Idle Women

[sharpness]

At the end of Countryfile tonight it was mentioned that next weeks programme would be for Remembrance Day & that it would include an item about Idle Women & how they helped the war effort.

[Nightwatch]

I heard that. Hope it's factual.

[Ray T]

9 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

I heard that. Hope it's factual.

 Kate Saffin, Heather Wastie and a lady who posts on here are involved.

And you can catch us on BBC Countryfile on Sunday November 12th. We spent the day with Ellie Harrison and the crew filming at Stoke Bruerne last week – a wonderful experience and we’re looking forward to how they distill all that going up and down the flight into six minutes.

The Alarum Theatre, of course, toured the route of the GU / BCN / Oxford canals  this year with their "Idle Women" show.

http://www.alarumtheatre.co.uk/

Edited November 6, 2017 by Ray T

[Leo No2]

We did undertake a whole day filming with CountryFile on 26-October from which will come about 6 or 7 minutes of broadcast film I imagine - 18:20 on Remembrance Sunday - 12-November.  I spoke them them briefly about my Aunt (Daphne March) - you won't find her mentioned as an Idle Woman a trainee because she trained the original trainees as that's what they were - the 'Idle Woman' title came, I believe, from Susan Woolfit's book 'Idle Women' written after the war and was to do with the IW badge (I think Buckby Locks - of this parish - is perhaps more qualified than me to explain how the name came about - I believe I know but Mike is better placed and perhaps more eloquent).  I did my best to get the message across about trainees and not Idle Women (I don't think many of them warmed to the terminology) because idle they were not but you never know what they will include or cut out (7 mins out of 10 hours) - I have certainly taken Canal & River Trust public relations to task over their use of the Idle Women terminology but I expect the 'Idle Women' terminology sells better than 'trainees').  I notice on Sky that the short description of the programme uses 'So called' Idle Women. We used Sculptor for the day - up and down Stoke Bruerne (well as far as the A508 bridge) twice... What Kate and Heather said to the BBC (Ellie Harrison is the presenter) I don't know because I was on the tiller all day - continuity they said...... I do hope they don't show the little piece of missing gunnel - they are going to be replaced next year....

Perhaps you may be interested in two images from the day.  Sculptor getting a bit of smoke and heat on prior to starting (my copyright) and Sculptor approaching Lock 15 (© BBC).  I have also attached a file in which Daphne March articulates for her Oxford College what she did during the war - I expect that's my copyright now.  There are a number of images of Heather Bell taken in April-1942 (all © Imperial War Museum) here.

Edited to add that I completely forgot to make mention of the two Johns (John B and John W) from the Sculptor team who lock wheeled all day and were just real troupers - all the hard work and none of the limelight.

Daffy.pdf

Edited November 6, 2017 by Leo No2
Typo

[X Alan W]

Kathryn You've let the side down re 1st photo wheres your "Ostermilk"ends cut out cabin chimney pipe extension? 

[Leo No2]

7 minutes ago, X Alan W said:

Kathryn You've let the side down re 1st photo wheres your "Ostermilk"ends cut out cabin chimney pipe extension? 

Try and get that one past Canal & River Trust museums ........ :-)

Edited November 6, 2017 by Leo No2

[koukouvagia]

30 minutes ago, Leo No2 said:

Perhaps you may be interested in two images from the day.  Sculptor getting a bit of smoke and heat on prior to starting.

That reminds me of when Owl was used in the remake of The Railway Children.  Apparently we were producing the wrong kind of smoke for the filming, so our son spent the afternoon feeding damp newspaper onto the fire.

I'm sure you had a great day, Kathryn.  Look forward to seeing the programme.

[X Alan W]

1 minute ago, Leo No2 said:

Try and get that one past Canal & River Trust museums ........ :-)

Never mind the museums & c&rt the've got you standing in the smoke  Hide it in the engine "ole" & fit when out of sight I doubt if many in charge now would know it wasn't original kit.

[Leo No2]

1 minute ago, X Alan W said:

Never mind the museums & c&rt the've got you standing in the smoke  Hide it in the engine "ole" & fit when out of sight I doubt if many in charge now would know it wasn't original kit.

Strangely the smoke disappeared quite quickly as we are on 'smokeless fuel' (oh yes) but when they did want a bit of smoke a 'disposable' coffee cup gave us a few minutes of very thick smoke - now what are those 'disposable' cups made of I wonder?

