The Historic NARROW BOAT OWNERS CLUB

nneewwsslleetttteerr 2008/1 CONTENTS Fore End ...... 2 Easter Gathering at Stoke Bruerne update ...... 2 Chairmanʼs Notes...... 3 November Social Meeting - report...... 4 Sickle is launched ...... 5 Know Your Committee - South West Rep - Phil Bittner...... 6 Tug Section Report ...... 7 Photo Feature ...... 8 Membership Secretaryʼs Notes ...... 9 A Memberʼs Search for Boats ...... 10 Photo Spot ...... 13 Easter at the Port...... 14 The King - Boat Family Research...... 15 Raymond...... 18 TLC Project ...... 18 Dove progresses ...... 19 A Look Back in 1976 to 1944...... 20 Memberʼs Boats - Reason Hill ...... 22 Too Late ...... 22 Boatmanʼs Ode ...... 23 Peacock...... 24 Braunston Historic Boat Gathering ...... 24 Notice Board ...... 25 Letters ...... 26 Events 2008 ...... 28 Historic Boats at the IWA National Festival 2008 ...... 29 Stern End, Meetings and Press Dates ...... 29 Warning to Boatmen ...... 30 Advertisements ...... 30

FRONT COVER: Yeoford & Pictor unload 36 tons of Duckhams oil at Aldridge in 1970. Let us hope that the present proposals for a revival of freight traffic on the BCN succeed Photo: Harry Arnold

HNBOC Newsletter 2008/1 1 CHAIRMANʼS NOTES

by Phil Prettyman

Happy New Year to everyone! 2008 is upon us with another packed calendar of boating events and waterways related activities.

First up is the Club AGM on Saturday 1st March at Braunston Village Hall. Our theme this year is to focus on the Hemelryk Award with John Yates saying a few words about the life and work of John Hemelryk and a look at one or two of the boats that have won the award over the last few years. This year we were delighted to receive several worthy nominations and it proved quite a challenge to the committee to decide on an eventual winner. The standard of boat restoration, commitment of time and dedication from owners has been exemplary and, in another year, any of the nominations could have proved worthy winners. After much protracted debate a winner was chosen and the result will be revealed at the AGM.

Our Easter gathering this year will be at Stoke Bruerne and a goodly number of boats will be attending. We have a varied programme of entertaining events for members and, because we are likely to be at the mercy of the weather in March, we have booked the Village Hall on several occasions over the weekend. The programme is printed opposite. Please bring items for the Boaters Tat Auction on the Sunday (all proceeds to the Droitwich restoration fund) and if you can sing/play/amuse why not offer to do a ʻturnʼ on Saturday evening – an opportunity for all talents!

Returning to the subject of conservation and breathing new life into old things, the debate around the maintenance of waterways heritage continues unabated. BW has made an important step forward by appointing a waterways heritage advisor in each area. These are mostly enthusiastic individuals but they do not always have the depth of experience in the details of waterway heritage that many of our members have. It is important that the Club and other voluntary groups enter into a regular dialogue with them around this issue and that we bring to their attention any potential threat to items of waterways heritage of which we become aware. In light of these and other recent changes to key waterways personnel, the Club has decided to reprint our ʻDisappearing Heritageʼ booklet as we feel that it can still make an important contribution on this issue.

Unfortunately many of the points made in the booklet are only appreciated by people who are familiar with the waterway network and can appreciate the real value of the heritage in its historical and social context. Events of the last few years have suggested that there is a whole body of local council officials, politicians, planners and developers who see only the superficial prettiness of a faux ʻregenerationʼ that looks good above the water level. These people exercise far more power and influence that BW ever can and often generate schemes that are very difficult to challenge. There needs to be a much stronger campaign to the wider world that demonstrates the true social, historic and economic value of our waterway network. This Club, together with other voluntary groups and BW, needs to find ways to get this message across and make planners and developers see that there is greater economic and social value in maintaining and restoring rather than ersatz replacement. Phil HNBOC Newsletter 2008/1 3 Members Meeting Nov 24th 2007 Mike Harrison writes:

Nick Hill reverses Hadley into the yard at Braunston, assisted by a steering committee comprising of Ron Withey and Pete Dumelow, Hadley’s owner.

