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Archimedes & Ara photos


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Interesting, thank you.

After an initial bid to sell them that always seemed quite half hearted, they seem to have just languished.

I wonder how often the motor gets pumped out, as it is un-sheeted. Hold left open to the elements can turn into expensive repairs.  (Don't ask me how I know this, though!....)

In happier times - the "gravel run" in 2010

IMG_0323_Archimedes_Ara_Kings_Langley.JP

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3 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Interesting, thank you.

After an initial bid to sell them that always seemed quite half hearted, they seem to have just languished.

I wonder how often the motor gets pumped out, as it is un-sheeted. Hold left open to the elements can turn into expensive repairs.  (Don't ask me how I know this, though!....)

In happier times - the "gravel run" in 2010

IMG_0323_Archimedes_Ara_Kings_Langley.JP

Same event just coming under Bulls Bridge 

100_0925.JPG

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2 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

I remember when Ara was paired with Aynho on the GU Piling runs in the 1960's. Crewed by Billy Brown and Dolly Dakin plus hordes of children, they were possibly the scruffiest pair of boats on the system.

Whilst  growing up i always thought Billy  was a Sibley the son of Cissy & Albert Sibley my Godparents, it was not until Uncle Alberts death that i found out that he was not their son but had been taken in & raised by them from a early age after his mothers death.  He always had a well turned out boat & was well turned out himself,all his time spent cleaning a spotless boat .That was until he tied up with Dolly. Uncle Billy changed overnight he was happy & care free, no longer where his boats spotless he had found other things in life . Even when the came off the boats into a cottage on the Hanwell thicket Dolly was so big by then that she sat in her chair most of the day. Dispite all this he liked his life that way a large made family lots of laughter & noise 

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Location is Gallions Point Marina. I went to ask them if I could have a canal boat lifted out for blacking they said they don't allow canal boats or barges ...

archie and ara are visible in satellite view:

 

 

https://goo.gl/maps/gu4tDKkNh8H2

 

51°30'14.8"N 0°04'30.5"E

Edited by magnetman
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8 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

I remember when Ara was paired with Aynho on the GU Piling runs in the 1960's. Crewed by Billy Brown and Dolly Dakin plus hordes of children, they were possibly the scruffiest pair of boats on the system.

Ahem, David.

It was Aynho & Ayr on the piles in the 1960s, (and early 1970s), not Aynho & Ara!

Sam & Gladys Horne ran them before Bill Brown & Dolly Dakin.

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1 hour ago, alan_fincher said:

Ahem, David.

It was Aynho & Ayr on the piles in the 1960s, (and early 1970s), not Aynho & Ara!

Sam & Gladys Horne ran them before Bill Brown & Dolly Dakin.

Yes, On reflection, you are correct. I knew it was definitely Aynho because it seemed an odd name, until I realized there was a place called Aynho, but hardly a Town especially in the 1930's.  The Ayr/Ara mix up is down to my memory, and they are sort of similar names.

Edited by David Schweizer
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6 hours ago, jeannette smith harrison said:

Whilst  growing up i always thought Billy  was a Sibley the son of Cissy & Albert Sibley my Godparents, it was not until Uncle Alberts death that i found out that he was not their son but had been taken in & raised by them from a early age after his mothers death.  He always had a well turned out boat & was well turned out himself,all his time spent cleaning a spotless boat .That was until he tied up with Dolly. Uncle Billy changed overnight he was happy & care free, no longer where his boats spotless he had found other things in life . Even when the came off the boats into a cottage on the Hanwell thicket Dolly was so big by then that she sat in her chair most of the day. Dispite all this he liked his life that way a large made family lots of laughter & noise 

Things had certainly changed by the time I knew him, apart from the boats, his own appearance was bizzaire. His hair became progressively longer until someone ( presumably Dolly.or maybe himself) attacked it with a pair of scissors. I knew that the family had moved into a cottage on the Hanwell flght, and I believe John (Knuckles) Dakin was lock keeper there for  a while. I met him some years later at Cowley working on a BW maintenance gang, and he told me that Dolly was living in Harefield, but she has probably passed away by now.

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8 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

Yes, On reflection, you are correct. I knew it was definitely Aynho because it seemed an odd name, until I realized there was a place called Aynh, but hardly a Town especially in the 1930's.  The Ayr/Ara mix up is down to my memory, and they are sort of similar names.

As an aside,most old boat enthusiasts, (myself included), believe the butty Ayr still exists, although none now carries that name.

Bulls Bridge are supposed to have cut up the Berkhamsted by mistake instad of the Ayr, when Berkhamsted had been sold off to a third party.  They therefore turned out Ayr as Berkhamsted, and it carries that name today.

People like my brother who used to know the boats from when Bill Brown had them, insist that what survives as Berkhamsted is Ayr, having very noticeable dents that exactly match those that Ayr was known to have had.

