The Historic NARROW BOAT OWNERS CLUB

nneewwsslleetttteerr 2009/1 CONTeNTS Fore End ...... 2 Chairman’s Notes ...... 3 Membership Secretary’s Notes ...... 3 Joe Safe - A Tribute ...... 4 Mystery Pictures ...... 5 A Royalty Class Birthday ...... 6 Past Glories of the BCN ...... 9 - Yarwood’s Basin ...... 12 at Easter ...... 12 Operator Licences ...... 13 BCN News ...... 14 Threefellows Carrying - Episode 3 ...... 15 Pioneer Days ...... 20 Notice Board ...... 22 Events 2009 ...... 23 Letters ...... 24 Responses to Mystery Pics ...... 26 Stern End ...... 28 IWA National Festival ...... 29 Advertisements ...... 30

FRONT COveR: Aquarius celebrates 40 years in the ownership of Glyn and Rosemary Philips at Dimmingsdale in 2008 Photo: Mike Harrison

BACK COveR : Chimneys, Cans and Cabin Tops on the same occasion Photo: Jan Burnip

Website: www.hnboc.org.uk

HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 1 FORE-END

Greetings from Beggarlee Wharf First of all, we must record grateful thanks to our member Peter Lea who is a qualified accountant and has inspected the Club’s accounts free of any charge for the past 25 years. Peter has expressed the desire to retire after this years efforts and your committee are looking for another qualified member who will undertake this task. Any offers? Further to my comments last time regarding Valencia Wharf, it now seems that J Holloway and Sons, who own the land and the arms have applied to Sandwell MBC for planning permission to stank off and infil the arms. Application ref: DC/09/50509. If granted this will mean the loss of the last remaining navigable canal arm of the many that existed in the Oldbury area. The site has potential for good quality residential moorings close to Oldbury shopping centre, as well as potential wharfage with excellent road access. Members wishing to object to this planning application which would mean a loss of significant heritage value, should do so via the Sandwell MBC planning website, or in writing to: Development House, PO Box 42, Lombard St., West Bromwich. B70 8RU Sue Cawson who moniters navigation issues for the Club is becoming increasingly concerned by the instances of new top gates being fitted without gate paddles, contrary to an undertaking given by BW some years ago. Please let Sue know of examples that you are aware of. Mike and I are hoping to do rather more boating this year than of late. So to leave May and June free for this I have set the press date for 2009/2 for 29th June, which will be a little later than normal, so I hope you will let me off!! Please keep your contributions coming and I look forward to returning to a heap of mail and a full in box. We plan to return in time for the Braunston Gathering, where we hope to see you all. I am continuing to scan the Weaver Collection of photos, and we have made a presentation of a selection of these for you to see at them AGM, see below. Looking forward to meeting many of you there at Braunston Village Hall in March Val

The ANNuAl GeNeRAl MeeTiNG to be held at Braunston village hall Saturday 14th March 2009 commencing at 2.30pm

After the formal business of the meeting and the presentation of the Keay & Hemelryk Awards there will be a slide presentation of Photographs taken by Mr Philip Weaver in the 50s and 60s First we shall show a selection of BCN pictures and after the interval for refreshment a further selection of more general canal photographs of a similar period

Many of these are unidentified, so as Alison said on the AGM notice “bring your specs and thinking caps!” and she will type up all the information that you are able to come up with

We are looking forward to an interesting and very lively meeting Hope to see many of you there

2 HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 ChAiRMAN’S NOTeS by Phil Prettyman

The BW Heritage Advisory group has met recently and has been a useful conduit to offer the Club’s expertise on a range of issues. BW has been actively consulting with us around a number of potentially historic boats – mostly narrow boats but occasionally wider beam craft on other parts of the system. A process of information sharing with other interested groups (eg on the Thames or the Great Ouse) is starting to take place. We are trying to improve the accuracy of our data-base so that we can give authoritative advice. It is very helpful when Club members pass on to us up-to-date information about their own boats or any others with which they are familiar. Incidentally, I am particularly grateful for the suggestions and information on health and safety and other matters that members sent me following the comments I made in the last issue. These will enable the Club to develop a more coherent strategy in the future. The Heritage group has also advised BW to broaden their policy for the intended disposal of the heritage fleet. We have asked them to consider individuals as suitable owners of these boats as the HNBOC itself demonstrates that private custodians of such vessels can operate and maintain them at a high level of historical accuracy and with a strong personal and financial commitment. The Heritage group will discuss this again at its next meeting when we hope to clarify the next stage of the process and the details of any further disposals. The Easter gathering this year will return to Ellesmere Port. The results of the survey that we carried out at the November meeting showed strong support for the waterways museums, especially in the current economic climate, and we will continue to support events at Stoke Bruerne and Ellesmere Port and also whenever we can. This year there is an exciting programme being planned starting on the morning of Thursday 9th April at with an exhibition at the Tin Tabernacle and the loading of Saturn opposite Tower Wharf and another (motor) boat loading on the Friday morning. The moorings at Ellesmere Port will need to be carefully organised as it is intended to demonstrate boat movements, loading and unloading throughout the weekend. Previous favourites such as the boaters’ games will be resurrected and, together with some new delights, will form part of a packed programme. More details should be available at the AGM on 14th March – I hope to see you there. Phil

HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 3 Joseph (Joe) Safe 1922-2008

The recent death of Joe Safe at 86, has removed one of the last direct links to the earlier horse- drawn working days of the . Born in in 1922 into a boating family working Joey boats, he had memories of the General Strike of 1926, when the keepers joined in padlocking the gates, and cargoes of coal became in short supply with the closure of the mines. In his time he worked the canal network extensively and for number of carriers, whereas most boatmen tended to work for one company and largely travel the same stretch. Joe left the canals in 1962 and worked for ten years building motorways. Following this he worked for fifteen years as a lock keeper at Brentford Lock, where the Grand Union joins the Thames, until he retired in Photo: Bernard hales 1987 aged 65. He then moved back to Birmingham, not far from where he was born, with his wife Mary Ward, with whom he worked the canals from their marriage in 1941 until they left the canals in 1962. She had followed him, working in motorway construction mobile canteens, whilst they lived in a caravan, and then living in retirement in Brentford, whilst Joe worked as a lockkeeper. Back in Birmingham, with the canal only a short walk away from their terraced house in Winson Green, Joe began a fourth career, making traditional rope fenders for sale through marinas, from the shed at the end of his small garden. This he continued to do until shortly before his death in December 2008. His wife, who was 17 years his senior, had died in 1994, and their son John in 1998. The couple had adopted John in 1945, after saving him from being drowned by his mother in the canal as an infant. Joe Safe was a great canal character, who unlike some former working boatmen, was always happy to talk to anyone about the working days, with happy memories of them, and without bitterness over their loss. He was a great raconteur and was a regular visitor to rallies and boat shows, wearing his beret and boatman’s belt. He enjoyed life to the full and even bought himself a small new car only months before he died, in which he drove round to see his few surviving friends from the working days in Birmingham, and Braunston. The next issue will carry the first episode of the life of Joe Safe. Ed. Tim Coghlan

4 HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 Mystery Pictures

N 578

Both pics from the Weaver Collection Well, you beat me again last time, so lets have another try!

I think I know where these two pics were taken and suspect that they are roughly in the same area. However I’m looking forward to you confirming the location and sending me lots more info about both .