Our Club social meetings in November, introduced a few years ago, have become very popular. Last year certainly lived up to this tradition when Braunston Village Hall was filled to capacity for Nick Hillʼs talk and slide show about his commercial boating days. Nick had a large number of slides which gave us a good idea of the great number of carrying boats of various types which he has steered over the years. He realised from the start that one needs to respect the working boatmen and he became accepted among them to such an extent he was regularly allowed both to steer the boats and take photographs. This is a privilege which Nick has appreciated and enjoyed for many years. The collection included some very interesting views of people and places now changed beyond recognition. Nick is probably best known for his exploits on his own boat Jaguar . I particularly remember seeing him with a load of coal on this boat at the National Rally at in 1971. I had never seen a boat so deeply loaded. It really was ʻin the paintʼ. Considering the extremely run-down state of the canal system in the sixties and early seventies, and the attitude of those in authority, it is all the more amazing that any commercial carrying existed at all. The struggle required by people like Nick to operate loaded boats at that time and the fact that they carried on as long as they did, shows how enthusiastic they were and how passionately they believed in commercial carrying. Something which was also confirmed during the afternoon was Nickʼs sense of humour. He had always got a story to indicate the funny side of the situations shown on the slides and it seemed that almost everybody involved had an appropriate nickname. We took a break halfway through for an excellent buffet including hot soup provided by the Club and then carried on into the early evening. Altogether a very pleasant, amusing and informative occasion. Our grateful thanks are due to Nick for bringing his reminiscences for us to enjoy.

I am hoping to persuade Nick to write a series of articles for this newsletter relating tales of his activities during his years of working with the trade boats...... Ed

4 HNBOC Newsletter 2008/1 Sickle is Launched

On Jan 26th the Middle motor Sickle was re-launched at Sheet Stores Basin, off the Erewash Canal in Long Eaton. The culmination of a 5 year restoration project by our member and Sawley Keeper, David Parrott, eagerly assisted by his son Matthew. A crowd of enthusiasts gathered to watch this event, and included Ian Tyler who had steered the boat in its days on BW Matthew and David Parrott maintenance. are ready for the launch Photos: Mike Harrison As reported in earlier editions of the newsletter David and Matthew rescued Sickle from the fate of becoming a flower bed at Sawley Marina and, working in their spare time, have completely re-built the hull and cabin using traditional methods. Graeme Pearce from Stockton Dry Dock was brought in to do the riveting. The original Russell Newbery engine had long since been removed and replaced with a 3 cylinder Armstrong Siddeley, which has also since been removed. As part of the project the Parrotts have fitted a Lister HA3 Only 8 pairs of Middle Northwich boats were built by Yarwoods. Being round bilged and slightly V bottomed the boats were unpopular with the boatmen, as they were somewhat unstable. For this reason, four of the motor boats, including Sickle , were shortened and converted to ice breakers at an early stage, a role for which they were ideal. Of these four, Sextans and Theophilus have been converted. Tycho is the only one to retain its ice breaking ram and authentic ice breaker appearance. Sickle still shows the signs of where the ram had been cut off from the stem bar. The Parrotts intend to restore this feature at a future date. The back cabin has yet to be fitted out but the intention is to use the boat as much as possible this year. This will hopefully include a gathering of as many as possible of the Middle Northwich boats at the Braunston gathering in June. About to set off on a trial run up the Erewash Canal See page 24 last issue. Ed. HNBOC Newsletter 2008/1 5 Tug Section - Regular Events.

Last Spring, on Steve Binghamʼs initiative and as already reported, we had a successful get together with about 11 tugs at the Black Country Living Museum and subsequently the memorable reunion of the 5 Stewarts and Lloyds tugs at Coombeswood to commemorate the Setting 40th anniversary of the closure of the the scene works. The latter was augmented by for a boat being tied into celebrations at Hawne raising Basin. Building on the success of those operation

