jeannette smith harrison

The piling competition as per bottom of the Hanwell thicket was won by two members of my boating family Tommy Humphries who 1st wife was Grandads sister he was also known in his boating days for doing the Lime juice run & Tommy Osborne who was my Nan's half brother .both where ex long term boatmen from several generations of Boating folk. Who when they retired from the boats went to work for the company (waterways) & at the time both lived in cottages on the thicket .I was only a baby when this happened but remember the stories told for many years after of the week long celebrations in the fox

My folk never tied up under the tree's cos under the spinny is one of the places where the Canal ghosts & nasty's live . the only time spent under the trees for a short time was late evening with the light shone up into the tree's this blinded the pheasants long enough for us to wack their legs with the boat pole down they would come breaking their neck as they landed in the hold. all except the one when i did not move quick enough & it landed on me knocking me down & out Many of the Ward children attended that School if i remember right Narrow boat some time back did a bit with some pictures on the boat children's life there I miss Mike & the Sunday afternoon chats he left a big hole that will never be filled

As a child i remember being with my Godparents on Alberts brother boat we where catching a lift up to West Drayton. On our way up the Hanwell thicket if i remember correct location. I was shouted at to get down in the cabin now this happened when entering a tunnel to keep kids safe from falling in in the dark,or a body in the water . The Boswell's where a lock in front ( bodies where if carrying a load often passed due to the time lost while police where called e.c.t. after all they would be passed help often they where inmates from the sanitorium along the side of the thicket & the Boatman was on a time line & had a family to feed ) a few locks up passed the body a policeman was on the tow path & Cousin John Boswell shouted there's a body down there results= they where held up for many hours & John got a whopping for his action some thing we often laugh about when remembering our child days . Most boat people had a fear of the water due to many old superstitions revolving around water witches & ghosts .a few of my generation did however learn to swim in the locks .Lucky i was one of them & it saved my life when i was around 7 years old

Heartland 2x even 3x cans were common for boaters with large family,s as they needed enough water to get from water point to waterpoint photo's are from my family albums sorry apart from the Longdon ones some where family photo's but have been used in books so have not given credit as to not upset anyone

There are still many around of the born & raised canal working boat ladies who gave birth to their children aboard working boats & ignored the set days of rest after & where back working the next day . my Nan was in labour with the boat stuck in the bottom of Black Jacks lock whilst waiting for the waterways van to arrive & fix the gate .A local midwife off the bank arrived to help with the birth (sent for by the landlady of the pub) Nan shouted if she so much as steps on my boat i will knock her in the cut . Shortly after a lady who was from an old working boat family & living in the lock cottage arrived. You see a lot of the old working folk had very strong superstitions & one was children are only helped into this world by their own sort .

John Brightley a greenie given for the pure cheek but a raspberry also goes with it haha. You would have to build a much higher fence to stop this southerner from my many visits to Warwickshire not just to go to the archives but visiting my ex working boat family there

just dug these out from an old external drive .Sorry do not know who to credit for these photos of the old school & Mayday i took copies of these at a talk many years ago it interested me at the time as to how many where wearing boating bonnets

Photo 382 striking Boatwomen this may also help you with one of your other questions re head covering i suspect though many might be wearing their best Sunday hats for this photo

Several years ago there was a list in the village library of all the boating children who attended the school during the strike e

Kate as i grew up the bonnets had became a distant thing & hat or head scarf was worn . in the main bonnets where to keep the sun off of the neck but another thing that i have always pondered on was being told put your hat on girl to keep the bugs away .As you know up until 1925 ish many of the boats when serviced e.c.t. where fumigated i have often wondered if there was ever a connection. The black bonnets where worn as a mark of respect when victoria died, most boat people had a picture of the king or queen & would & some still do have them hanging in the lounge when they came off the boats i have several in their late 80's 90's who still have a picture in their homes of the late Queen

A Boat Womans childs (large enough for an average adult)bonnets can be brought from the Lichfield & Hatheton canal trust they have an online shop go for the made up one not the one you make yourself as my one took me over 3 years to get right .Rays picture of Anne Stokes who married my G Grandads brother attached is photos of her husband Robert Harrison & one of her sister who married another of g grandads brothers the third is a glass plate slide of my GG Grandparents all to my knowledge are from Wakfields of Brentford last one is my Grandad with my Dad

I am prob wrong but the moment i seen this picture Ron & Lizzy Green sprung to mind

I have the complete set but a mass of info can be gained from these magazines

Could this be one of your connections