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6 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

Things had certainly changed by the time I knew him, apart from the boats, his own appearance was bizzaire. His hair became progressively longer until someone ( presumably Dolly.or maybe himself) attacked it with a pair of scissors. I knew that the family had moved into a cottage on the Hanwell flght, and I believe John (Knuckles) Dakin was lock keeper there for  a while. I met him some years later at Cowley working on a BW maintenance gang, and he told me that Dolly was living in Harefield, but she has probably passed away by now.

Allegedly the house the family had in Marsworth had a hole in an internal wall where Bill had taken a swing at one of the sons who got out the way in time, and the wall took the brunt of it.

The curtains were sacks, I believe, but I'm not sure if I'm right in remembering that the house was actually condemned after their occupancy! Seems unlikely, but I feel that was the story.

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12 hours ago, Cloudinspector said:

Stolen from a Facebook post.Taken today at London docklands.

 

C60463C9-25FC-4931-938B-E96F899D8349.jpeg

0E475064-7E94-4C17-B41F-9E283E1B157F.jpeg

I can't help thinking that these might have a better future split up, as they may be less noticeable for their connection to a sex offender.

12 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Interesting, thank you.

After an initial bid to sell them that always seemed quite half hearted, they seem to have just languished.

I wonder how often the motor gets pumped out, as it is un-sheeted. Hold left open to the elements can turn into expensive repairs.  (Don't ask me how I know this, though!....)

In happier times - the "gravel run" in 2010

IMG_0323_Archimedes_Ara_Kings_Langley.JP

Isn't that the culprit steering the motor?

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8 minutes ago, BWM said:

I can't help thinking that these might have a better future split up, as they may be less noticeable for their connection to a sex offender.

Isn't that the culprit steering the motor?

You are probably correct in your assumptions. However, the boats were surely not involved. They look a good pair for someone, or as suggested split them, but to my mind it's another pair that would be no longer.

are they for sale presently?

1 hour ago, Cloudinspector said:

That would have been Mountbatten and jellicoe

Yes! Of course. Two admirals lurking after service.

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4 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

You are probably correct in your assumptions. However, the boats were surely not involved. They look a good pair for someone, or as suggested split them, but to my mind it's another pair that would be no longer.

are they for sale presently?

Yes! Of course. Two admirals lurking after service.

They are a great looking pair, and have a much longer record of being operated by good people. The previous owners, Alan and Tricia were lovely folks.  After them, they belonged to a  farming couple who seemed very pleasant but the husband appeared to be less keen on the enterprise! Sadly the type of offence has seemingly stuck to the boats unfairly. 

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1 hour ago, Cloudinspector said:

That would have been Mountbatten and jellicoe

I took on diesel from Mountbatten at Little Venice in 2005. They were topping up the Jason's trip boats too. They'd left Jellico around the corner somewhere empty. The pair later passed me at Cowroast when I was on my way back.

Edited by bizzard
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35 minutes ago, BWM said:

Isn't that the culprit steering the motor?

No, Tom is steering the motor in my picture, and as far as I know he has not been found guilty of anything.

EDIT:

What I think has been overlooked in the discussion, was that when the pair was briefly offered for sale, it was at an eye-watering price.

I doubt they didn't sell because of associations with a particular person - far more likely the seller had ridiculous expectations, (assuming they were ever serious of course!).

If offered at sensible prices, I think the motor would quickly find a buyer.  Buttys, on the other hand, seem to have been hard to sell for sometime - or at least if the seller wants them to remain a butty.

Edited by alan_fincher
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1 hour ago, alan_fincher said:

Allegedly the house the family had in Marsworth had a hole in an internal wall where Bill had taken a swing at one of the sons who got out the way in time, and the wall took the brunt of it.

The curtains were sacks, I believe, but I'm not sure if I'm right in remembering that the house was actually condemned after their occupancy! Seems unlikely, but I feel that was the story.

I have been looking for a photo of Billy Brown which I knew i had seen in a book. I found it in Robert Wilson's booklet "Epilogue" - picture No . 58 shows Billy Brown on Aynho and Ayr all looking appropriately untidy! However, perhaps more interesting for Alan, and he has probably already seen it, is picture No.67 which shows Ron Green on Flamingo, polishing the cabin porthole whilst negotiating a bend.

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I don't feel any future owner would have any problems with ownership as a direct legacy of their previous owner. You only have to see how the current owner of those notorious former hotel boats Oak & Ash has got on to know that. OK so a change of colour scheme has taken place but that could happen with this pair as they have had several different liveries in their history. 

Many general boaters are just as likely to confuse any boat with that livery with this pair as many who are not familiar with historic boats just see an old blue and white boat rather than take in the name let along be able to tell you who the maker was 

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4 minutes ago, cheshire~rose said:

I don't feel any future owner would have any problems with ownership as a direct legacy of their previous owner.

No, especially as most people won't know that story anyway. I don't, although its mention evokes a faint memory, but an internet search, and also a perusal of a previous thread on here about the boats, doesn't reveal anything.

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If they were "mothballed" ashore properly perhaps they would be an investment but if not very well covered its going to be a battle to keep them I good condition. .


Archimedes is a lovely boat. I wonder how much it would fetch if actually for sale .

 

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