N574

HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 5 As we have now discovered some of Philip Weaver’s photographs I thought you might like to be reminded of an article which he wrote for the newsletter in the summer of 1982. It was entitled Past Glories of the BCN

It was early in 1940 that I first heard on the radio about the important role Midland canals were playing in augmenting supplies of water to deal with the conflagrations resulting from enemy fire bomb raids on Birmingham and the surrounding districts. At the time I was working for the Bristol Aeroplane Company and had been sent up to Coventry to assist in setting up an aero engine repair scheme within the motor industry. With conditions as they were it was not until hostilities ceased that I was able to investigate for myself that incredible maze of canals centred upon Birmingham and the industrial midlands. I was no stranger to what the word canal meant, for as a lad I had had a short trip on one of the FMC steamers which called regularly at King’s Flour mills, Uxbridge, on the then Grand Junction Canal. I had watched narrow boats being built and repaired at Stourport on Severn, my father’s home, and in later years when living in Somerset had sampled the delights of the Kennet & Avon Canal where it ran through the Limpley Stoke Valley. I had even made a couple of canoe trips through Sapperton Tunnel on the Thames & Severn Canal before it finally became impassible in 1938. Shortly after the war ended I left the BAC and joined one of the leading motor manufacturers in Coventry, no names no pack drill, and after a settling in period was sent down to London where I could cover the Company’s interests in that area, and also in Belgium, France and Switzerland. As a result of an accident - not while driving - I had to spend a short while in hospital, and believe it or not it was while I was there that I chanced to pick up a copy of Tom Rolt’s classic Narrow Boat. I read every word of it and decided there and then to find out more about those ‘ribbons of still water, winding through the meadows to some unknown destination’ I quote unashamedly from the same source a few lines which typify the towpath scene on the Birmingham Canal Navigations:

“ to step down from some busy thoroughfare on to the quiet towpath of a canal, even in the heart of a town, is to step backwards a hundred years or more, and to see things in a different, and perhaps more balanced, perspective

Towards the end of 1949 I was recalled to the main works in Coventry and we moved yet again, this time back into the midlands, and behold, we were on the doorstep - so to speak - of the BCN. Early in 1950 it so happened that the Institute of Civil Engineers held a meeting in Birmingham and a friend of mine asked me if I would care to go along. The main speaker was Mr C M Marsh, one of the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive’s leading civil engineers, who before Nationalisation had been manager and chief engineer of the River Weaver Navigation. I required no second bidding! The lecture was on the most absorbing subject of how canals obtained the supplies of water with which to operate. He cited many of the problems encountered by the BCN, being situated as it is on a lofty plateau with few sources of natural drainage, and went on to enumerate the number of reservoirs and pumping plants which were needed to work a system comprising some 159 miles of waterway on five different levels varying from 527ft (Essington Locks) down to 209ft (Birmingham & Canal) and having 216 narrow locks disposed in 26 separate flights. I decided there and then that I would make a detailed study of the Birmingham canals, and some 30 years have passed since I first set foot on the towpath at the top of Wolverhampton locks, prepared to walk back to photographing everything I could set my eyes on. Walking the towpath is the only way to see things, and I think I can truthfully say that I have covered all of the 159 miles on foot, including the Essington Locks branch and the Two Lock line before these were bulldozed away. Much of the mileage has also been covered by boat. As I

HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 9 explored so I photographed the main features: bridges, aqueducts, locks, remains of engine houses, wharves, railway exchange basins, toll houses etc. etc. I took special note of these structures specifically mentioned in the Minute Books and Engineers Reports and last but by no means least the narrow boats at work, motors, joeys, tugs and the special Wolverhampton wide boats. The majority of them were carrying coal for canal side industry, this coming from the South coal field and believe me there was a lot of traffic. In order to obtain working details of these, it was inevitable I should come into contact with the engineering staff of and over the years I have made many friends among them. In those days we had a working agreement whereby they kept me posted in advance of any demolition or alterations that were to be carried out so that I could obtain a photographic record before work began and, in most cases after it was completed.

N63 Smethwick top locks when both pairs were still in situ, although the toll office stands derelict. Picture taken from the bridge over the .

At the height of its prosperity, shall we say in the 1870s, some 140 private pumping plants were discharging water into various parts of the system to augment the company’s own supplies. One can well imagine the pall of smoke hanging over the area, and the night time scene when it was lit up by the glow from furnaces and smouldering slag heaps. Not without reason was the area around Dudley and known as the Fiery Holes , and many of these were still alight when I walked along the Dudley and Stourbridge canals. Seventeen steam pumping plants were at one time operated by the BCN and my towpath wanderings of the early 1950s enabled me to see the remains of quite a number, some with their long disused engines still in place. These included Windmill End, on the Dudley No. 2 line, the rotative engine which was bought by Henry Ford for his Greenfield Village Museum (together with the beam engines from Ashted on the Digbeth Branch and from Bordesley on the Warwick & Birmingham Canal). Cobb’s water engine house standing like a forlorn sentinel above the west end of Netherton Tunnel; Rough Hay (Darlaston) with its massive Hathorn Davey inverted beam engine and Lancashire boilers installed in the open; Walsall, Cannock, Smethwick, - the last to remain in steam, , Lodge Farm and Lappal, the last two having scoop wheels. At Ocker Hill I saw all the pumping machinery in situ before the whole place was razed to the ground in 1960 and the canal filled in. Ocker Hill was without doubt the largest, or at least one of the largest, and certainly the most comprehensively equipped works on our canal network. With its foundry, machine shops and woodworking shops, boatbuilding docks and access to an up to date drawing office the BCN built its own steam engines - except the very large ones - boilers, lock gates, locks, boats, petrol engines and even clothes line props, ice punners and coffins. Sadly I saw it all go and

10 HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 was there when the last bonfire was lit. Its place has been taken by one of those planning monstrosities, a block of high rise flats. Gone also are the big gas works with their gasometers - Albion, Oldbury, Swan Village, Tipton, Dudley Port and Smethwick to name some of them. Once busy steel works and foundries now stand idle with their skeletal buildings capped by rusty iron sheets slowly falling into decay. The original flight of locks at Smethwick has been filled in and the distinctive group of buildings which formed the main weigh and gauging stations have long since been demolished, but more than Winson Green Stop anything I miss those unique octagonal toll offices at Winson Green, Bromford, Tipton Green and Wolverhampton. Sadly no attempt was made to preserve one. As the years passed, so my photographic collection grew, and I now have a fine pictorial record of much that has now passed N837 into history. I also have on record the alterations affecting the line of the canal brought about by the construction of the elevated motorways at Smethwick, Spon Lane, Walsall and . (Spaghetti Junction). Here again I must thank my friends in British Waterways for they obtained passes for me to gain access to these motorways before they were opened, and I was able to photograph the relevant sections of canal “from the air” It was depressing to see the decline in traffic which set in after the war years, this accelerating up to the early 1960s, with traffic practically ceasing by 1963. Gone were the days when the locks at Spon Lane, Smethwick, Brades, Titford and Farmers Bridge were nearly as busy on a Saturday afternoon as they had been during the week, for then one could always see a good turnout of Thos. Clayton’s tar (or gas) boats, horse drawn as well as motor, converging on their main works at Oldbury. Over the past fifteen years or so the scene has altered drastically, especially around Smethwick and Cannock. At Smethwick, the motorways achieved what Brindley found impossible and we now have the tunnels on Telford’s Island Line as well as on Brindley’s Line at Summit Bridge, the former destroying forever the magnificent view of and the three levels as seen from Brasshouse Lane Bridge. Practically all the Cannock Extension north of Watling Street Bridge has been filled in, as have also the Churchbridge Locks Branch and Hednesford terminal basins, taking with them the BCN’s one and only 4ft 8 1/2 inch gauge Littleworth tramway. Yes, the BCN operated a full size railway to service its northern trans- shipment basins on the upper Wyrley and Essington Canal and at Hednesford. It had its own signal boxes, signals, level crossings and industrial locomotives. I am fortunate in having seen the BCN more or less as it was in its heyday, and the more one writes about its decline and takeover by pleasure craft the more depressed one gets. Becoming a “Cruiseway” has perhaps halted decline for a time, but we must all realise that many of the essential structures inevitably are becoming time expired. Ironically, some of the last to be built, for example Netherton Tunnel, are giving the most trouble. The Two Lock Line, the last connecting link to be built, has disappeared and mining subsidence is taking its slow, but steady toll. It behoves all present day users of what remains of the BCN - and some 52 miles have gone forever - to treat it with the care it deserves.

HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 11 Yarwood’s Basin on River Weaver Mike Carter writes: The future of the river basin that formed the launching pool for the side and end slips at Yarwoods is now a more positive one. In the 1990’s much of the land which formed the shipyard was developed into housing and light industrial premises but the basin has been unused and had an uncertain future in recent years with rumours including a proposal to infill the site to generate additional land for a building development. Mike and Helen Carter have spent the last few years trying to prevent the loss of the basin and negotiate a positive alternative. As a result the basin is now available and being used for long and short term moorings with a particular encouragement for historic craft, especially, but very much not exclusively, those built locally or at Yarwoods. In addition members who are looking for somewhere to leave their boats whilst out and about should take advantage of their offer of free moorings for a couple of weeks or so for visiting historic boats, which is by prior arrangement and as available space allows. Enquiries – Mike Carter 07831 184495.

easter at ellesmere Port Cath Turpin sends further information: We look forward to seeing as many HNBOC members as possible at Ellesmere Port this Easter. A full programme of activities involving visiting boaters is being arranged with the co- operation of Club members. These include Boatmans’ Games, boat movements through the locks, the loading and unloading of boats and clothing up, evening meetings and entertainments. At the BMS meeting on Friday evening, Colin Edmondson will speak on Engineering on the river Weaver. A band has been booked for Saturday night and Lucy Tucker and Sam Green will be putting together the Boaters’ Entertainment for Sunday evening. The event will begin when Saturn arrives at Chester on Wednesday. If other boats can join the convoy and arrive on Wednesday, all the better. Chester Canal Heritage Trust have arranged the use of the Tin Tabernacle on Thursday and stands/displays with information on Saturn, HNBOC, and BMS, along with proposals for Taylor’s yard. Non - historic boats will be asked to moor nearer ‘Telfords’ end to allow for photographs of historic fleet. It is probable that this may be the last chance for photos before the developments round Chester basin start. Saturn will be moored near the water point overnight and leave Chester about 11.00 on Thursday – ideally pulled by horse for the first 300 yards or so to get photos of the horse on the roving bridge and towpath. It will arrive at Ellesmere Port, horse drawn, mid afternoon. It would be good if other boats arrive ‘in a trickle’, not all at once! Mooring arrangements are yet to be finalised but in principle as many historic boats as possible in the top basin. Will boats coming please tell Mike Turpin - nothing formal just to be helpful and enable better planning at Chester and the Port. Details, such as when you expect to arrive, which route and a few details about the boat would be appreciated, so that we can make the best of any publicity. As last year, 2 weeks free mooring will be available for boats staying longer and a charge will apply thereafter. Please will individual boaters make arrangements with the museum in advance. Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible over Easter. Mike Turpin: 0151 632 5446 [email protected]

12 HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 Operator licences David Lowe advises: I sit on the steering group which has been set up by BW to progress this matter quickly. In essence BW propose that all craft (except the very large freight barges which have a special licence and pay tolls) will have a standard 'Craft Licence'. Such licensed craft must only be used for private pleasure. For other craft each will have the standard licence but the Operator will be licensed too (i.e. the operator, not the craft), and an Agreement will detail the obligations and rights of both parties, the nature of the commercial use etc. Each craft will have an additional licence disc to display, which will show that the operator is licensed. The costs will remain the same as now, where (for example) hire boats, passenger and hotel boats pay something over twice the cost of the standard licence, whereas small scale traders pay only the same, and workboats engaged in waterway maintenance pay a lot less. (This is a bit similar to the original arrangements 30 years ago or more where every boat had a craft licence, and hire boats etc had an additional licence, except in this case it is the Operator and not the craft who has the additional licence). There will only be three types of Operator Licence: for the self steer boats (i.e. the hire boats), the passenger (i.e. the skippered) boats (including passenger, restaurant, hotel, and community boats), and 'the rest' (the 'traders including cargo carrying, coal and fuel retail, bookshop, cafes, cheese boat, workboats, training boats, floating offices etc.) I am chairing the sub group for the last named, and will represent, as far as necessary, the interests of HNBOC members. Most members have the normal craft licence which isn't affected. Members who trade or carry on a business should already have the present Trading Licences, and they will need to enter into an Agreement with BW as to what they do and require, as now. However a small number of members have the normal craft licence, and, with an unconverted boat, do the occasional load, or (with a tug) the occasional towing job, for example. If this is done for payment it is, of course, against the rules. I am going to see whether there is some way that these activities can be legitimized, and am hopeful this will be accepted. Some members (like me), license their craft with a Trading Licence 'just in case', as it is the same cost. Boatmaster licences At the same time, it is probably worth reminding members that any craft which is not being used solely for private pleasure must, from 31st March 09, be in the charge of someone with a licence on any such voyage. This can be the MCA boatmaster's licence of course (suitably endorsed for cargo and/or passenger as the case may be), or for craft under 24 metres (as HNBOC craft are) carrying not more than 12 passengers, and operating on Cat A and B waterways only, one of a number of other 'lesser' licences - these include RYA Helmsman, BW, and the IWA Certificate (Cat A only), endorsed “valid for vessels of up to 24m in length used for commercial purposes”. These can be obtained during a short weekend course, and the main emphasis is on safety rather than boat handling - fire fighting, man overboard, first aid. Minimum age for MCA BML is 18, and for the others 17. There are some exceptions to this, and the ones of main interest to our members are: 1. Horse drawn vessels 2. Unpowered vessels (I would assume a butty would fall into this category with only one qualified person required in charge of the pair) 3. Vessels in use primarily as a home for the owner and where any trade is ancillary and the boat does not need to be licensed by the navigation authority for that purpose. 4. Vessels which are normally used for private pleasure including historic boats which are on display or being operated at fetes, boat demonstrations, events etc. I think exemption 4 would cover a member's boat which is bringing a load to an event, or towing or similar as a demonstration providing it was being done at no cost i.e. not commercially.

Note: the qualified person does not need to be steering - thus others can steer, perhaps training or giving the licensee a break, just as is the practice with passenger and large freight boats. Hope this is useful. In fact many have already obtained a qualification of some kind even before it was mandatory for example: the Community Boat people, BW, the Narrow Boat Trust.

HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 13 BCN News

BCN Marathon Challenge Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st May 2009: Start 9am Saturday and finish at 3pm Sunday The event is open to everyone with a boat licensed for use on British Waterways canals. Historic working boats and pairs are welcome. Boats may start at any point on the BCN but should finish at Walsall Town Arm. Participants may navigate for as long as they like during the 30 hour period up to a maximum of 24 hours. The winner will be the boat crew who amass the greatest number of points during the challenge. Additional points will be awarded for navigating lesser used waterways and there will be bonus points for correctly answered questions at certain places. All boat entries will receive a commemorative plaque. Winning boat crew will also receive a shield. Winners will be announced at the BCNS rally at Titford Pump House on Saturday 27th June 2009. An Entry Pack which includes route planning sheets, the rules of the Marathon Challenge and a sealed envelope containing the cruising log for use during the challenge is available from : Mr R Kenn, 14 Hollemeadow Avenue, Walsall, , WS3 1JQ.Telephone: 01922 428644 There will be an entry fee of £15 per boat (working pair will be £25)

BCN explorer Cruise organised by Birmingham Canal Navigations Society 11th – 18th August 2009 After the success of the cruises of the past two years it is our intention to hold a cruise again this year to encourage boaters to explore the Birmingham Canal Navigations. We have found that many boaters prefer the additional security of cruising in company with a number of other boaters and they enjoy the social side of informal gatherings at the designated mooring locations. The Explorer Cruise will take a slightly different route this year to last, as we continue to encourage the use of the less travelled parts and to enjoy the little used pleasures of the northern BCN. Details of the route are given below. The cruise will commence from Curdworth on the morning of Tuesday 11th August finishing with a real ale bar and BBQ at the BCNS Headquarters at Titford Pump House on the 17th at the top of Oldbury Locks. The planned route is as follows: Meet near The Kingsley at Curdworth on the evening of 10th August Stops for the night: Tuesday 11th – Digbeth Basin, Wednesday 12th – Perry Barr Top Lock, Thursday 13th – Longwood B.C., Friday 14th Brownhills, Saturday 15th Pelsall. Sunday 16th - Wolverhampton, Monday 17th - BCNS Titford Pumphouse, Application from: Brenda Ward, 9 Wylde Green Road, Sutton Coldfield B72 1HB tel: 01213556351 or email: [email protected]

Atlas & Malus The BCN Society in partnership with the Coombeswood Canal Trust are now renting Atlas & Malus from BW. The pair will be used by both organisations to promote their aims. The handover took place at the top of Farmers Bridge on Friday 5th December when a good group of representatives of the BCN Society & Coombeswood Canal Trust were there to witness the handover by Jon Oaks of British Waterways to Graham Whorton Chairman of BCNS. Both boats will be kept at Hawne Basin where work needed will be done. The Historic Boat Working Group skippers will, hopefully be involved in the boats as they were when Atlas & Malus were in the care of British Waterways. We look forward to seeing the boats out and about the system. Photo:BCNSociety

14 HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 Tim Clench continues the history of Threefellows Carrying ltd Filming for Television.

In addition to Apple’s appearance on ‘Jackanory’, in October and November 1976, the campers Chiswick & Aboyne were used by the BBC in their dramatisation of Emma Smith’s novel Maiden’s Trip , which is about the women trainees taken on by the Carrying Company (GUCCCo) during the Second World War to replace male crews who had joined the services. The story was adapted by Thomas Ellice, and the BBC Birmingham production starred Tina Heath, Liz Bagley and Tricia George as the three trainees, Maggie, Charity and Nanette, and also starred Geoffrey Palmer. The three parts of the production were first broadcast on BBC2 on three consecutive Mondays – 13th, 20th and 27th June 1977. All three episodes have been acquired by the British Film Institute’s National Film and Television Archive in London. The Threefellows pair, appropriately The cast of Maiden’s trip with repainted in wartime G.U.C.C. Company livery herbert Wood (centre) and renamed Venus and Ariadne , were used for filming north of Braunston, and another pair of boats belonging to T & D Murrell were filmed in London since a BWB maintenance stoppage precluded the use of a single pair. In addition to these boats, other Threefellows craft were used as “extras”. A scene appears in episode two where the trainees meet an oncoming single motor in a bridge hole. The single motor was a thinly disguised Halsall (it had its signwriting removed) steered by a disguised Herbert Wood for whom make-up had provided a beard! In episode one the pair belonging to the Blossom family was also a thinly disguised Threefellows pair. When filming was Chiswick & Aboyne leave Sawley disguised as completed Geoffrey Palmer Venus & Ariadne gave a copy of the script to Herbert Wood together with a note stating, ‘Thank you Herbert – you taught me all I know!’ This referred to the fact that Herbert had to advise him of the position of the tiller and where he should be standing in various circumstances, keeping out of camera shot himself and making it appear that Geoffrey Palmer was quite capable of handling the boats. The BBC invited Betty and Herbert Wood, Neil Hughes and Mick Sherwood (who was employed by the company and involved in the venture) to watch the final filming of the cabin interior shots on the set at Pebble Mill Studios and presented them each with a cut-glass tankard finely engraved with the legend; ‘BBC TV Maiden’s Trip 1976’.

HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 15 The Gravel Contract

Mention has already been made of the ‘gravel contract’, this was the job that gained Threefellows Carrying so much acclaim during the 1970s and 80s, mainly because it was the only example of regular carrying by working narrow boats in the country – at least by the 1980s. This contract started in March 1976 and involved the transportation of sand and ballast (the ‘gravel’) from quarries near Thurmaston in Leicestershire to a processing plant approximately two miles downstream at Syston on the River Soar for the Pontylue Sand and Ballast Company Ltd. Originally, Threefellows Carrying used wide-beam craft, mainly ex- and canal ‘short boats’, on the traffic. These boats were Threefellows’ short boat Shirley , Apollo Canal Carriers’ short boat Wye and June owned by Chris Topp. John Batten’s Whitby & Pictor – a pair of ex-Grand Union Canal Carrying Co. narrow boats – were added to the fleet in June 1976 and chartered until January 1983. Threefellows’ narrow boat pair Halsall & Aboyne , transferred from camping duties, were added and towards the middle of 1976, Buxton & Banbury were transferred from the Brentford – Boxmoor Roses’ lime juice run. A seasonal shortage of lime pulp causing a cessation in the lime juice traffic. This made a total of three wide boats and three narrow boat pairs working on the gravel contract at that time. Mike Harrison, having completed loading Halsall & Banbury , is tying up the chute extension ready for the following wide boat. From the top of the chute one could check the situation at the lock, and if it was against you, breast up the pair before leaving the berth. Photo: val Roberts

16 HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 An article written by Herbert Wood in 1976

The ups and Downs of the Soar Gravel Traffic

In May 1976, the first regular commercial carrying for some years was seen on the River Soar between Thurmaston and Syston in Leicestershire. Not a very great distance, only about a two mile run with one lock at Thurmaston. But it was an essential length along which to transport the gravel from the quarry of Pontylue Sand and Ballast Co. Ltd. to their washing and grading plant at Syston. The managing director of this company stated to the press during an interview in the autumn, that water transport had reduced his costs of plant installation and transportation considerably and of course, it had been environmentally more acceptable so far as the local council and residents are concerned. The summer drought did however bring problems to the rivers as well as to the canals and the three wide boats engaged on this work, Shirley , Wye and June were able to carry on average only 40 tons per trip. It is essentially a wide boat traffic, but narrow boats Whitby , Buxton & Banbury (ex the barrel run) and Halsall & Aboyne (ex our camping fleet), backed up the wide boats by average loads of 25 tons per boat. The aim is for 4,000 tons per week to be carried, with a pair of narrow boats to be held in reserve for breakdowns. During the first few months the boats did a great job of clearing the channel, but the boat bottoms obviously suffered in the attempt. Thurmaston Lock is in need of new gates and the frustration among the boatmen was all too evident when a paddle gave up completely, for their bonuses were at stake! The hire boats and privately owned pleasure craft passed thick and fast in the height of the summer, mostly the folk aboard were delighted and interested to see the activity of working craft, but the least said about the others the better. According to them we were the intruders, for after all the River Soar is a Cruiseway now what were dirty great boats like these doing on the waterways anyway? As summer gave way to autumn the rains came! Problems of shallow draught were no more. The difficulty now was navigating in flood, for the river in this area takes the overflow from the storm drains of , and the level can rise unbelievably rapidly. In mid December the quarry flooded to the extent that it was impossible to work the gravel, and with hopes of a bright new year, the crews were raring to go after the celebrations. They had to wait until mid January and even then only six and a half days work were possible, before the pumps in the quarry could cope with the excess water no longer. This condition continued until the 29th of March, when with all the maintenance done on the boats and engines we were in good fettle now to carry the goods. We have the support of the British Waterways Board Freight Services Division at Leeds and have experienced prompt assistance from the Section Inspector of Loughborough Depot. We can only hope that many years lie ahead in which the River Soar can be worked commercially, complementing its use as an amenity waterway…….at least we are working again before All Fools Day!!

HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 17 Pete Dumelow recalls: In the 1970s, I had many memorable weeks of working on Threefellows’ camping boats during my school and university holidays. These began with a two week trip with Betty and Herbert on Halsall & Aboyne , then trips with Kevin Chadwick on Apple & Ditton and finally working Chiswick as a single motor for several weeks. Although camping was very enjoyable, my real interest was, and still is, in commercial carrying and I thought it was great news that the gravel traffic at Thurmaston was starting. I believe Birmingham and Midland were due to start the gravel contract in 1971. At that time Eddie Hambridge had taken the empty Banstead & Tow from the IWA rally to Thurmaston. He then carried a couple of loads of plant and equipment to the pit site, but gravel carrying did not materialise. The gravel company, Shirley pens up Thurmaston lock, Pontylue, attempted the traffic while June waits themselves with the Lincoln above size Keels, Tess and Soar . Unfortunately these were too large for the canalised section and I seem to remember that they collapsed the culvert on the ‘straight’ above the gravel works by dragging a heavily laden keel over it. Although fully refurbished for the job, with four cylinder Gardners, they were hardly used and were laid up for years, Photo: Pete Dumelow eventually being scrapped. In the hot summer of 1976, I was asked if I would like to spend some time as holiday relief for Ralph Moulds, who was running the short boat Shirley . I was there like a shot! After two or three days of being shown the ropes, Ralph went on holiday and I was off on Shirley . The loading point was a few hundred yards above Thurmaston Lock on the river itself. The trip was a couple of miles downstream to the processing plant at Syston, unfortunately, on the shallow canalised section. Loading was by conveyor, controlled by ourselves, and we loaded about 45-50 tons each trip, depending on the water level. Unloading was by grab, and each process took about 20 minutes. When I started it was predominately short boat traffic with Shirley , Wye and June , whilst Barry Burgess was the sole narrow boater on Whitby (later running with butty Pictor ). Even though it was an intensive short haul traffic, there could be many variations and incidents with each trip. On a good day we could do five trips. On a very good day we could get a sixth loading last thing at night, to be the first away the next morning, adding to our bonus - although I would have done it for nothing! If the boat was loaded a bit deeper than normal, and you did not slow down, the boat would bounce over the culvert half way down the straight. This was a bit Apple enters Thurmaston lock disconcerting as the boat would crawl with an unidentified butty

18 HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 over the concrete capping like a caterpillar. You could also struggle to get by the slipway between the lock and the first bridge. One Friday afternoon, the new steerer of Wye was loading but hadn’t realised that the boat was already Bexhill & Brighton sitting on the bottom. leave Unfortunately, he continued Thurmaston lock loading until there was a with Neil hughes huge pile of gravel in the on the butty hold and Wye was unmovable. Snatching with Shirley had no effect and to get Wye away from the length quickly it was decided to get a bulldozer from the pit and push her off with an RSJ against her combing. We watched in horror as Wye sank deeper and deeper into the river until her gunwhales were awash and water was lapping up the combings. We thought she was going down. Wye was gingerly steered down river and through the lock but could not get any further. Because Shirley was empty, and the steerer had parted company, it became my Saturday morning overtime job to come alongside and shovel about 12-15 tons out of a deeply laden Wye into an empty high riding Shirley - a very sweaty job on a hot day. Even then Wye had to be towed to the unloading bay because of her depth that Monday morning. I lived in Shirley’s bow cabin during my time on the gravel. On one occasion I was lying loaded overnight in the backwater above the lock. Ralph had previously shown me where to brush the muddy bank of the river to seal any potential leaking seams or rivets. Anyway, I awoke in the morning to find water over the cabin floorboards, Shirley was decidedly waterlogged. Fortunately I found she was not leaking but I had left the stopcocks in the engine room open and water had been running into the bilges all night! I returned for two or three more years during holidays by which time Eric and Beryl McDowall, and Brasso the dog, were on the job with Buxton & Banbury, and Halsall & Aboyne had arrived having finished camping. Other pairs arrived later to replace the shortboats, and I left to join my father in the family business. I was glad for the opportunity to do a bit of boating and to get to know Photo: Pete Dumelow Betty and Herbert Wood and all involved. It was a great achievement for the company to prove that in the right circumstances narrow boats could pay their way. Good memories.

To be continued in the next issue Bletchley & Brighton All uncredited photos: Herbert Wood Collection having just left the lock

HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 19 Pioneering Days: 1977 Angela Marks sends photos and writes

Having organised canal camping holidays for my Guides with Stroudwater Carriers in 1975 and with UCC in 1976, I booked a camping pair with The Boat & Butty Company from Runcorn in April 1977. The motor boat was the Harry , a wooden boat, and the butty was St.Austell , a blue- top with a fore cabin. The following reminiscences from my diary describe our adventure. It took three hours to get to Runcorn, where we found the boatyard with little difficulty. I went aboard to check the inventory before we loaded up. St. Austell was spacious, the plastic top giving good headroom. My husband and I could sleep in the kitchen on a fold-away bed. Harry offered limited space. Being wooden, the hold width was narrower and walking down the boat between the two tier bunks was a squeeze. Luckily, staff and girls were not overweight! The Runcorn arm is open and exposed to the wind which sweeps across the nearby estuary. We turned right to join the Trent & Mersey canal, but had to wait our turn for tunnel. The three tunnels in this area are narrow and twisting and steering the butty safely through was a challenge. We moored at dusk at Barnton. It began to rain at breakfast time and we set off for the Methodist church in the wet. The church was in an older building which had been modernised. The ceiling was orange, and pews had been replaced with chairs. It was Easter morning, and there were some beautiful flower arrangements in the church. We set off after lunch, passing the Anderton lift. When we reached the Middlewich locks, we were joined by ‘Fatso’ from the yard, who helped by bow-hauling the butty. We turned into the Wardle cut in windy, but clearer weather. The wind was to prove a major problem as boat and butty were constantly blown to the side of the cut, where they stemmed up on the mud. A team was put on to the land with a bow-line from the butty to try to keep her on course. When the wind gusted strongly, we adopted the strategy of forcing the butty between the motor and the bank so that the motor remained in the deeper water and could pull away. We moored at Church Minshull. On Monday, the chains inside the butty had to be tightened up so that she could safely pass through the narrower locks. We stopped at Venetian Marine to buy postcards, and to empty the toilet. It was then on to Barbridge junction, where our boatman, Paul, managed to turn the boats beautifully towards Chester. It was not long before we stemmed up again, this time opposite a cow and her newborn calf. The placenta was beside her on the grass. We managed to free ourselves and struggled onwards to Christleton, where a street-lit winding hole had been provided! I managed to collar a local milkman before we set off on Tuesday. The pound seemed to be a little higher than it had been the day before - perhaps it had recovered after the passage of many working boats on their way to the Ellesmere Port Easter rally, or maybe the overnight rain had helped. This time, Paul struggled to round the junction at Barbridge, and then found that he had to pass three plastic boats which had breasted up - not easy in a strong wind with a towing pair! We moored near to Venetian marina. We

