Victoria - Royalty Class Narrowboat

Having a boat called Albert we naturally keep our eyes peeled for boats called Victoria. We were very pleased in April to meet the Yarwoods-built Royalty Class boat Victoria travelling south near Winkwell towards Little Venice for the Canal Cavalcade. She looked very smart in her new Associated Canal Carrier's paint scheme. I presumed it was based that shown on page 51 of Edward Paget-Tomlinson's book Colours of the Cut.

Well last weekend we went to the Canal Museum Boat Gathering at Stoke Bruerne. Towards the end of Saturday afternoon Victoria appeared from Blisworth tunnel and I was able to take more pictures of her new paint scheme. I also talked briefly (during locking) to her steerer. It appears that the signwriting was carried out by Phil Spheight and they think that the framing of the panels as shown in Colours of the Cut is not quite right and have used a bright yellow. However, whatever the merits of the arguments about colours, I think the heavy Victorian scrolling and idiosyncratic location of the name Victoria looks first rate.


Victoria arriving at the Bruerne boat gathering
(having a last minute brass polish)




Victoria's side panels

Bob Westlake, from Yardley Gobion, managed to take a number of photos of Victoria at last year's Stoke Bruerne Boat gathering. Thanks to him I can show "before and after" images.


Victoria, before transformation, 2009 Stoke Bruerne boat gathering
(courtesy Bob Westlake)