Photos: Bernard Hales

events we polled the participants and decided that there was sufficient justification and enthusiasm to do something similar on a regular basis. We also mooted the idea of having a ʻclubʼ for tug officianados. Rather than adding yet another ʻAssociationʼ to the waterways scene, with all the administration that goes with it, we opted for the low key approach. As we are nearly The Coombeswood all members of this Club we aired the idea Re-union May 2007 of taking space in the HNBOC Newsletter to focus on our particular interests and activities. This has been accepted in principle, so we will give it a try and see how it goes. On the strength of the foregoing the BCLM has already agreed for us to hold a ʻTug and Joey Boatʼ weekend over the Bank Holiday 4th-6th May 2008. This is open to all historic tugs from any region, the more the merrier. Entrance is free, but boats and crews will be expected to comply with the Museumʼs requirements in order to be allowed inside ʻthe armʼ during public hours. The Bottle and Glass pub will be open for us on Saturday night with some entertainment and we have booked Martin OʼKeefe (BCNS) to give an enhanced version of his tug presentation on Sunday evening in the Cinema. Anyone interested, who has not already been involved, should contact Bernard Hales or Jane Allcock at the BCLM for an entry form If all goes well we propose to hold a similar event in alternate years. Bernard Hales HNBOC Newsletter 2008/1 7 HENRY GODDARD - First Captain of The King

Our interest in The King began with the sepia photograph, (left) found among one of Paulineʼs maternal auntʼs possessions, of a Captain/Master and two crew members on a narrow boat bearing the words Fellows, Morton & Clayton. The name and number of it was barely discernible, but written on the reverse of the photo wasʻGrandad Goddardʼ. He was obviously Paulineʼs motherʼs grandfather and hence Paulineʼs great grandfather. So feeling that there could be some interesting family history here, we decided to follow up the connection between Grandad Goddard and narrow boats. We knew that Paulineʼs grandmother was called Sarah Harriet Goddard, and her father was Henry Goddard, and both had connections with Braunston, where both Pauline and her mother had visited during the second World War. Knowing that Braunston was a major centre of the canal network gave us encouragement, so we decided to pay it another visit. We called in at the Lock Shop to see if there might be some literature to help us with our project, whilst the proprietor was very obliging he did not have a publication on F.M.C but he did offer to enlarge and enhance our sepia print on his computer, to see if we could identify the narrow boat further. Imagine our delight when we could clearly see that it was called The King No 103. The next obvious step was to contact the Waterways Trust at to see what records, if any, they had of this boat. An archives research assistant, Caroline Jones, came up with a report on The King and correspondence which they had received in 1989 from a J.W.Carter, which included some family connections between himself and our ʻGrandad Goddardʼ, what a coincidence! We therefore tried to contact Mr J.W.Carter, but without success. The next step was to look on the internet where we picked up the ʻAlltalkthomasʼ site, which, surprisingly, had on it a copy of our sepia print and the indication that the steerer is our Henry Goddard, there was also reference to J.W.Carter. Enquiries on the web site prompted Richard Thomas to give us a call, to say that he knew of The King and who the present owner was, this was a very real break through and prompted us to contact the owners, Graham and Sue Russell, who immediately welcomed our inquiry, gave us a detailed history of The King and expressed their delight at finding someone who had a direct family connection with the person who turned out to be her very first Captain. This was followed with an invitation to meet up with Graham and Sue at the Anderton Marina where the present day, considerably upgraded, but nevertheless original, The King was moored. A real treat ! We promptly arranged a weekend with Graham and Sue at the Marina, where we were made most welcome, and immediately began to compare the notes which they had on the history of The King from its construction at Saltley Dock, and registration No 1152 at in 1905 at a cost of £600, with the family history which we were able to present. Naturally on our part we were most impressed with the work which had been carried out on The King over the years. We viewed a collection of prints as it had passed through various