20 HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 then had to make a three mile walk to find a telephone box for our nightly call to a contact at home. There were no mobile phones in those days! We made slow progress along the Middlewich branch, with constant stemming up in the high winds. If holidaymakers did not give way at bridge holes, we were in trouble. We ended up by sending two adults to take a rope from the fore end to try to keep the boats on course. There was much activity at Middlewich locks. We flushed the butty out and hauled her on to the next lock. Paul congratulated me for not hitting two moored boats with the butty near to the Big Lock. We moored at Broken Cross for the night. An early start was made the next day, and we were soon at the approach to the Anderton lift. We watched a boat go down before us - a great guillotine separating off the caisson, and then the slow descent. It was an interesting experience to be suspended high above the river Weaver. The girls held tightly to the boat as we descended. We had lunch at the quay in Northwich, and then discovered the local swimming baths where the Guides could have a swim. Friday was our chance to explore the upper reaches of the Weaver. We came to a very low bridge near the salt works. The girls were all sent to the front of the motor boat to weigh it down in order to pass below the bridge. This strategy was successful. We then ventured on to Winsford flash, but before long, we ground to a halt in shallow water. It took some rocking and poling before we could release ourselves to make the return journey to the Anderton lift. We were lifted up to the Trent & Mersey canal before stopping for lunch. Paul had some problems with the rudder, which kept popping out of the skeg bearing, delaying us for a while. It was then a wait for Preston Brook tunnel and the return to the boatyard, where our coach was waiting to take us home again. The Guides had worked well together and we had learned more about managing a pair of narrow boats in high winds! Although my husband and I now opt for more luxurious boating, we value our experiences of ‘the real thing’! I wonder what happened to Harry? Originally written for Pipeline, the Piper Boat Owners' Club.

Audlem Transport Festival - Sunday 26th July 2009

Peter and Christine Silvester write: As members of the Historic Narrow Boat Owners Club, albeit not boat owners, we're trying to rally some boating support for the Audlem Transport Festival. There will be 200 to 300 vintage cars, lorries and buses on the playing field just above Audlem Wharf. This is an extremely popular annual event, and is free to the general public. It attracts large numbers of people. There are fairground rides for the kids, and usually a flypast by one of the RAF historic planes - last year it was a Spitfire. Though a few narrow boats did moor in the pound outside Audlem Mill and the Shroppie Fly in 2008, we'd like to try to get rather more for this year's event, and in future years. We, the people of Audlem, and the visitors on the day would be very grateful if your boat(s) could be here. We suggest that you'd need to arrive the day before, to find a space, as you may be jostling with hire and private boats. Because we are simply asking boats to be here by coincidence at the date of the Festival, this is not a formal waterway event, so there are no reserved moorings or facilities for boaters - other than the BW water points, etc. However, by way of thanks, we will set up a barbeque for historic boaters (sorry, boaters on historic boats) on the Saturday evening, in our car park outside Audlem Mill. Please do try to make the Festival, and we'd appreciate you letting us know well in advance if you can come, so that we can publicise what's happening. Peter & Christine Sylvester, Audlem Mill Limited, The Wharf, AUDLEM, Cheshire. CW3 0DX Further information: Tel: 01270 811059 or email: [email protected] www.audlemmill.co.uk

HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 21 NOTICE BOARD Tim lewis notes from the Museums Journal that Pete Boyce reports The Waterways Trust have put the following boats National Historic Ships has up for disposal. awarded £1150 towards the recovery costs Cathead - Crane Barge (1930), Sapphire - of Lucy . This should cover half the cost of Wooden Double ended BCN day boat, Box boat the raising and removal of Lucy to the yard 260 - a NCB Boat, Aspull - Leeds & Liverpool Ice at Tess Wharf, Braunston. boat (c1900), Ethel - West Country Keel, Bow & I have secured the complete Tess site at Stern Ends Only (c1952), Formalhaut - Narrow Braunston, which includes the front yard and boat, Bow & Stern sections only (c1953), Malta - the main building as a Motor Narrow boat, Bow Only (c1943), Minstral - headquarters/storage/workshop for the Clinker built dinghy (c1930), Parry II - BCN Ice Lucy Project, thanks to renegotiation of my boat, Tube boat 22 - BCN day boat, Marple - lease with BW, who are very supportive of Icebreaker the project. I am collecting 45 gallon blue plastic barrels and drums for bouyancy use, A Snippet from iWA head Office Bulletin and have received the steel for the GlaxoSmithKline, whose Head Office is adjacent the strengthening frame. GU in West London, has arranged with BW to use water from the canal and heat exchange technology to provide a more sustainable alternative to traditional air conditioning – with a target of reducing the building’s carbon dioxide emissions by 920 tonnes per annum, and lowering its energy bills. British Waterways estimates that a further 1,000 waterside businesses nationwide could follow the company’s lead by using canal water for heating or cooling. GlaxoSmithKline is to pay British Waterways an annual sum for the use of the canal water. The initiative in West London replaces a traditional air conditioning system and uses recyclable water from the GU to primarily cool GSK’s computer data centre via heat exchangers and a water-cooled chiller. The process works in a similar way to a car radiator where cool air passes through the hot engine to lower its temperature. Because this results in water being returned to the canal slightly warmer, it has required an environmental analysis and consent from the Environment Agency. On financial grounds, GSK estimates it will achieve a five-year pay back of more than £100,000 of annual energy savings, as well as being less harmful to the environment. eTRuRiA CANAlS FeSTivAl 30 - 31 MAY 2009 The annual Canals Festival is held at Etruria Industrial Museum in the heart of the Potteries, at the junction of the Trent & Mersey and Caldon Canals. Each summer, thousands of local families and canal enthusiasts from further afield enjoy a colourful mix of boats, engines, crafts, classic vehicles, music, fairground rides, children's activities, community stands and more. The event also marks our first steaming weekend of the season, when our historic 1820s beam engine Princess and the rest of Jesse Shirley's Etruscan Bone & Flint Mill can be seen in action. Our star attraction this year is the famous steam narrow boat President who'll be joining us as part of her 100th birthday celebrations! This year's event takes place on 30 and 31 May from 10.00 am until 5 pm. Admission is free and all canal users are cordially invited to participate as individuals, families or societies. Please come along and enjoy what is always a wonderful atmosphere. Further details can be obtained from: Glenn Airey at Etruria Industrial Museum, Lower Bedford St., Etruria, Stoke on Trent ST4 7AF. Call 01782 233144 or e-mail [email protected] if you or your group would like to get involved and help to make our 2009 Festival the best ever. Glenn Airey Museum Assistant - Working Exhibits Etruria Industrial Museum

Tim Carter advises...... that he has added Coleshill and Virginis to his fleet. He also has the stern 43ft of Buffalo and proposes to unite this with the 8ft fore end of Exeter

