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Tim Wilkinson's Hold on a Minute - real names of the boatpeople?


Joseph

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Hello

 

I have just re-read Tim Wilkinson's Hold on a Minute, and, with some reservations, found it a very good re-read.

 

Just wondering - I know that he disguised the names of many, if not all, the boatpeople that he encountered, but I am wondering if anyone knows what were their real identities? Or the boats involved?

 

In partciular, are John Redknapp and Emma Buck (they married, still boating in the 1950s, he stated in 1965) still with us? They would now be in their late 70s.

 

All sorts of other names there, and I wonder what happened to these people in real life.

 

Just curious, but I would be very interested in any comments.

 

Happy New Year, everyone!

 

Joseph Boughey

co-author British Canals: the standard history

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And I'd still like to know the answer to the (so far as I know) previously unanswered question about names......

 

The book is by Tim Wilkinson, but whenever he refers to himself it is as "Steerer Fern".

 

What's all that about, then ?

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Non de plumes are common enough, and privacy is the main reason - though in George Eliot's case it was of course to be accepted into a literary world dominated by men.

Wilkinson's characters may only be guessed at, unless a real boat name appears. Been a while since I read it.

 

Derek

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And I'd still like to know the answer to the (so far as I know) previously unanswered question about names......

 

The book is by Tim Wilkinson, but whenever he refers to himself it is as "Steerer Fern".

 

What's all that about, then ?

 

The dust wrapper to the book suggests Fern was his wife's name - Gay Fern - but is Wilkinson his real name anyway?

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The dust wrapper to the book suggests Fern was his wife's name - Gay Fern - but is Wilkinson his real name anyway?

 

Yes Wilkinson was his real name and he lived (and may have been born) in Berko. He was a generous canal benefactor, who on his death left all his tools to the IWA and approx £100,000 to be used on any Southern canal restoration project.

 

After due cosideration it was felt that the Wendover Arm restoration project fitted the bill and the money was donated to the Trust and part paid for restoration of the section from the stop lock to the new winding hole.

 

A plaque has been installed detailing the above by the winding hole.

 

Leo.

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The dust wrapper to the book suggests Fern was his wife's name - Gay Fern - but is Wilkinson his real name anyway?

OK, thanks!

 

I don't think the relatively recently reprinted versions necessarily include that, but I could be wrong.

 

Is the implication he chose to use his wife's maiden name whilst boating ? I can't see the point of using it for the story, but giving his real name as author! :lol:

 

 

Yes Wilkinson was his real name and he lived (and may have been born) in Berko. He was a generous canal benefactor, who on his death left all his tools to the IWA and approx £100,000 to be used on any Southern canal restoration project.

Thanks Mike.

 

Didn't know the Berkhamsted connection.

 

No evidence I can quickly find of any birth of someone of that name being registered in the Berkhampstead/Berkhamsted registration district, so I suspect his birth was probably elsewhere.

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Thanks Mike.

 

Didn't know the Berkhamsted connection.

 

No evidence I can quickly find of any birth of someone of that name being registered in the Berkhampstead/Berkhamsted registration district, so I suspect his birth was probably elsewhere.

 

Alan,

 

There was considerable coverage at the time of the bequest, and I think in an obit. somewhere, it gave the address he lived at in Berko. I was working there at the time and looked at the house from the outside, somewhere in the Charles Street area I think.

 

He had an interesting life and a particular interest in the GU.

 

Tim Wilkinson was his full name

 

Leo.

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,

 

There was considerable coverage at the time of the bequest, and I think in an obit. somewhere, it gave the address he lived at in Berko. I was working there at the time and looked at the house from the outside, somewhere in the Charles Street area I think.

 

He had an interesting life and a particular interest in the GU.

 

Tim Wilkinson was his full name

 

Leo.

 

There is a memorial to him on the Wendover Arm as some of that money went to the restoration project.

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Tim Wilkinson was inspired to take on a pair of boats by meeting a "Mr Bishop" who had his boats moored up at Fishery Inn. He had had an extra cabin put in front of the engine room of the motor and worked the boats with his wife and son.

 

It seems very likely that this was H Dean and Son who had Columba and Uranus before selling them to John Knill. Interesting that Bishop and Dean both have an eclesiastical theme so maybe some of the other names in Hold on a Minute can be similarly deciphered.