16 HNBOC Newsletter 2008/1 hands and our weekend was made particularly pleasurable when Graham offered to take us down the Anderton Lift to the , particularly as we had previously heard of the refurbishment of the lift on the national news in 2002. This was a real thrill and such a unique and privileged experience on a genuine narrow boat of such historical interest. Our interest then turned to the family history connection. Beginning with Paulineʼs mother, Doris Irene, nee Neville, who was born at Uxbridge in 1905. Her mother, Sarah Harriet Goddard was born at Braunston in 1874 and married at Braunston in 1893 to Henry Neville, a railway contractors labourer. Unfortunately she died in 1909 when Paulineʼs mother was only four years old, giving birth to the last of her eight children. Sarah Harrietʼs father was Henry Goddard and he married Ann Gardner in 1868. Armed with this information from the family, and speaking with Graham Russell, who put out a request to HNBOC members for any information relating to Henry Goddard to be passed on to us, some replies were received. The most welcome was from Richard Booth, of nearby Marsworth, who has been a tremendous help in researching census records etc. He led us to Henryʼs birth in Uxbridge District in1844 and so we were able to obtain a copy of Henryʼs birth certificate, which in turn told us that he was born at Bulls Bridge, Norwood, on 23rd Jan 1844. As HNBOC members will be aware, this is at the junction of the and the Paddington Arm leading into London and the Thames. His father was Richard Goddard, a boatman and married to Mary, nee Hanscombe, who we discovered were married on the 9th December 1839 in the parish church at Bletchley in Bucks. Richardʼs father is given as John Goddard, also a boatman. Clearly Henry comes from a considerable line of boat people, which other members of HNBOC may well know of and may throw up interesting connections. This also shows how boat people travelled around so much and married into families quite scattered along the canal network. Being non boat owners ourselves, we are learning things we never knew about the canals and narrow boats, an obvious gap in our knowledge of Britain, but an interest which nevertheless is proving fascinating. An interesting feature, which a study of censuses has thrown up, is that although Henryʼs wife Ann and his children appear in the1881 census, but only Ann and daughter Mary Ann, in 1891, not until 1901 do we find Henry, (Ann we think having died in 1895). In the 1901 census he was entered as being on a steamboat (not named) at Marsworth, married Age 57, canal boatman, born Middx (place not known). It would therefore appear that on the day of the censuses in 1881 and 1891 Henry could have been anywhere on the Grand Union Canal escaping registration or, to be kind, maybe he was afloat in one of any of the five counties, Northants, Bucks, Beds, Herts or Middx., through which the Grand Union passes. This we intend to investigate, but it could be a lengthy task. We are most grateful to Sue and Graham Russell, Caroline Jones, Richard Thomas, Richard Booth and the owner of the ʻLock Shopʼ at Braunston, for their interest and contributions to our project. Frank & Pauline Beaumont, Dunstable January 2008

Referring to Harold Gwytherʼs notes on page 28 in the last issue, it is interesting to wonder if the J Goddard who bought William in 1947 was the John William in the family tree overleaf, or if the FH Goddard is the Harry and/or the Goddard (of Blackpool) with no initial who lived in the cottage above Barnton Tunnel is either or neither of these and no Address: Mill Lane, Sileby, Leics. LE12 7UX connection whatever!! E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.ovationboatservices.co.uk See also page 27 Ed

HNBOC Newsletter 2008/1 17 Winter Working on Dove (or Christmas day in the workhouse) Andrew Hoyle writes: Those with access to the internet may see all the detailed full colour photos of the restoration, by typing in: http://picasaweb.google.com/fmcdove or use the link from www.controlledlubrication.co.uk Click on a photo to reveal the full album then on each photo to enlarge. Now weʼve had our playtime we must settle down to some serious work but, winter is upon us and we have to pick our jobs according to the weather. Arriving back from the Black Country we got on with more of the back cabin, this was basically making doors and drawers. Working in the back cabin is now getting a little cramped, there just isnʼt room for two people, two four foot sash cramps and a ton of saw dust, so it looks like some of the work will have to be done at home. The only thing is, this means a two hour round trip if I get anything wrong. We are deviating from the plan a little with the design of the back cabin, like with the engine room door, in Dove there are two and they open into the engine room, not as per drawing and into the cabin. During a bit of a dry spell we had a go at the fore deck, I knew it was a bit worse for wear but, I didnʼt realise how bad it was, until I started doing my archeological dig with the gas axe. I found most of it didnʼt have that iron oxide reaction I expected, it was more of a toxic melt down combined with luminous flares. It was about twenty per cent body filler and aluminium mesh under twenty coats of paint. The repair methods of some boat owners does leave a lot to be desired. By the time youʼve messed about with filler and sanding discs, you could have riveted, or dare I say, welded, a new plate in. However, this way, they left enough original remnants to give us a clue to how the fore deck and scuttle were constructed. There were even a number of pre-war 3/8th bolts and the odd rivet dangling from the bulk head angle iron and, the bottom of the original "T" stud was still rusted in position. Removing the steel cants, (which for some unknown reason, were full of leaves and grass, very odd!) revealed lots more holes. You can actually see the acid reaction where the oak was bolted to the iron. So this has given us a clue to the correct timber sizes for the front deck, as this does vary from boat to boat. On close examination of the deck plate and using my dynamic thickness tester, I found the extreme front section to be quite thick, so Iʼve decided to only renew from the bulkhead to just forward of the scuttle hatch. We will also, have to fabricate new angle irons in this area to support the new plate, especially near the bulkhead where the body filler has held the water. In my working life Iʼve spent many years in mills where steel section is rolled and angle iron is normally rolled to 90 degrees itʼs full length. But the angle irons used in boat fabrication become more obtuse or, more acute down itʼs length to suit the angle of the chine. I can only assume these were re-heated and forged to suit, as they have an external square edge like hot rolled section and not a radiused edge, as with press braking. Does anybody remember how this was done? Just as a matter of engineering interest. Photos: Andrew Hoyle

