake_crew]

There is something about the water flow round the bow that does look odd.

As if the boat is sat on a open drainhole and the water is rushing past it ?.

[NB Esk]

23 minutes ago, jake_crew said:

There is something about the water flow round the bow that does look odd.

As if the boat is sat on a open drainhole and the water is rushing past it ?.

That's the other thing I noticed, I think it's just the keel is making good headway, which is probably the last thing the skipper would do if he was on the high street, lol.  With all of the points above, I'm thinking it probably is a fake.

[RLWP]

The water along the edge of the buildings looks completely wrong

[Laurence Hogg]

Its a fake copy the image and expand it up in an image programme, you will see the copy and paste edge to the left of the boat. One section shows waves not in line. A good spoof though.

[Hudds Lad]

as above definately a non-digital manipulated image, the water is too clean where it meets buildings etc. no reflection/shadow and too clean an edge.

[David Mack]

Some years ago I saw this postcard for sale on Ebay. It purports to show a Yorkshire Keel on the Wyrley and Essington canal at Lichfield!

[Hudds Lad]

also, vanishing points

[Giant]

Just to confirm your intuitions - that is definitely a Sheffield size motor keel, and the waterline on the bow corresponds to the 7ft draft mark on ours.

The next question though is whether the name has also been doctored. I have never heard of one called ATIN and can find no mention of it.

[Nightwatch]

Fake. There a railway underpass in the distance. What's at the other side is for others to say, but it doesn't look flooded to me.

[Giant]

I asked the Humber barges group on FB and none of the ex-bargemen there had heard of an ATIN... but there was a Sheffield size called NITA, owned by J J Tomlinsons.

So it looks like our intrepid photoshopper flipped a photo of NITA to get a more visually convincing result... and then flipped the resulting И to get ATIN!

[carlt]

On 07/03/2018 at 01:02, Giant said:

 

So it looks like our intrepid photoshopper flipped a photo of NITA to get a more visually convincing result... and then flipped the resulting И to get ATIN!

The way the chain drops in front of the port side "N" would make selectively flipping it very tricky.