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Audlem lock lock lad 2009...?


Oldjack

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Hi little bit of a long shot but does anyone remember the audlem lock lad, the guy who used to work the locks for a little cash.....? I first came across him mid 2009 when my family passed though with the boat, he worked the locks for us right down the flight, and later we met him on the way back up.

anybody know what became of him, was he ex forces, and did he ever build the boat he talked of...? or did he disappear again...?

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13 hours ago, Oldjack said:

Hi little bit of a long shot but does anyone remember the audlem lock lad, the guy who used to work the locks for a little cash.....? I first came across him mid 2009 when my family passed though with the boat, he worked the locks for us right down the flight, and later we met him on the way back up.

anybody know what became of him, was he ex forces, and did he ever build the boat he talked of...? or did he disappear again...?

Around that time 2010 ish my friend was descending the flight he came across a guy on the tow path who was obviously ill he rang for an ambulance & got him on the boat  by the time he'd descended 3 more locks the paramedics arrived at town lock & walked up the flight & began treating the sick guy, transferring him to the ambulance near the mill.My friend never did find out the outcome as to  what became of him but in his words he was "well sick" could this possibly be the guy you were referring to

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2 hours ago, X Alan W said:

Around that time 2010 ish my friend was descending the flight he came across a guy on the tow path who was obviously ill he rang for an ambulance & got him on the boat  by the time he'd descended 3 more locks the paramedics arrived at town lock & walked up the flight & began treating the sick guy, transferring him to the ambulance near the mill.My friend never did find out the outcome as to  what became of him but in his words he was "well sick" could this possibly be the guy you were referring to

That doesn't sound very good....

wonder if it's the same chap throw, the lad I refer to was well built physically, and clearly had been working hard at something before coming to be alongside the canal, maybe a marine, he was no grunt though, very intelligent and well spoken (definitely a trace of northern in his voice) and maybe a officer?

when we arrived at the top lock the gate was open, and he was asleep on the balance beam in the sunshine windlass tucked in over his shoulder, we steered into the lock, he swung his legs down and greeted us, I joked about paying him to do the locks and hey presto we gained a paid crewman.

honestly though he did all the work, preparing the locks ahead as well most of the time and we flew down the locks with ease and he must have known what he was doing around boats, at the bottom of the locks I asked him how much and he just said what ever you think it was worth sir, I gave him £30 and he gave me £10 back. The last I saw of him that day was him napping on the balance beam in the sunshine again awaiting the next customer I guess.

my daughter seems to think his name was maybe Jon? And he had come from Plymouth? She did know that he had been a boy on the canal and wanted to build a tug to work around the system.

id be very grateful to know if anyone remembers him or knows him, a work tip he gave to my daughter has led to some very good years for my family, and it would be nice let him know how grateful we all are.

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Not sure if this is related but I can remember going through these locks on an October weekend that year and there was a guy who was dossing in a tent beside lock 10 (I think). I can't remember anything about him, only that I remember seeing what looked like the same tent pitched up at the side of the towpath in Nantwich, a couple of weeks later.

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