[Peter X]

I think those coffee cups are all polystyrene. When burnt you get a brief fireball, some very toxic black smoke, and a nasty sticky residue. Don't try this at home folks.

[Dav and Pen]

Those of you who took part in the filming will know what to look for when it’s shown on country file but that programme seems to be about the presenters so don’t expect to much.

i remember  mr bray telling me a little story about a tv crew who were filming at stoke top lock when they shot in going down to the jam hole. The presenter said could you go back and do that again we didn’t quite get it all. Arthur’s response was something like. “We ain’t a come all the way from Coventry to have our photos took” Ernie lifted the paddles and off they went.

Graham Palmer and I were filmed on a R Avon work weekend, the interview with Graham took so long he smoked 20 fags but on the film only 1.

[koukouvagia]

Which of the presenters is doing the commentary?  I hope it's not the one who did the inane coverage of the Diamond Jubilee Thames event.

 

[canalboat]

If the presenter is Elle then I for one do not care what she says.

Ii will just be looking , probably not listening.

[X Alan W]

Arthur Bray was always one for the curt answer I remember a part of a film being shot at Braunston Robert Powell starred " Running Scared"? was the title & one scene was were an actor was supposed to hang himself from the bridge over the arm Arthur was tied by the stop house & was keeping a close eye on the goings on after the filming of that scene he approached the director?& said "If he's a tryin to hing issell he a never do it alike that" the film bod pointed out that the actor was not really trying to kill himself to which the reply came back "well whats he a wasting his time for" the film bod was speechless & Arthur walked away muttering " They be some funny folk about" this story was relayed to boaters coming in contact with him for the next few months I didn' get down that way again for several months & on seeing Arthur on the Buckby flight his first words were " The last time I a seed you was when that silly bu**er tried to hing issell on Braunston Arm bridge & he wandered off shaking his head to empty the next lock when Ernie got them in.

[Leo No2]

It was Ellie Harrison who was with us on the day.

[Leo No2]

5 hours ago, X Alan W said:

Kathryn You've let the side down re 1st photo wheres your "Ostermilk"ends cut out cabin chimney pipe extension? 

Well Alan you have now cost me the princely sum of £6:00 - tradition is what the museum people are about so tradition it will be and we’ll have our own Ostermilk extension in future!! 

[Ray T]

Weren't National milk tins used as well?

[cuthound]

3 minutes ago, Ray T said:

Weren't National milk tins used as well?

Only on boats fitted with National engines 

[Ray T]

Sorry to go off topic, but,  a new competition: Identify the milk tin 

[dave moore]

No idea, but that might be Ray White steering.......

Dave

[Ray T]

I believe so.

Edited November 6, 2017 by Ray T

[Nightwatch]

7 hours ago, Leo No2 said:

It was Ellie Harrison who was with us on the day.

Ellie is nice. And she can sing a mean folk song,as we saw in one episode.

[X Alan W]

16 hours ago, Leo No2 said:

Well Alan you have now cost me the princely sum of £6:00 - tradition is what the museum people are about so tradition it will be and we’ll have our own Ostermilk extension in future!! 

I'm sorry about that I must write out 100times "Keep stum or it costs people money " Is that the going rate for an "ostermilk" tin? It is strange how times have changedaround 1960 there was a big hose be side te cut just north of Middlewich the bins for it were placed near the towpath when requiring emptying there were always several baby milk tins we wondered what was it's purpose It wasn't until some years later that I leaned it was a home for unmarried mums to be & most had their babys put up for adoption I think in this case times have changed for the better

[Leo No2]

18 minutes ago, X Alan W said:

I'm sorry about that I must write out 100times "Keep stum or it costs people money " Is that the going rate for an "ostermilk" tin? It is strange how times have changedaround 1960 there was a big hose be side te cut just north of Middlewich the bins for it were placed near the towpath when requiring emptying there were always several baby milk tins we wondered what was it's purpose It wasn't until some years later that I leaned it was a home for unmarried mums to be & most had their babys put up for adoption I think in this case times have changed for the better

It's such a vast sum for this poor old pensioner ........... I'll send you a photo when it's in place!!

[pete harrison]

16 hours ago, dave moore said:

No idea, but that might be Ray White steering.......

Dave

And the boat is Willow Wren's CRANE