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NatWest Narrowboats


badgerbag

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Back in 1979 or 80 I did some scraping and painting on a boat owned by the NatWest sports and social club (my employers at the time) which was moored on the Leeds Liverpool at, I think, Rodley. It was one of a pair, the other being moored somewhere down south. Sadly I can't remember the names of the boats but I wonder if anybody else can, and knows what happened to them? 

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Remember them well. They were part of the NatWest sailing club. I was a member and used the one moored at Gayton Junction several times,  before buying our own boat. Cannot remember all the names but believe there was a NatWest 1, NatWest 2 and a Rose of Lothbury - one of them was a fibreglass cruiser on the Thames. You have really taken me back :-)

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There were two boats which were kept at Calcutt in the late 80's early 90's, Lothbury Lady, a 45 Calcutt boat & Pride of Lothbury 54ft. Had some great holidays on both of them. I think one of them was moved up to the Macc for variety. Natwester1 & Natwester2 were I think offshore cruisers.  I well remember the 9-00 on 1st Nov phone calls to the "booking officer" hoping to get the booking we wanted on first come, first served and not being able to get through. Have our own boat now & saw Lothbury Lady last year somewhere on the Staffs & Worcs I think.

Steve

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The one at Gayton was a wooden top and was built by Braunston Boats if memory serves - it was eventually moved to pastures new but I cannot recall where. NatWest 1 I thought was the plastic jobbie on the Thames and upon which I did my original handling course - had to have a certificate of competency before  being allowed access to the inland boats. I bet I've got pictures somewhere but where - there was no digital filing then :-)

I do remember the Fastnet tragedy. I was working in the Princess Street, London office of Trustee Dept in those days, either there or 15 Bishopsgate. 

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Quick search on boat index gives;

Quote

Lothbury Lady Built by Calcutt Boats Ltd - Length : 13.41 metres ( 44 feet ) - Beam : 2.08 metres ( 6 feet 10 inches ) - Draft : 0.01 metres ( 0 feet ). Metal hull N/A power of 999 HP. Registered with Canal & River Trust number 51645 as a Powered Motor Boat.  ( Last updated on Wednesday 22nd May 2013 ) 

Pride Of Lothbury Built by Calcutt Boats Ltd - Length : 15.55 metres ( 51 feet ) - Beam : 2.08 metres ( 6 feet 10 inches ) - Draft : 0.61 metres ( 2 feet ). Metal hull N/A power of 999 HP. Registered with Canal & River Trust number 54074 as a Powered Motor Boat.  ( Last updated on Sunday 29th May 2011 ) 

Other boat names on this licence plate (May be Historical Data)

    Te Papa Built by Calcutt Boats Ltd - Length : 15.55 metres ( 51 feet ) - Beam : 2.08 metres ( 6 feet 10 inches ) - Draft : 0.61 metres ( 2 feet ). Metal hull N/A power of 999 HP. Registered with Canal & River Trust number 54074 as a Powered Motor Boat.  ( Last updated on Wednesday 22nd May 2013 )

 

Nothing pops for NatWest or NatWester

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Thanks for this. But she was def a Braunston wooden top. We used her several times - once Gayton to Stratford upon Avon in a week of deluge! I do know she was the first narrowboat and was sold to fund one of the later boats so maybe that is why she is missing from the list. Can still hear that single cylinder diesel - Petter I think. Happy days :-) 

Pride of Lothbury not Rose as I first recalled. Thanks again.

Edited by Traveller
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11 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

Other boat names on this licence plate (May be Historical Data)

The dates on the two entries for licence plate 54074 appear to show that Pride of Lothbury was renamed Te Papa sometime 2011 - 2013

It was definitely Natwester 1 & 2 not Natwest 1 & 2

Went down a flight of locks with another boat once, the lady gave me her lifes story about the big bad nasty Natwest taking her home & livelihood (chicken farmers) away & making her & her family homeless. When we got to the bottom of the flight she asked what the NWBSC on the side of the boat stood for. Should have seen her face when I said Nat West Bank Sailing Club.

Steve

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14 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

In the drought of 1976 (when i was ten) we shared Hillmorton Locks* with a Natwester -  i also recall them beibg featured in Waterways World. 

*yes, that's right, we shared narrow locks. Our 4 berth hire boat was 30 feet long.

You've never farmed chickens have you????

(No,  it wasn't you, it was later than 1976 & not Hillmorton.)

Steve

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  • 1 year later...

In the unlikely event that anyone is still attached to this thread: 

 

I saw Lothbury Lady appearing out of the Harecastle Tunnel a couple of weeks ago. She is now part of the Heritage hire fleet based at Sherborne wharf on the Macclesfield.  

  • Greenie 1
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19 hours ago, Traveller said:

Heavens, yes,  remember her well. The one boat we never got around to using. She must be long in the tooth now but good to know she is still out there. She was named after NatWest's head office (Lothbury Office).

Thanks badgerbag.

Tucked behind the B of E's back door  - spent many happy hours next door rehearsing for concerts after work. 

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Ah, those were the days. Can remember being summoned to Lothbury to have a chat with the General Manager following my first management job. And the NatWest sailing club with its flappy jobs, river and canal cruisers. It was a great place to work back then.

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16 hours ago, Traveller said:

Ah, those were the days. Can remember being summoned to Lothbury to have a chat with the General Manager following my first management job. And the NatWest sailing club with its flappy jobs, river and canal cruisers. It was a great place to work back then.

The best thing for me - as an outsider - was doing audit work in the 'silk room' (or whatever they called it) at Coutts - looking at 'not quite so important people's accounts. The only bank that I know of that typed one's comments onto the statements.

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