 

Paul H

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He had had an extra cabin put in front of the engine room of the motor and worked the boats with his wife and son.

Paul H

 

As I remember (read the book 10 years ago!) Tim Wilkinson had the extension cabin on the butty boat which was the Bawtry. Racking my brains for the name of the motor boat now!!

 

Regards,

Edited by Hyperion 53
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As I remember (read the book 10 years ago!) Tim Wilkinson had the extension cabin on the butty boat which was the Bawtry. Racking my brains for the name of the motor boat now!!

 

Regards,

The motor boat was Chiswick. I won't forget that because the first time I went boating on Chiswick, I took the book with me to read, not knowing at the time that it was about that boat.

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Racking my brains for the name of the motor boat now!!

 

The Chiswick. Both big Woolwiches

 

Regards,

 

The motor boat was Chiswick. I won't forget that because the first time I went boating on Chiswick, I took the book with me to read, not knowing at the time that it was about that boat.

 

 

You got there before me sad.gif!

 

Regards,

Edited by Hyperion 53
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As I remember (read the book 10 years ago!) Tim Wilkinson had the extension cabin on the butty boat which was the Bawtry. Racking my brains for the name of the motor boat now!!

 

Regards,

Yes apparantly Tim Wilkinson liked the extra cabin on the motor but thought it didn't leave enough room for cargo so got BW to put one on his butty instead - which had the advantage of being an extension rather than a separate cabin.

 

Bawtry had lost the extra cabin by the time it had re-entered service with Willow Wren and renamed Greenshank. Now in Bristol Docks.

 

Paul H

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Was that his 'real' Son Paul? As in the book the young chap came from a boating family, kept the engine immaculate, set the skipper straight on a few practices, and performed somersaults over the Tiller when passing another boat with a certain young lady aboard! He departed at some stage in the book but I cannot remember when or why. I suspect it was matrimonial prospects, but it's been a few years since I last read it.

 

Derek

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Was that his 'real' Son Paul? As in the book the young chap came from a boating family, kept the engine immaculate, set the skipper straight on a few practices, and performed somersaults over the Tiller when passing another boat with a certain young lady aboard! He departed at some stage in the book but I cannot remember when or why. I suspect it was matrimonial prospects, but it's been a few years since I last read it.

 

Derek

[/quote

Sorry Derek, I was referring to the Dean's ("Bishop's") son. I don't think the Wilkinsons had any children - they did employ a young boater who he called John Redknapp. Using Tim Wilkinson's Dean/Bishop system of creating fictional names, I wonder if he wasn't from the Green family of whom quite few were still boating in the 1950s?

 

Paul H

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Was that his 'real' Son Paul? As in the book the young chap came from a boating family, kept the engine immaculate, set the skipper straight on a few practices, and performed somersaults over the Tiller when passing another boat with a certain young lady aboard! He departed at some stage in the book but I cannot remember when or why. I suspect it was matrimonial prospects, but it's been a few years since I last read it.

 

Derek

 

Sorry Derek, I was referring to the Dean's ("Bishop's") son. I don't think the Wilkinsons had any children - they did employ a young boater who he called John Redknapp. Using Tim Wilkinson's Dean/Bishop system of creating fictional names, I wonder if he wasn't from the Green family of whom quite few were still boating in the 1950s?

 

Paul H

 

Ah - gotchya! Redknapp - that was it. Have to pass on the last question.

 

Derek.

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  • 6 years later...


I met Tim Wilkinson and his wife on a couple of occasions when I was working 'Jaguar' and 'Achilles' for Blue Line in the 60's. The first occasion was, I think, at Slaughter's lock, loaded and going south, and the second time was coming back empty at Winkwell swing bridge.



I'd been given 'Hold on a Minute' as a birthday present, and recognized them from their photos inside the cover. On the first occasion they were a bit reluctant to say who they were, but the second time they had a windlass with them and proved themselves to be the genuine article by helping with a few locks. They knew just what to do and were always in the right place, doing the right thing, at the right time.


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  • 1 year later...

Hi

Not sure if anyone will even read this, given the last 6 1/2 year gap in the postings, but anyone who gets this far may like to know that I recently bought a copy of "Hold on a Minute" from that auction website.  It was £3.30 all in including postage, so they are out there if you want to get yourself a copy.

kind regards, Neil

 

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