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IN DAYS GONE BY A Canals Rivers + Boats special supplement We continue our exclusive serialisation of the newly discovered canal war diary of Evelyn Hunt, an ‘Idle Woman’ - edited by Tim Coghlan - which gives a fascinating daily insight into life on the canals and the Home Front in 1943. We rejoin Evelyn & Co at Hawkesbury Junction, north of Coventry, awaiting orders to load coal at one of the local collieries, orders that were slow in forthcoming… Completing the clothing up: The tough, diminutive Anne in her dungarees and sporting her lock-wheeling belt, laying out the snubber - the long towing rope - ready for towing the butty Dipper in the long pounds. The scene is Part 9: “He said he knew why we in Limehouse Dock, London in May 1944, after loading. Despite the earlier London Blitz, the were tying at Cheddington - because dock looks active and in extraordinarily good the Air Force would be there!” condition - evidence of the modern view of the true ineffectiveness of German bombing on the British war effort. The trio of Audrey-Evelyn- Anne’s ’ boating skills are shown here, including the clean and neatly covered canvas cloths to keep the cargo dry - which could be anything from iron bars to perishable cargoes like wheat, or cement, as in this episode. The lock-wheeler’s bicycle is tied onto the motor’s side cloths by two loops, ready for quick unfastening and cycling ahead. Note, the cycle has no rear mudgard as refl ected in the condition of her trousers! (John Monnington Collection) canals rivers + boats - april 2012 / 25 A Canals Rivers + Boats special supplement 002 Steerer Harper at the helm: The 24 year old Audrey Harper was seen as the captain of the trio, and was called Steerer Harper by the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company (GUCCC). She is seen motoring along London’s Regents Canal, passing a large gasworks which seems to have survived the London Blitz remarkably well. (John Monnington Collection) Sunday, 13th June 1943 War Department’s Camouflage Department prior to joining the ‘Idle Women’, and some of her former female colleagues still Hawkesbury worked and had digs.) I have just had a most embarrassing ten minutes talking with an old man, a boater or an ex-boater, I think, but I cannot be th sure, as I couldn’t understand a word he said! Ike appeared Monday, 14 June 1943 shockingly drunk this morning. (Ed: Evelyn’s cat she collected Hawkesbury as a stray kitten in East London, and probably named after the I spent the night in Leamington, sleeping in Elizabeth’s bed as Supreme Allied Commander General ‘Ike’ Eisenhower). His back Anne was occupying my room. We got up wonderfully late and legs2 were all wobbly, he was more full of purrs than I have ever I stayed and gossiped with Betty till Caroline rang up at 11.30 known him, and showed all symptoms of drunkenness. So I which reminded us that we ought to get up. Betty has a lovely put him in the hold to clear his head a bit. As I was about to book of Felix Topolski’s drawings - England in Peace & War dive below into the cabin, this roundabout little man dressed and I would like to have borrowed it, but unfortunately it really in black with a black trilby hat and a strange high buttoned belongs to Captain Irwin. There are some beautiful drawings black waistcoat with lapels, over his collarless striped shirt of Limehouse District and the Canal, which were fascinating to appeared and asked me some quick unintelligible question, I me, in that they have caught so exactly the atmosphere of that think about orders. So I said’ “Yes”, hopefully, and he stood for part of London through which we pass. (Ed: We reviewed this ten minutes and did not stop talking for one second and there book in Part 6.) was about one word in 20 which even sounded like English. It We had lunch at the Canteen, now much improved, and the was a shame as he was so smiley and friendly and gave me a whole of the Gables seems to be there. (Ed: At the Department cigarette. We were told later that he was a “rum chap, almost of Camouflage in the requisitioned Regent Hotel where Evelyn deaf and dumb”. I visited Leamington, and was entertained had previously3 worked. The reference to ‘the Gables’ appears by Betty, Anne and Caroline. (Ed: Where Evelyn worked in the now lost). They all remarked on my brownness, which became 26 / canals rivers + boats - april 2012 IN DAYS GONE BY RIGHT: Buttying along: The diary’s author, the 30 year old Evelyn Hunt, in what became her regular role at the helm of the butty Dipper - here seen passing through East London. With Audrey on the motor, they were probably the best and fastest boat handlers of the Idle Women. (John Monnington Collection) BELOW: ‘Orders this morning for Longford for Nash which suits us nicely.’ The then modern coal-loading facility at Longford Wharf - seen here in about 1947 with four GUCCC boats being loaded at the same time. It was the boatmen’s favourite for several reasons: It was the wharf closest to where the orders were given at Hawkesbury Junction. Not being a colliery, it was on the main canal, and not up a narrow branch line, unlike Griff Colliery, Newdigate, Baddesley and various other collieries. Finally boat loading was done quickly from two sets of large hoppers - rather than from rail trucks or even by hand. These hoppers were filled from behind by lorries, which had collected at locals collieries, reversing up ramps and tipping their loads into the hoppers - as described in the diary. The large gasometer behind was shut down for the duration of the war, as being too obvious a target for German bombing, but in fact was never hit, despite several raids on Coventry - further evidence of ineffective German bombing. (R Longden/Sonia Rolt) monotonous, and I found myself finding it hard to know how to answer them. I left Leamington early as I feared both those buses, and the Bedworth ones, would be crowded. When I got out at Longford, I heard a faint whistle behind me and there was Audrey, just got off the bus behind mine. We walked down the towpath behind a curious tramp, who looks like a mixture between Stephen Bone and Chippendale. We see him often about here. (Ed: Stephen Bone was an artist (1904-58) who in 1944 became an official naval war artist in which he covered the D-Day landings. He was ten years older that Evelyn and both were taught at the Slade School of Art. Why this well dressed and good looking young man should be compared to a towpath tramp is lost, as is the reference to ‘Chippendale’.) Tuesday, 15th June 1943 Longford Orders this morning for Longford for Nash which suits us nicely. We waited till the milk float came, bought some milk from the shop, then started off abreast, but found it better to single out to go through a narrow bridge before Longford. We winded with our motor on the right, and reversed, shafting from the bows and canals rivers + boats - april 2012 / 27 A Canals Rivers + Boats special supplement stern, to Longford. We realised afterwards that we should have th had someone with a line on the towpath to counteract the pull Thursday, 17 June 1943 from the butty - much easier than shafting and all the other Newbold boats do it that way. At about 1.30 we moved our boats back under the chutes and There were two pairs of boats tied here, one on the corner they started loading us at about 2.15 pm. It is a real pleasure where we winded and two pairs of Barlows round the corner loading at Longford; no mess and no dust, and when we had by the Stop, all to load ahead of us. We are to follow David finished, our cabins, and even the annex, were quite clean. Of Hambridge. We tied in front of Mr and Mrs Sammy Saxon. course the weather was in our favour as it was a fine windless Nothing doing till tomorrow, so we went to Coventry day, and also we loaded D S nuts, which are fairly dustless. (loathsome town!) for lunch and came out again as soon Our boats look peculiar, though quite smart, with their broken as possible, and in the evening Audrey and I went to the backs. They are inclined to look as if they have been right ‘pictures’. Mr and Mrs Sammy Saxon went into Bedworth to lacing! It is a pity they didn’t make those chutes at Longford a the pub, as there is no beer left in Longford! foot or so higher to allow the stands to go in. Old Bill was very kind to us again. He enjoyed himself in the th afternoon chasing small boys who were trespassing. He caught Wednesday, 16 June 1943 two or three and locked them up for a while. Anne and I did Longford some successful shopping in the morning and managed to buy There seemed remarkably little activity this morning in the a few cherries. We saw the inane Nina at Hawkesbury. They outside world, while we lay comfortably in our beds, reading. A few lorries arrived to fill the chutes, but none of the boats moved up till about 11 o’clock. They loaded the Beechies first and, as we were returning from our dinner in Bedworth, we saw them coming under the bridge, clothed up, with their stands in, which surprised me.

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