The second video was also taken in glorious weather. It is sunny hot and calm. This time Maggie was steering and I took the video from the well deck. We are going more slowly along the delightful section of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal just above the Wigan Flight near Haigh Country Park.
Showing posts with label Video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Video. Show all posts
Northern Canal Videos
I took two video clips whilst we were on our northern cruise on two quite different waterways. The first is on the wide "commercial waterway" - the Aire & Calder. The video is of Albert, in company with other boats although they are difficult to discern, travelling between Pollington and Whitley . The Knottingley & Goole Canal is wide straight and deep and we are travelling quite quickly. It is good to see that its sunny - we did have a spell of good weather.
The second video was also taken in glorious weather. It is sunny hot and calm. This time Maggie was steering and I took the video from the well deck. We are going more slowly along the delightful section of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal just above the Wigan Flight near Haigh Country Park.
The second video was also taken in glorious weather. It is sunny hot and calm. This time Maggie was steering and I took the video from the well deck. We are going more slowly along the delightful section of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal just above the Wigan Flight near Haigh Country Park.
Chesterfield Canal
We spent last weekend in Sheffield. In the past we have taken the opportunity to visit Victoria Quays , but this time our friends Anne & Edward Winter arranged a little treat for us. It started with a walk along a newly restored part of the Chesterfield Canal and lunch at Nona's Coffee Shop at Hollingwood Hub. I had visited the Tapton Lock area of the canal, close to Chesterfield, a few years ago but without my camera. This time I took some shots.
The weather was "bracing", exactly what you expect of December in Derbyshire. The new locks, built in Halifax looked fine and Hollingwood Hub is great facility with its coffee shop, offices and meeting rooms.
Lock and Hollingwood Hub
After a short walk towards Chesterfield we retraced our steps back to the coffee shop to have lunch of meat and potato pie with mushy peas and that "must have" condiment - mint sauce. Maggie was at college at Bingley in Yorkshire and this was a typical student treat at the time, particularly at the Ferrands Arms.
Old Lock Gates
We shall soon have to visit the connected navigable section of the Chesterfield with Albert.
In the afternoon we visited Renishaw Hall, home of the Sitwells, which is close by and well worth a visit.
Renishaw Hall and Rainbow
Sunday saw us visit Kelham Island Museum in Sheffield. It was full of visitors to their Victorian Christmas Fair. For me the star of the show was the most powerful working steam engine in Europe (12,000 BHP), the River Don Engine. It used to run the armour plate rolling mill at Cammell's Grimesthorpe Works where it worked for over 50 years. It was built by Davy Brothers of Sheffield in 1905.
Its size is impressive and its ability to reverse so quickly (because it powered a rolling mill) was breathtaking. The huge crowds watching enjoyed it. On the basis that many boaters are interested in industrial history I have added a video clip of its performance. I hope you also enjoy it.
Also at Kelham Island is a Crossley 150 HP gas engine. A Crossley gas engine, obviously smaller, was once fitted to the FMC motor Vulcan in 1906 for tests but later replaced. Here is a short clip of it working. It also powered a rolling mill.
The weather was "bracing", exactly what you expect of December in Derbyshire. The new locks, built in Halifax looked fine and Hollingwood Hub is great facility with its coffee shop, offices and meeting rooms.
Lock and Hollingwood Hub
After a short walk towards Chesterfield we retraced our steps back to the coffee shop to have lunch of meat and potato pie with mushy peas and that "must have" condiment - mint sauce. Maggie was at college at Bingley in Yorkshire and this was a typical student treat at the time, particularly at the Ferrands Arms.
Old Lock Gates
We shall soon have to visit the connected navigable section of the Chesterfield with Albert.
In the afternoon we visited Renishaw Hall, home of the Sitwells, which is close by and well worth a visit.
Renishaw Hall and Rainbow
Sunday saw us visit Kelham Island Museum in Sheffield. It was full of visitors to their Victorian Christmas Fair. For me the star of the show was the most powerful working steam engine in Europe (12,000 BHP), the River Don Engine. It used to run the armour plate rolling mill at Cammell's Grimesthorpe Works where it worked for over 50 years. It was built by Davy Brothers of Sheffield in 1905.
Its size is impressive and its ability to reverse so quickly (because it powered a rolling mill) was breathtaking. The huge crowds watching enjoyed it. On the basis that many boaters are interested in industrial history I have added a video clip of its performance. I hope you also enjoy it.
Also at Kelham Island is a Crossley 150 HP gas engine. A Crossley gas engine, obviously smaller, was once fitted to the FMC motor Vulcan in 1906 for tests but later replaced. Here is a short clip of it working. It also powered a rolling mill.
Film of Sister Mary Ward
I recently posted about Stoke Bruerne's Sister Mary Ward. When recently browsing the British Pathe News video clips about waterways, I discovered that some film of her carrying out her duties in 1949.
Classic stuff! I hope you enjoy it. It is unfortunately labelled the Bargee's Doctor! There is much more on the British Pathe site that will interest those with an interest in modern social history.
Click on the image below to run the clip. You may have to tolerate an advert before the film loads.
Classic stuff! I hope you enjoy it. It is unfortunately labelled the Bargee's Doctor! There is much more on the British Pathe site that will interest those with an interest in modern social history.
Click on the image below to run the clip. You may have to tolerate an advert before the film loads.
BARGEES' DOCTOR
Useless Machine
Our friend David Marks has the knack for constructing interesting items, mostly useful. His recent credits include a fabulous doll's house for his grandchildren. He also has some long-term projects on the go such as building a wooden organ driven by MIDI technology - he is skilled at both woodwork and electronics.
However, it was with some amazement that I recently discovered his latest device - a version of the Most Useless Machine. You Tube has several videos showing versions of Useless Machines in operation.