22 HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 eveNTS 2009 14th March - HNBOC AGM - Braunston Village Hall - 2.30pm 28 - 29 March - BCN Clean up - Ryders Green Locks & - (Base at Ocker Hill) 9am start each day. Bring Tugs & Joeys or just turn up yourself. No need to book in. 10-13 April - Easter Gathering, Ellesmere Port. See page 12 2-4 May - Canalway Cavalcade. Boat entries: 07876 597941 or download from www.waterays.org.uk 15-17 May - Rickmansworth Festival. www.rwt.org.uk/festival.html 16-17 May - Coombeswood/Hawne Basin Open Weekend. Jackie Vowles: 07931 317347 23-25 May - Spring Bank Holiday - IWA Campaign Festival at Kiverton Park, Chesterfield Canal (www.kiveton2009.com, enquires 0114 229 5355) 23-25th May - Spring Bank Holiday - IWA Trailboat Festival - Ashby Canal, Moira (enquires to Geoff Pursglove: 01530 273956 [email protected]) 30-31 May - Etruria Canals Festival details see page 22 30-31 May - BCN 24 Hour Marathon Challenge - historic boats/pairs encouraged. See page 14 12-14 June - RN Rally at Shackerstone. Contact: Pauline Mitchell on 01452 415420. 12-14 June - Stoke Bruerne Friends Open Weekend - [email protected] 13-14 June - Worcs/B.ham 40th Anniversary Rally at Tardebigge - Dave Wheeler 01527 833359 19-21 June - Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (http://midfest.org.uk/mfab) 20-21 Jun e - Gardner Engine Rally at Park Head Locks, Dudley. Event free to those attending with a Gardner engine. Contact Colin Paillin 01949 869004 27-28 June - Braunston Historic Boat Gathering - FMC boats in the arm this year. See page 31 27-28 June BCNS Summer Rally, Titford Pump House. Barrie Johnson 0121 422 4373 26th July - Audlem Festival of Transport See page 21 11-18 August - BCN Explorer Cruise. See page 14 29-31August - IWA National Waterways Festival Redhill, River Soar (www.waterways.org.uk/enquiries 0844 8006 583) 5-6 Sept - Shackerstone Family Festival (www.ShackerstoneFestival.co.uk, email [email protected] or phone 07767 400 894 11-13 Sept - Black Country Boating Festival at Netherton - Paddy Grice on 0844 800 5076 12-13 Sept - Ellesmere Gathering - info from Paul Mills on 0151 336 1049 or 07761 739439) 19th Sept - Gathering - - Sue Williams 01543 671427 26-27 Sept - BCLM Working Boat Gathering - Contact BCLM 2-4 Oct - Stoke Bruerne at War, a bigger and better version of last year's event. 17-18 Oct - Stourbridge Open Weekend - Chris Dyche 01384 395 216 or 01384 375582 30-31 Oct - BCNS Bonfire Weekend - Galton Valley (Old Main Line) - Barrie Johnson 0121 422 4373 ance naiss C C C Re Suppliers of o Coal and Solid Fuel Traditional Fenders and Rope

Brian and Ann Marie McGuigan NB St Austell , Sneyd Wharf, Walsall, (Wryley & Essington Canal) WS3 2LT

07976 811073

Pomona lock Enquiries: 0161 629 8266 The charge for the use of Pomona Lock will remain at £20 per craft per lockage until 31 March 2009. Future reviews of the annual charge will take effect from the 1st April in each year. Craft returning through the lock on the same day will only be charged a single fee. Charges for the use of Pomona Lock are not applicable to licence holders.

HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 23 Responses to Mystery Pic in the last issue Richard Lacey writes: I have to say your Mystery Picture feature is fast becoming my favourite article in the newsletter. The last issue didn’t present much of a challenge as I walk past the site in Stourbridge a couple of times a week, however the latest one is much more difficult and I will take a pure guess at Hollybank Colliery Wharf. Another excellent issue - thanks and well done!

From Martin O’Keeffe: Referring to mystery pictures in newsletter 2008/4 these are of course at Holly Bank basin in Short Heath on the Wyrley and Essington. This was opened in 1906 to serve Holly Bank Colliery and then subsequently Hilton Main Colliery. The coal was brought down to the basin in containers, three of which were mounted on each wagon. At the basin the wagons which were on the lower level were lifted from the rail wagon by a rail mounted crane which ran alongside at a higher level. The bottom of the container was opened to drop the coal into the waiting boat. The crane can be seen inside the building in which it was kept when not in use. Holly Bank Colliery closed in 1926 whilst Hilton Main remained open until 1969 and coal was shipped by canal to Wolverhampton and Birchills Power stations. Indeed BCN gauging 2131 is a CEGB owned boat built in 1942 and purchased in 1952 possibly from S Barlow and allocated to Wolverhampton power station. In January 1961, 2131 was given some attention to leaks caused by the bottom being down at the stern. The bottom was respiked and caulked with oakum, the work cost £29.7.6. By October 1961 it was sunk at Ernie Thomas's dock ‘in need of attention’, and remained there in March 1962 ‘in need of attention’ although by this time it was described as moored. The power station traffic came to an end in 1965.

Francis Stapleton emailed: The pictures show Holly Bank Basin on the Wyrley and Essington Canal. This was a long straight arm to the north of the canal in the Lane Head area. The arm is still in water, with a BW keep out notice, weed growth test area. It was served by a private railway from Holly Bank Colliery. The wagons on the left of the picture are unusual in that they are carrying containers of coal, which were lifted by the crane, seen in its shed, over the boats and their contents tipped into the holds. In the lower picture, nearest to the camera, is the day boat Muriel belonging to Samuel Barlow & Co, BCN No 2131, this had been built in 1942, most likely by themselves at Glascote.

26 HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 Malcolm Braine writes: Holly Bank Basins, Short Heath, Nr Willenhall on the Wyrley & Essington Canal. The skips each carried about 10 tons, loading about 2 1/2 skips into each boat, giving a tonnage of some 25 tons per boat. The coal was sent down from Hilton Main Colliery, shunted down in later years by diesel loco. The boats are variously lettered CEGB or CEA (Central Electricity Generating Board, later Central Electricity Authority). Ernest Thomas had the greater share of contracts out of here at the time the photographs were taken. Six boats at a time under towage. These were the days when the Wyrley was deemed to be the busiest narrow beam canal in . No one called it the Curley Wyrley in those days. Deliveries to Wolverhampton and Walsall Power Stations went like this...... Leave Birchills with 6 empties to drop off at Holly Bank, pick up 6 loaded for Wolverhampton. Return with 6 empties to Holly Bank and on with 6 loaded to Walsall - EACH DAY, 6 DAYS A WEEK. No one would do it these days, all weathers, all year round, although demand did sometimes ease a little in times of lowest electrical consumption requirements. Its a real treat to be able to recapture some of these memories. Best wishes, and keep up your excellent work which I am sure that all like me appreciate.

Horace Foster - former day - boatman, also identified the location and writes: The coal used to come from Hilton Main colliery to Holly Bonk (as we used to call it). The building on the left was the foreman’s office, which we referred to as the ‘ovel, the brick shelter where you used to be gauged. In front is the lamp standard. In the centre at the top of the picture is the crane shed. There were 3 boxes to a truck (railway wagon) The crane used to pick one of these up and the bottom would open to let the coal fall into the boats below. That’s where I loaded 31 1/2 tons in a boat called Christine and went round towards ‘Ampton Turn which you couldn’t do today because the cut’s too shallow. The boat in the picture is the CEA boat 2131 which used to run to ‘Ampton Light (Wolverhampton Power Station) or Birchills (Walsall Power Station). At the top of the basin is the main road running from Lane Head bridge to Willenhall, it was always a housing estate. Just outside the basin was a dock where the boats used to be caulked and blacked on occasion

Nick Hill - sent me a postcard identifying the basin and followed it up with this picture (right) taken by Ray White, showing the dockside crane in action loading the motor Crane for Willow Wren. This pic is featured on page 26 of Alan Faulkner’s book entitled Willow Wren.

