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Our "New" Boat, (actually quite old).

alan_fincher

By alan_fincher
in General Boating

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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We are pleased to finally be able to tell people that we settled the balance on our "new" boat today, and have picked it up, and moved it for its first few miles in our ownership.

 

"Letchworth" is a "Large Northwich built by W J Yarwoods for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company in 1936.

 

Upon purchase by Willow Wren in the early 1960s the boat was renamed to "Flamingo", the name it currently carries.

 

Internally the boat is (unfortunately!) very much a project, so we accept we have bought "Flamingo" for her potential, rather than the stripped out insides in which we now find ourselves.

 

The weather was too grotty for pictures today, so the attached are some taken when we came to view the boat a few weeks ago.

IMG_7007_zpsf6051f34.jpg

IMG_7005_zps4460e0aa.jpg

 

IMG_7011_zps3340e7c5.jpg

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Is she going to stay as a "Flamingo"?

 

Certainly for the forseeable future.

 

The exterior paint is getting a bit tired, but hopefully can be given at least a bit of a makeover.

 

The boat was one of the last in long distance carrying, and seems to have delivered the very last load of grain to Whitworths mill at Wellingborough, one of Willow Wren's biggest traffics by then, and the loss of which was another nail in the coffin for that company.

 

I particularly like the fact it carried more or less until the end of all regular long distance traffics.

 

So far I know very little about her in her GUCCCo and BW days, although some papers that have come with her indicate she was on the Guinness "beer" run from Park Royal to Birmingham in the mid 1940s. Not a bad pedigree, I suppose!

That photo was taken at Brinklow Marina, in fact photo no 3 would have been taken stood right next to my boat Desiree.

 

Was it you that asked me where we were heading then?

 

If it was, I'm sorry if I seemed a bit pre-occupied - I was trying to work out exactly how the exit from the marina worked!

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Southern Star Experienced

Southern Star

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Was it you that asked me where we were heading then?

 

If it was, I'm sorry if I seemed a bit pre-occupied - I was trying to work out exactly how the exit from the marina worked!

 

 

No we were at Brinklow at the weekend, and Flamingo was still there when we moored up on Sunday and went home so it wasn't us, sorry to have missed you but that truly is a beautiful boat you have there, I was explaining to my kids just last weekend the difference between Flamingo and our boat, how it was a working boat, pointing out where the engine was etc.

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Laurence Hogg Veteran

Laurence Hogg

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Congratulations Alan & Co. I my memory serves me correctly I seem to remember this boat being seriously reconditioned by WWCTS at Yarwoods just before they shut down. Certainly the rivets on the fore end guards etc don't look worn enough to be originals, the boat used to look splendid when working out of Trentham as a tripper, indeed just like a new boat to my eyes.

Well caught. and in the right hands too.

Edited by Laurence Hogg
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David Schweizer Veteran II

David Schweizer

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Congratulations Alan, I remember Flamingo coming regulary through Uxbridge in the 1960's, steered by Ron Green (if my memory serves me correctly)

 

Does this mean that you will be selling Chalice and/or Sickle. or are you going to juggle three boats?

Edited by David Schweizer
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Athy Veteran II

AthyDonate to Canal World

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About bloody time too.

Congratulations, delighted to hear that your long search has borne fruit at last.

 

So will Fincher Carrying be a three-boat operation, or will you be selling Sickle/ Chalice/ both those?

 

And finally....I hope Odin is feeling better, both for his sake and for yours.

Mike

Edited by Athy
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