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Narrowboats on the Thames


Heartland

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The accompanying image shows two pairs of motor and butty on the Thames, they look like Willow Wren, but is is the traffic that is of interest, they were working down the Thames, but is is known what was the purpose.

48365.jpg

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9 minutes ago, Paringa said:

Was trying to place where that picture was taken.... Windsor side looking upstream at Windsor and Eton bridge I believe.

Thanks for posting that.

I thought that - before I read your post. How it's all completely changed - except for the Eton bridge.

The first post states "working down" - but the boats are moored facing upstream; unless of course they have picked up the mooring by turning upstream (as you should do......).

It's quite a tight turn and against the weir to do that especially breasted up?

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I am saying working down (and yes there are certain practices when mooring for the night on rivers) but not sure as am trying to discover what they were doing. It would appear with two motors and butty's it was a worthwhile traffic.

Thinking about access to the Thames, it is possible they came up from Brentford.

 

Edited by Heartland
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The boats in the photograph are AVOCET (motor) and DABCHICK (butty) on the inside with REDSHANK (motor) and GREENSHANK) on the outside. The steerers were Jack Monk and Alec Purcell respectively.

This photograph was published in Alan Faulkner's booklet Willow Wren, and is credited to C.P. Weaver, were the caption states:

'They had loaded 98 1/2 tons of cottonseed cake at Brentford on 28th April, 1959 for delivery to Marsh Mill, Henley'

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The business must have been worthwhile because in those days there were tolls at each (?) lock adding to the cost. There were many wharves and industrial sites along the river that needed feeding with raw materials, indeed there was (and the building remains) the boiler house (?) for Windsor Castle some 600 yards downstream of where the boats were moored.

4 minutes ago, pete harrison said:

The boats in the photograph are AVOCET (motor) and DABCHICK (butty) on the inside with REDSHANK (motor) and GREENSHANK) on the outside. The steerers were Jack Monk and Alec Purcell respectively.

This photograph was published in Alan Faulkner's booklet Willow Wren, and is credited to C.P. Weaver, were the caption states:

'They had loaded 98 1/2 tons of cottonseed cake at Brentford on 28th April, 1959 for delivery to Marsh Mill, Henley'

I think the Mill was next to Mash Lock  - you can see the mill stream next to the current lock structure. I assume the cake was for compounding into cattle feed?

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16 hours ago, Derek R. said:

This doesn't contribute much to the thread, but another view from the other side of that bridge, and heading downstream.

Still with a Salters 'Steamer' tied in the same location, but this in late '81.

 

Amicitia0021.JPG

"Jaju" must have been rather big for some of the bridges there.

 

Peter.

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18 hours ago, pete harrison said:

The boats in the photograph are AVOCET (motor) and DABCHICK (butty) on the inside with REDSHANK (motor) and GREENSHANK) on the outside. The steerers were Jack Monk and Alec Purcell respectively.

This photograph was published in Alan Faulkner's booklet Willow Wren, and is credited to C.P. Weaver, were the caption states:

'They had loaded 98 1/2 tons of cottonseed cake at Brentford on 28th April, 1959 for delivery to Marsh Mill, Henley'


This, (or if not a similar run), is also documented in the book "A Windlass In My Belt" by John Thorpe.  John Thorpe as a young lad was taken under the wing of Alec and Lil Purcell, and travelled widely with them on their boats at every opportunity like school holidays.  I found it a fascinating read, (and re-read).  There cannot have been many people so accepted by an established boating family, and certainly none other that I can think of to accurately document the experience.

From memory I can't recall if it is this particular traffic that caused Alec Purcell to navigate straight through the course of Henley Regatta when in full flow, but I'm fairly sure it is "Windlass in my Belt" that tells that story.  Vital reading for anybody interested in the earlier days of Willow Wren.

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8 hours ago, bargemast said:

"Jaju" must have been rather big for some of the bridges there.

 

Peter.

Eton footbridge was the lowest, and we were approaching downstream with some 'fresh' helping us along. Slid under with about six inches to spare!

Henly was interesting. I was fortunate in having a senior uniformed Conservancy man on board for a cuppa in '81, and he advised heading for the right hand pier on approach, peeling off slightly to the arch when close. Worked a treat. Wheelhouse went through dead centre of the arch. We'd attended the Waterways Rally beside the Fields above Caversham, and he told me not to risk going as far as Pangbourne, as the bottom was rocky thereabouts, and at five foot draught we may have touched.

Edited by Derek R.
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7 hours ago, alan_fincher said:


This, (or if not a similar run), is also documented in the book "A Windlass In My Belt" by John Thorpe.  John Thorpe as a young lad was taken under the wing of Alec and Lil Purcell, and travelled widely with them on their boats at every opportunity like school holidays.  I found it a fascinating read, (and re-read).  There cannot have been many people so accepted by an established boating family, and certainly none other that I can think of to accurately document the experience.