Well, I don’t know - you’ve beaten me again. Perhaps I’ll get you this time!! Val

The Railway Children

The showing of the above film on TV prompted David Lowe to enquire about the horse drawn narrow boat Owl which had been featured. Jim Hutchinson - Owl - replied: What a fiasco the filming was. Originally the film company wanted Nebulae and thought it could be brought from London to Bulbourne in a single day! They were prepared to put it on the back of a lorry, but the owner refused. I'm moored close to Bulbourne and I was asked if I would let them use Hampton - but that was up at WFBCo, so they said they'd like to have Owl instead. There were two

HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 27 scenes: one at the bridgehole before the Marsworth Two and the other at Bulbourne Workshop. The film company also had the services of a horse ready to pull the now non-existent butty. I think they wanted a shot of a mast and long line - but Owl , having an undercloth conversion, has no mast. So they used Lily instead. This has a mast which promptly broke the moment the horse took the strain. So we have the ludicrous scene of a horse pretending to pull a butty which was in fact a motor going under its own power. That's why you have one shot from the front with the horse pulling a supposed butty and the next shot from behind with the bloke standing on the back of a motor. Talk about continuity. The following day the director wanted two narrowboats ( Lily and Owl ) to straddle the cut and provide a bridge for the children to run across. My son spent the afternoon in the back cabin of Owl feeding wet newspaper onto the fire to produce the right kind of smoke. In the course of filming they decided that Owl looked too new - and so they sprayed it with some substance like weak emulsion paint. It ruined the paintwork and the film company, who were very good about rectifying this, paid to have the boat re-painted! I'm always rather reluctant to mention Owl's part in all this because of the glaring mistakes. Not quite as many as we find in The Bargee , though.

In response Beryl McDowall recalled: Sounds like the usual continuity and accuracy problems. When Eric and I worked for Threefellows, we were involved in the filming of Maiden's Trip . One bit that was supposed to be down the G.U. in the Apsley/Kings Langley area was filmed at the then still in existence Herbert Morris works buildings in Loughborough. Then there was a bit shot up the Erewash, with the motor (I believe we used Buxton - or it could have been Halsall - it was a long time ago! I'd have to unearth photos to check) painted as Sun on one side only, to save the film-makers money. This meant that you had to be going the right direction to show the right name. The motor was steered by Eric down in the cabin, as the person supposedly steering couldn't steer a boat. Makes you doubt everything you see on T.V.!

I remember seeing an episode of Maidens Trip - over 30 years ago - and I would love to see the whole film. Does anyone know if it could be made available.? Ed

STERN-END

R.Fuller COMMiTTee MeeTiNGS

Members are reminded that all are welcome to attend committee meetings as observers. Please phone secretary to confirm date and venue as these meetings are projected a long way in advance

Next meetings are: The Annual General Meeting to be held at Braunston Village Hall Saturday 14th March 2009 commencing at 2.30pm There will be a committee meeting at the same venue beginning at 10.00am Sat 9th May - venue to be arranged - commencing 11.00am Press dates for the next two editions of the newsletter are: 2009/2 - 12th May and 2009/3 - 9th August

28 HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 iWA National Festival 2009

The Inland Waterways Association is keen to encourage historic and/or working boats to their National Waterways Festival to be held at Redhill on the River Soar this August Bank Holiday - 29th to 31st August 2009. In choosing this location, IWA wants to encourage visitors to explore and use the lesser frequented waterways of the East Midlands, such as the Erewash and Chesterfield canals. They also want to highlight the importance of the waterway restoration projects in the area notably the Derby, Cromford and Grantham canals. There is a plan for historic and working boats to be moored on the section below Redhill Lock, which would enable a daily historic/working boat parade to take place up to Ratcliffe Lock and back. There is plenty of turning space at both locations and the parade would be through the other moored boats at the festival. These moorings would be accessible by visitors to the festival, and would form part of a route which visitors could use to visit the exhibition moorings, the marina and over the bridge to the other side of the river with a view of the historic boat moorings from the lock. If you are interested in attending, it is recommended that you get your boat entry in as soon as possible, as there is a limit to the number of boats that can be accommodated. A boat entry form can be downloaded from the IWA website: http://www.waterways.org.uk/Events/NationalFestival09/Bookingforms Please mark up your boat entry form with "historic boat" or "unconverted working boat" (as appropriate) in order to be moored with the others. Other attractions at the event include a large trade show, exhibitions, lectures and demonstrations, real ale bar, numerous attractions, live music, birds of prey, festival circus, children's activities and evening entertainments for boaters, campers and exhibitors. Don't forget that this is a large family festival compared to many boating events. The historic boats form only one small part of the overall event and apart from the mooring location we should not expect further preferential treatment! Alison Smedley: Secretary Regarding his report of the Wolverhampton National 2008 in the last issue David Lowe writes: I had stated that the working boat handout was not available until Monday, and this was based on information given me on the Monday by someone in the IWA who had given me a bundle of handouts to take to the boats. In fact, it had been decided to hand these information sheets out at the gate to all attendees rather than have them available at the boats themselves (as had been previous practice) and this was done throughout Saturday and Sunday, and Monday. So I am very happy to make this correction and apologise for the misunderstanding. For Sale : Bolinders 1053 BR 35hp 3 cyl. full diesel engine with heavy duty marine gearbox, identical to others fitted in BCN tugs. Can be seen running - sounds beautiful. Heat exchanger cooled. Can deliver if required. Valued £6,500.00, Offers considered Bolinders 9hp single cyl. semi-diesel. Complete. £2,750.00 heavy duty slipway winch . 3 phase motor, with 100ft heavy duty cable and running blocks if Address: Mill Lane, Sileby, Leics. LE12 7UX E-mail: [email protected] required. Ex Norton Canes Docks. Web: www.ovationboatservices.co.uk Offers to: 01889 270172 (Weston, Staffs)

HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 29 HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1 31 STOCkTON DRY DOCk COMPANY The Former Warwickshire Fly Boat Company Dock

All aspects of steelwork and maintenance undertaken in large, well equipped dry dock, including rebottoming, refooting, cabin work, gunnels and cants. Full restoration service including hot riveting and blacksmithing. New boat replicas built to order. Engine installation and repairs, woodwork and boat painting are also available on site. Contact : Graeme Pearce at Shop Lock Cottage Stockton Road, Stockton Southam, Warks. CV47 8LD Phone: 01926 814441 email: [email protected].

BRINklOw BOAT SERvICES Offer a full restoration service in wood or steel Rebottoming, refooting and riveting. New cabins and fitouts, gunwhales, cants and butty rudders. Anything from a small patch to full museum piece restoration. New boats built to order. Full fitouts, painting, graining and signwriting. We also have a floating dry dock and can now offer pressure washing and blacking, or D.I.Y. use at competitive rates. Phone Steve Priest and Simon Wain on 01788 833331 or Rex Wain on 01788 833789. Brinklow Boat Services, Units 2 & 4, The Wharf, Stretton - under - Fosse, Rugby, CV23 OPR

32 HNBOC Newsletter 2009/1