Unique or not, David's version is really great fun. You just can't stop trying it. Last night when there was a gathering at David's house it got a lot of use. Hope you enjoy the video.
By the way, the ghostly red light was added at my suggestion.
However, it was with some amazement that I recently discovered his latest device - a version of the Most Useless Machine. You Tube has several videos showing versions of Useless Machines in operation.
Unique or not, David's version is really great fun. You just can't stop trying it. Last night when there was a gathering at David's house it got a lot of use. Hope you enjoy the video.
By the way, the ghostly red light was added at my suggestion.
African Dancers in Manchester
One of the joys of visiting English cities by boat is the ability to moor up and explore areas you would not normally visit. We rarely have the opportunity these days to just enjoy our cities like a tourist, but when one does there is usually something unexpected to discover.
When we moored up in Manchester recently we went to museums, art galleries, a concert and of course the shops. But in Piccadilly Gardens we found a group of African drummers and a sitar player performing with some dancers. A student from the Northern College of Music was also watching and he provided some commentary on their tuning and scales. It so was fascinating Steve couldn't resist taking a video clip.
Dancers and musicians from Gambia
When we moored up in Manchester recently we went to museums, art galleries, a concert and of course the shops. But in Piccadilly Gardens we found a group of African drummers and a sitar player performing with some dancers. A student from the Northern College of Music was also watching and he provided some commentary on their tuning and scales. It so was fascinating Steve couldn't resist taking a video clip.
Dancers and musicians from Gambia
Anderton Lift Video
Below is a video of Albert going down the Anderton lift last week. Steve took the video with his Nokia N95 and then edited it using Windows Moviemaker. We hope you enjoy it.
Opening Lock Gates Automatically
When we were travelling down to the Thames this summer, on the Grand Union, we came across Richard Horne who operates working narrowboat Arundel carrying aggregate from the conveyor at Denham to Hanson's wharf at West Drayton. The last time we were down that way, in 2003, we saw the then new Land & Water barges that were specifically designed to fill Cowley Lock operating through Cowley. This time we saw Arundel reversing back empty from the winding to its wharf at Denham to fill up at the coveyor and later, after we had moored, watched her descending Cowley Lock.
Richard, who operates the boat as Phoenix Canal Carriers, was operating single-handed and was using an interesting technique to open the lower lock gates. It was a version of a technique that I had not seen before but had read about in Waterways World in the mid 1990s. The technique consists of using the boats motive power (i.e. horse or motor) to automatically open the lock gates when the lock is empty. The description I read in Waterways World described a pair of horse boats going down Hatton Flight. I remember finding it very hard to follow the description; I read it through several times before I began to understand it. Seing a modern version with just one boat made it easier to follow but I have to say it was no less impressive in terms of ingenuity.
I took a video of the technique on my Nokia N95. I hope you can follow what is happening. The process involves putting a line from the towing mast around the lock gate rail and selecting reverse on the motor. When the water levels are equal the force on the line which over the gate is sufficient to open it. Once the gate is open the motor engine is put into neutral via a line to the engine-hole. Richard gets on board and then leaves the lock, retrieving the line to the gates in the process. Obviously the gates are left open in the manner that prevailed during the days of full-scale commercial carrying.
Richard Horne automatically opening the gates of Cowley Lock using the engine of NB Arundel, August 1st 2008
I discussed how much aggregate Arundel was carrying with Richard. He had on board a very impressive 30 1/4 tonnes. As he pointed out, it just demonstrated what could be carried when canals are properly dredged. It appears the section between Denham and West Drayton has been dredged to 7ft.
Steve Parkin
Richard, who operates the boat as Phoenix Canal Carriers, was operating single-handed and was using an interesting technique to open the lower lock gates. It was a version of a technique that I had not seen before but had read about in Waterways World in the mid 1990s. The technique consists of using the boats motive power (i.e. horse or motor) to automatically open the lock gates when the lock is empty. The description I read in Waterways World described a pair of horse boats going down Hatton Flight. I remember finding it very hard to follow the description; I read it through several times before I began to understand it. Seing a modern version with just one boat made it easier to follow but I have to say it was no less impressive in terms of ingenuity.
I took a video of the technique on my Nokia N95. I hope you can follow what is happening. The process involves putting a line from the towing mast around the lock gate rail and selecting reverse on the motor. When the water levels are equal the force on the line which over the gate is sufficient to open it. Once the gate is open the motor engine is put into neutral via a line to the engine-hole. Richard gets on board and then leaves the lock, retrieving the line to the gates in the process. Obviously the gates are left open in the manner that prevailed during the days of full-scale commercial carrying.
Richard Horne automatically opening the gates of Cowley Lock using the engine of NB Arundel, August 1st 2008
I discussed how much aggregate Arundel was carrying with Richard. He had on board a very impressive 30 1/4 tonnes. As he pointed out, it just demonstrated what could be carried when canals are properly dredged. It appears the section between Denham and West Drayton has been dredged to 7ft.
Steve Parkin
Stoke Bruerne Locks Video
After our first attempt at making a video of operating locks, Mike Peet shot some more clips for us to edit. The original idea had been to put together a sequence to cover all locking operations but it didn't appear to work that well given the differences between locks. So in the end it was edited into a simple time sequence as we came out of the bottom lock and went up the next two. Unlike our trip down Braunston locks, we went through the locks as a single rather than as a pair of boats. We hope you enjoy it.
Braunston Locks Video
On April 12th we had a day around Braunston with Mike & Juliet Peet. Mike took some video clips on his digital camera as we went down the Braunston flight. Below is a video I constructed from his clips. As you will see one of the paddle mechanisms was very stiff! It was also quite a windy day as you will hear from the noise on the audio.
Steve Parkin
Steve Parkin
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