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"The Canal Children" TV series in the 1970s

Tunneltug

By Tunneltug
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Tunneltug Contributor

Tunneltug

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When I was at school one of my older brother's mates Pete Berry got a part in a TV Series called "TheCanal Children". It was a bit like "The Railway Children" but on canals and on a much smaller budget. It was filmed locally around the midlands and I don't remember it being all that good, but that might be because I was about 13 at the time so I guess it was about 1977 or 78.

 

Does anybody remember it because a google search doesn't find much. I'm asking because I'd like to see if there are any recordings of it available anywhere.

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mark99 Veteran II

mark99

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This is as close as you will get I reckon.

 

It was made in 76. Scroll down 1/2 way on link below.

 

http://www.thechestnut.com/wish-list.htm

 

 

""Written by Brian Wright, this children's serial came to our screens on a Wednesday back in 1976. The series had six episodes and was set in the year of 1845. It is not very well remembered by children for that era which is a bit odd since it was a great piece of BBC children's drama. The story takes place around the canals of Warwick & Birmingham on the canal barge "The Water Rat." The series was produced by Anna Home who was also executive producer on "Lizzie Dripping", producer on "The Changes", The Moon Stallion, The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris, The Enchanted Castle, A Little Silver Trumpet...the list goes on and on and better and better. It is hard to imagine the fun that one individual could have had being so involved with the development of such great children's titles.

The six episodes were called (Radio Times):

A Gongoozler

Buggets and Tonnage

Poor Man's Morris

Gunpowder

The Secret Agent

The Wager"

Edited by mark99
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John Williamson 1955 Rising Star

John Williamson 1955

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The tape probably got wiped or skipped during one of the BBC economy purges in the '90s, along with many other minority interest programmes, such as Doctor Who.....

 

So.if anyone had an old video cassette of it, that may well be the only surviving copy, as I don't think it was ever repeated..

 

(Edit to add link to imdb entry.)

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397134/?ref_=ttrel_ql


Thats the one, I just can not find my paperback book !

Available for under a fiver from various sellers in varied conditions. It only took me a few seconds to find several copies.

 

Incidentally, Peter Trugg seems not to want to admit to having it in his showreel, according to Imdb.

Edited by John Williamson 1955
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Keeping Up Veteran II

Keeping UpDonate to Canal World

Posted
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Fantastic, I thoroughly enjoyed watching that. I wonder if any more episodes will come to light.

 

I think I may have watched a scene being filmed, at Hillmorton. I remember a queue of boats being held up at the bridge while the director went apoplectic because he could hear someone's engine running, and he sent runners down to find out whose it was. Eventually they found it, it wasn't a boat engine it was a generator, and the director took great delight in personally turning it off - until he realised he had just turned off the electricity supply to his own cameras.

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Southern Star Experienced

Southern Star

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Thanks for posting, I watched the whole episode, curiously I can't remember this at all from my youth ( I was born in 1959)

 

Although the canal crew won, the whole theme of the programme was that canal transport was virtually dead in the water compared to the railway. Things go full circle, nowadays railways are hopelessly inefficient compared to road transport. Que sera sera....

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John Williamson 1955 Rising Star

John Williamson 1955

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Thanks for posting, I watched the whole episode, curiously I can't remember this at all from my youth ( I was born in 1959)

 

Although the canal crew won, the whole theme of the programme was that canal transport was virtually dead in the water compared to the railway. Things go full circle, nowadays railways are hopelessly inefficient compared to road transport. Que sera sera....

Even more appropriate, the waterbuses on the Thames are gaining custom in London again after a century or two of decline.

 

The reason road beats rail is the flexibility and speed of road transport compared with all others and the way stuff can be moved from A to B on one vehicle without transshipping, which is what kills canals and to a degree, rail, as a commercial carrier. Rail is good at bulk loads between fixed points, and many years ago, I could make a business case for carrying chemicals from London to Birmingham by boat, but only because there was a factory dock at each end to handle the produce directly. The cargo was non-urgent and the amount needed was a pair of boats full every few weeks, which made it cheaper by boat than by road. A guaranteed return cargo would have made life even more profitable for me. But as even a wide canal can only support a single boat or pair of boats every ten minutes or so, they're useless for cargo except for certain well defined, lock free, short trips, such as the one from one potbank to another that Twyfords used to run in the Potteries. They paid for the boats in reduced breakages in a year or so, then they moved one of the factories, so canal transport wouldn't work any longer.