HNBOC Newsletter 2008/1 19 EVENTS 2008

March 1st: HNBOC AGM - Braunston Village Hall - 2.30pm March 20th - 24th : HNBOC Easter Gathering at Stoke Bruerne March 20th - 24th : Traditional Easter gathering at The Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port May 3rd - 5th : Tug Boat Gathering at BCLM, Tipton. Contact Steve Bingham email: [email protected] May 3rd - 5th : Cavalcade, Little Venice, Paddington, London. Information Tel: 07753 635006. Website: www.waterways.org.uk May 16th - 18th : Coombeswood Canal Trust Open Weekend, Hawne Basin. Contact: The Trust 0121 550 1355. May 31st - !st June : Etruria Canals Festival. Further details from Museum Assistant, Glenn Airey at Etruria Industrial Museum, Lower Bedford St., Etruria, Stoke on Trent ST4 5HQ. Tel: 01782 233144 or e-mail [email protected] June 6th - 8th : Stoke Bruerne Museum Open Weekend. Members with suitable working boats are cordially invited to attend. See Notice Board page 25 June 14th - 15th : Middlewich Boating Festival June 21st - 22nd : Anderton Gathering June 28th - 29th : Historic Boat Gathering at Braunston. See back cover and page 24 July 4th - 6th : Saul Festival. See their website: www.junctionevents.org.uk July 11th - 13th : 40th Anniversary of the BCNS, Titford Pumphouse. Contact Barrie Johnson 07747 074371 July 27th : Audlem Festival of Transport. Over 200 vehicles parade through the village Further information from their website: www.audlem.org Aug16th - 17th : Boat Gathering at Bumblehole in preparation for Netherton Tunnel celebrations. Aug16th - 20th : Gathering of Boats at Windmill End, to celebrate 150 years of the Netherton Tunnel. Also re-enactment of the 1858 official opening of the tunnel to include a cavalcade of boats. Contact Paddy Grice 0870 850 4203 or see www.dci150.co.uk Aug 23rd - 25th : IWA National Festival, - see opposite. Contact Sandy Jones, email: [email protected] Sept 6th - 7th : Shackerstone Steam and Family Festival Sept 6th - 7th : Witheymoor Island Open Weekend, Netherton. Contact Dave Wheeler Witheymoor Island Trust, Halesowen Road, Netherton. Dudley. DY2 9PU. Sept 12th - 14th : Black Country Boating Festival, Windmill End, Netherton. Contact BCBF on 0870 850 4203 Sept 26th - 28th : Parkhead Boating Festival, Pear Tree Lane, Dudley. Contact Steve Bingham: [email protected] Oct 4th - 5th : Dudley Festival of Water & Light, Merry Hill Waterfront. Contact Dudley Plus 01384 812345 Oct 18th - 19th : Navigation Trust 25th Anniversary Open Weekend at the Bonded Warehouse. Contact Chris Dyche 01384 395216 Oct 18th - 26th : Re-creation of ʻJam ʻOle ʻ Run. Braunston, Atherstone,Southall, Braunston See notice board page 25 Oct 25th - 26th : Halloween at Witheymoor Island, Netherton. Contact Dave Wheeler. Address above. Oct 31st - 1st Nov: BCNS Bonfire Rally, Engine Arm, Smethwick. Contact Barrie Johnson 07747 074371