From memory I can't recall if it is this particular traffic that caused Alec Purcell to navigate straight through the course of Henley Regatta when in full flow, but I'm fairly sure it is "Windlass in my Belt" that tells that story.  Vital reading for anybody interested in the earlier days of Willow Wren.

IIRC JT was introduced by an intermediary. Sister MW. But I could be wrong.

 

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35 minutes ago, Derek R. said:

Eton footbridge was the lowest, and we were approaching downstream with some 'fresh' helping us along. Slid under with about six inches to spare!

Henly was interesting. I was fortunate in having a senior uniformed Conservancy man on board for a cuppa in '81, and he advised heading for the right hand pier on approach, peeling off slightly to the arch when close. Worked a treat. Wheelhouse went through dead centre of the arch. We'd attended the Waterways Rally beside the Fields above Caversham, and he told me not to risk going as far as Pangbourne, as the bottom was rocky thereabouts, and at five foot draught we may have touched.

That must have been an "interesting" cruise with some "fresh" helping you along, probably quite reassuring to have that Conservancy man on board, but still a good idea to carry some spare underpants ;).

 

Peter.

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1 hour ago, bargemast said:

That must have been an "interesting" cruise with some "fresh" helping you along, probably quite reassuring to have that Conservancy man on board, but still a good idea to carry some spare underpants ;).

 

Peter.

I have run downstream on the Thames under 'red boards' with a part loaded narrow boat pair. That is definitely the scariest boating I have ever done, but at least I know what the 'red boards' mean now - and no the Lock Keepers did not say a word to stop me :captain:

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1 hour ago, pete harrison said:

I have run downstream on the Thames under 'red boards' with a part loaded narrow boat pair. That is definitely the scariest boating I have ever done, but at least I know what the 'red boards' mean now - and no the Lock Keepers did not say a word to stop me :captain:

"over time" Thames Lockies have had so much hassle from boaters that they've given up offering advice - until asked. They used to just hand you a slip with dire warnings on it - perhaps their printing budget has bee slashed!

Most lockies respect regard narrowboaters as being competent, especially is they're working a pair.

They can't stop you only offer advice and warnings - something to do with the PRN.

Edited by OldGoat
'respect' changed to 'regard' - being more appropriate
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7 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

"over time" Thames Lockies have had so much hassle from boaters that they've given up offering advice - until asked. They used to just hand you a slip with dire warnings on it - perhaps their printing budget has bee slashed!

Most lockies respect narrowboaters as being competent, especially is they're working a pair.

They can't stop you only offer advice and warnings - something to do with the PRN.

The Lock Keeper gave me a booklet of some sort, presumably rules and regulations, and I remember thinking I would read it later on in the pub. Fortunately I am competent enough to know when to stop and I did not go very far :captain:

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We were given some "advice" from a temporary lockie at Shepperton, in as much as he stated we wouldn't get under the bridges in the Desborough Cut. I thought this suspicious, but he insisted, so we started to take the old course only to come to grief on shoals and ended up straddling the river. Two Police launches and a Conservancy launch were called in to drag us off stern first, and with three Thornycrofts belching smoke we were pulled off and back into the channel. Details were taken, and I don't think the temp lockie stayed much longer. Plenty of headroom in the 'Cut'.

4 hours ago, bargemast said:

. . . probably quite reassuring to have that Conservancy man on board, but still a good idea to carry some spare underpants ;).

Peter.

He was only on board whilst tied up at the 'event', but I remembered his words well!

The underpants would have come in handy by Southend Pier in the dark - in a force 6! Won't forget that in a hurry. Lee shore on a falling tide - nuff said!

Edited by Derek R.
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13 hours ago, pete harrison said:

I have run downstream on the Thames under 'red boards' with a part loaded narrow boat pair. That is definitely the scariest boating I have ever done, but at least I know what the 'red boards' mean now - and no the Lock Keepers did not say a word to stop me :captain:

I can easily imagine that that was quite a bit different than a relaxed fun cruise to the pub on a lovely summer day.

 

Myself I've had more then my share of very hairy moments on rivers in flood in France, since the "real" weir-keepers don't exist anymore, and have been replaced already a good 40 years by a lazy bunch of people that are more interested in their pay, than in the work they have to do for that pay, and they start with opening the sections of the weirs closest to the locks, which can create a VERY strong pull, which means you have to  try to get in fast, to keep some steerage, and not be pulled in the weir, and then hope that you can stop before you hit the gates.

My worst souvenir of one of these downstream trips in strong floods was on the Marne, where they closed the lock right after I'd been through it, and opened the weir to pass over there which was much easier and very much safer too.

Still it's nice to remember these happenings of the past, when it ended up alright, and the only damage done was easy to repair just by washing the underpants :D.

 

Peter.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 11/07/2017 at 18:20, pete harrison said:

I have run downstream on the Thames under 'red boards' with a part loaded narrow boat pair. That is definitely the scariest boating I have ever done, but at least I know what the 'red boards' mean now - and no the Lock Keepers did not say a word to stop me :captain:

Red boards pah!

Keith

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