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c c Rising Star

c c

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I have been searching for these pics since I first saw this thread. Our great friend Tony Miles, who left this world a sadder place a couple of years ago, was proud of his involvement as advisor in the making of this series. The legging boards used were on display in our cafe until they were returned to Tony's family when he left us. The first pic is of Tony with the star of the show, Eric Porter.

3pjc.jpg

The legging boards are in the foreground stacked ready for use on the first boat

k2ub.jpg

Tony Miles ready to demonstrate legging to the Director. (sorry, don't know the name of th other legger).

gn5c.jpg

Edited by canalchef
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pete harrison Veteran

pete harrison

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Posted (edited)

Love the bit at 17 mins in "Back off we've got right of way". Then the 4 lads start scrapping.

I recognise all of the canal locations in this film except the lock where this 'scrapping' took place. Any ideas ? (I bet it will be obvious once identified).

 

I am also struggling to identify the Large Woolwich butty and Small Woolwich butty in the scene where the barrel is being loaded onto exBarlows GRACE at Tardebigge New Wharf, although I could have an educated guess.

 

edit - the Large Woolwich butty can also be seen in the photographs in number 11 of this thread.

Edited by pete harrison
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c c Rising Star

c c

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Does anyone know the significance of the red flag flying on the front of the boat in the pic in post #11?

I thought a red flag meant carying explosives but it may just be a TV Director's idea of some other meaning.

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pete harrison Veteran

pete harrison

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Does anyone know the significance of the red flag flying on the front of the boat in the pic in post #11?

I thought a red flag meant carying explosives but it may just be a TV Director's idea of some other meaning.

And I am sure it would have got tangled in the tow line if located on the deckboard as in the photograph.

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Steve Priest Contributor

Steve Priest

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I recognise all of the canal locations in this film except the lock where this 'scrapping' took place. Any ideas ? (I bet it will be obvious once identified).

 

I am also struggling to identify the Large Woolwich butty and Small Woolwich butty in the scene where the barrel is being loaded onto exBarlows GRACE at Tardebigge New Wharf, although I could have an educated guess.

 

edit - the Large Woolwich butty can also be seen in the photographs in number 11 of this thread.

Hello Pete,

 

The location I would guess to be Curdworth, the lock above the Dog, the big Woolwich is Bingley, I didn't notice the little butty but would guess that it is a B'ham and Midland boat,

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Dan Gereaux Engager

Dan Gereaux

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Slightly off topic, but I have been looking for years forChildrens' TV series 'Flower of Gloster' from the late '60's. About a journey from Llangollen to London - some great scenes uncluding 'Chocolate' Charlie Atkins passing Braunston resevoirs (now marina) where unused Willow Wren boats make a sad specticle - "them boats is redunded..."

Anybody know of its existence?

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Willber G Community Regular

Willber G

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Slightly off topic, but I have been looking for years forChildrens' TV series 'Flower of Gloster' from the late '60's. About a journey from Llangollen to London - some great scenes uncluding 'Chocolate' Charlie Atkins passing Braunston resevoirs (now marina) where unused Willow Wren boats make a sad specticle - "them boats is redunded..."

Anybody know of its existence?

Apparently only two episodes survived according to discussions online. Here is a bit more about the programme:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418392/

If you do a search for "gloster" on this site you will find a few mentions of it.

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Laurie Booth Veteran

Laurie BoothDonate to Canal World

Posted
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Slightly off topic, but I have been looking for years forChildrens' TV series 'Flower of Gloster' from the late '60's. About a journey from Llangollen to London - some great scenes uncluding 'Chocolate' Charlie Atkins passing Braunston resevoirs (now marina) where unused Willow Wren boats make a sad specticle - "them boats is redunded..."

Anybody know of its existence?

Private message sent.

:)

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pete harrison Veteran

pete harrison

Posted
Posted

Hello Pete,

 

The location I would guess to be Curdworth, the lock above the Dog, the big Woolwich is Bingley, I didn't notice the little butty but would guess that it is a B'ham and Midland boat,

Thanks Steve, I am not surprised that you recognise BINGLEY although the diamonds on the fore end are rather distinctive. I do not think the Small butty is a Birmingham & Midland boat as it has an extended back cabin.

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