28 HNBOC Newsletter 2008/1 IWA National Waterways Festival, Autherley Junction 23rd to 25th August 2008

This yearʼs IWA National Waterways Festival is to be held over the August Bank Holiday weekend at Autherley Junction. Although space will be at a premium, IWA is keen to encourage a good turnout of historic boats. It is also hoped to produce a booklet with photos and historic details of all the historic boats present, as was done at the Beale Park National Waterways Festival in 2006. This year, IWA and HNBOC are keen to work together to make a feature of the historic boats. It has been suggested that the Club co-ordinates bookings, so if you havenʼt already sent your booking form off, go to www.waterways.org.uk and to go "Events" to download a booking form, (or phone 0870 240 2438 if you do not have access to the internet). Then send your booking form to the Club Secretary, address below. In order for IWA to obtain historic information on the boats for the booklet, which will be given out to all visitors at the festival to encourage them to visit the area where the historic boats will be moored, please enclose a page of historical information on your boat at the same time as sending the form. If you have already sent your booking form to IWA, donʼt worry, but please send historical information on your boat to me, as we will be helping to collate this information. This will also help us identify your entry as an historic boat to be moored with the rest. Send your completed boat entry form, cheque and historic information to: Alison Smedley, Secretary, Historic Narrow Boat Owners Club, Hazelhurst Cottage, Denford, Leek, Staffs, ST13 7JT. These will then be forwarded on to IWA. Please note that as space is restricted, submitting your form does not automatically ensure you a place. The forms will be submitted in batches to IWA, but the Waterspace Director will be advised by email as and when forms are received by the Secretary, so there should be no delay caused by sending your booking in this way. Alison Smedley, Secretary.

Opening times for Gloucester & Sharpness Canal and Friday 4 Jan. to Friday 21 March (Good Friday) - 8am to 4pm (closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays); Friday 21 March to Friday 23 May - 8am to 6pm; Friday 23 May to Friday 26 September - 8am to 7pm; Friday 26 September to Friday 31 October - 8am to 6pm; Friday 31 October to Friday 2 January - 8am to 4pm (closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays). Enquiries: 01452 318000

R.Fuller

HNBOC Newsletter 2008/1 29 Cutting from Northwich Guardian Sat 12.11.1881 provided by the late Clive Guthrie and reproduced with the kind permission of the Librarian at Cheshire Records Office. A WARNING TO BOATMEN At the Worship Street (London) Police Court, on Monday, William Lawrence, 39, described as a bargeman, of Caroline Street, , who had been apprehended on a warrant, was charged with obstructing the Regents Canal, by misconducting a barge at Acton Lock, Hackney. The Solicitors to the Company prosecuted, and stated that the charge was made under the Company’s Act, 52 Geo. III., cap. 195, sec.93 and the defendant, against whom a summons had first been issued, had offended on more than one occasion. On the day in question, the 9th September, the offence was deliberate, the defendant placing his barge so that the traffic was entirely stopped at Acton Lock. The lock keeper, Andrew Thomas Turnbull, called the defendant’s attention to his barge, and only received abuse. The defendant, however, pretended to alter it, but did so in such a way as to continue the obstruction. The defendant further had assaulted the witness Turnbull, meeting him on the day he ought to have appeared to the summons, and striking him. He was not, however, proceeded against for assault. To the charge of obstructing the canal the defendant pleaded guilty, and after some formal evidence, Mr. Bushby ordered him to pay a fine of £5, and 22s costs, or suffer two months imprisonment. The defendant, having no goods, was locked up.

30 HNBOC Newsletter 2008/1 THE CLUB SHOP

NBOC Brass Plaque (For eligible boats) £8.00. plus £2.00 p&p

A Boaterʼs Guide to Boating by Chris N. Deuchar £5.00 plus £1.50 p&p

Canal Narrowboats and Barges by Tony Conder Memberʼs offer price £4.70 plus £1.50p p&p

One Summer on the Cut By Graham Beard £7.99 plus £1.70 p&p

Back copies of the Clubʼs Newsletter are available - Donations welcome For the time being orders and enquiries for the above items should directed to the Editorial Address - see inside front cover Cheque with order please payable to “Historic Narrow Boat Owners Club”

The HISTORIC NARROW BOAT OWNERS CLUB AIMS and OBJECTIVES To encourage the preservation, restoration and use of working and ex-working narrow boats. To represent the interests of the users of such boats in their dealings with all waterway authorities. To promote the maintenance of the waterways system to a standard suitable to facilitate the navigation of such boats throughout the year. To campaign for the retention and/or reinstatement of appropriate traditional and historical waterway furniture and features. To establish and maintain a narrow boat archive. In furtherance of these aims the Club has membership of:

Patron Associate Member Heritage Afloat of the The Association for PWG Ship and Boat Anderton Parliamentary Preservation Boat Lift Waterways Group Organisations

Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the HNBOC, its Chairman or Committee. Publication is encouraged to raise points of interest and to invite comment