Friday August 3
Albert is on the move again! After a period spent away from the waterways we are taking a two week(ish) trip. We had planned to do the Thames above Oxford but given the floods that is in doubt. However, we are making our way towards Braunston in the hope that the red boards may soon be lifted. If not it will be a trip up North.
Tonight we are in Stoke Bruerne. As usual text posts will be by mobile phone, images will be uploaded when we get home. Weather today was great let's hope it lasts and river levels continue to fall.
Sent via mobile internet
Friends of the Canal Museum Boat Gathering, July 2007
We went up to Stoke Bruerne on 16th July to attend the boat gathering. Took our neighbours the Gibbards with us to Stoke. Their kids particularly enjoyed working the locks. Both Roisin & Sean managed to steer Albert. Sean even managed a couple of bridge holes.
The weekend was a good time for Steve to try out his new camera. He has had an Minolta SLR for some time, but for the last few years he has usually used a Canon Digital A40 Powershot. He has now moved to digital SLR with a Canon EOS 400D. Under poor lighting conditions it was certainly faster than the compact digital and the quality of the images is far better.
Helping with the bottom lock on the Stoke Bruerne flight
Lots of working boats at the gathering. Obviously not as many working boats as for the 2005 Blisworth Tunnel Bicentenary but this event appears to be a useful addition to the "working boat calender" as it comes a week before the Braunston gathering.
Sqeezebox players with a dog that has heard it all before
We were invited aboard Kingfisher, the former Grand Junction Canal Company inspection launch, by Alan Paine. Although Kingfisher moors near us at Yardley Gobion it was the first time we had been able go on board. It's such a unique boat with so many of its original features preserved. The canal company china is still in use. I understand that Alan has also got a load of the old logbooks that record the director's trips. They ran to a strict timetable.
Kingfisher on its return journey to Yardley Gobion
Despite the weather on Saturday there was a resonable crowd, but Sunday with better weather Stoke was packed. Among the different attractions this year were Denis Fellows, the blacksmith who works from a narrowboat and radio controlled narrow boats.
Managed to get Denis to make us a keb (weed rake). Steve only recently discovered what they are called after coveting one for some time. It would have been handy last year when we went down the Nene where to the floating weeds at the locks in Wellingborough were particularly difficuly. The keb was made from an old fork that we supplied. Chatting to Denis he told us he intends giving up blacksmith's work later in the year. He will be missed if he does. He livens up the canal wherever he stops.
Denis Fellows making us a keb
We managed to go aboard Gifford. Great painting by both Tony Lewery & Phil Speight. It was interesting to see the elegent lines of the hull inside the back cabin.
NB Gifford's stunning paintwork
NB Gifford's beautifully grained back cabin
Colin Dundas, who added some of the signwriting and decoration to Albert and whose work we admire, was doing demonstrations on the Saturday. With better weather on the Sunday, Colin was at work on NB Towcester outside the Museum. He got quite an audience.
Signwriter Colin Dundas at work on Towcester
We moored Albert in the "long pound". On Sunday evening, because we wanted to turn Albert around, we took her up through the top lock and turned her around at the winding hole just south of the tunnel. On the way we were joined by Mike Partridge on NB Jubilee. He appeared to be taking Trevor Maggs and others for a trip. Great to pass through locks with an historic working boat and a full crew to help. Rapid locking! Above the top lock the canal was very crowded with boats. Stoke Bruerne looked like it did during the Defra blockade last November. Almost bank to bank working boats.
NBs Jubilee and Albert sharing Stoke Top Lock
Returned to Kingfisher Marina on the Monday morning with heavy showers and lots of water coming down the flight. There was so much water it was very difficult to get out of the second lock. We contemplated calling BW to help.
Cascades of water, Stoke Bruerne Bottom Lock
The weekend was a good time for Steve to try out his new camera. He has had an Minolta SLR for some time, but for the last few years he has usually used a Canon Digital A40 Powershot. He has now moved to digital SLR with a Canon EOS 400D. Under poor lighting conditions it was certainly faster than the compact digital and the quality of the images is far better.
Helping with the bottom lock on the Stoke Bruerne flight
Lots of working boats at the gathering. Obviously not as many working boats as for the 2005 Blisworth Tunnel Bicentenary but this event appears to be a useful addition to the "working boat calender" as it comes a week before the Braunston gathering.
Sqeezebox players with a dog that has heard it all before
We were invited aboard Kingfisher, the former Grand Junction Canal Company inspection launch, by Alan Paine. Although Kingfisher moors near us at Yardley Gobion it was the first time we had been able go on board. It's such a unique boat with so many of its original features preserved. The canal company china is still in use. I understand that Alan has also got a load of the old logbooks that record the director's trips. They ran to a strict timetable.
Kingfisher on its return journey to Yardley Gobion
Despite the weather on Saturday there was a resonable crowd, but Sunday with better weather Stoke was packed. Among the different attractions this year were Denis Fellows, the blacksmith who works from a narrowboat and radio controlled narrow boats.
Managed to get Denis to make us a keb (weed rake). Steve only recently discovered what they are called after coveting one for some time. It would have been handy last year when we went down the Nene where to the floating weeds at the locks in Wellingborough were particularly difficuly. The keb was made from an old fork that we supplied. Chatting to Denis he told us he intends giving up blacksmith's work later in the year. He will be missed if he does. He livens up the canal wherever he stops.
Denis Fellows making us a keb
We managed to go aboard Gifford. Great painting by both Tony Lewery & Phil Speight. It was interesting to see the elegent lines of the hull inside the back cabin.
NB Gifford's stunning paintwork
NB Gifford's beautifully grained back cabin
Colin Dundas, who added some of the signwriting and decoration to Albert and whose work we admire, was doing demonstrations on the Saturday. With better weather on the Sunday, Colin was at work on NB Towcester outside the Museum. He got quite an audience.
Signwriter Colin Dundas at work on Towcester
We moored Albert in the "long pound". On Sunday evening, because we wanted to turn Albert around, we took her up through the top lock and turned her around at the winding hole just south of the tunnel. On the way we were joined by Mike Partridge on NB Jubilee. He appeared to be taking Trevor Maggs and others for a trip. Great to pass through locks with an historic working boat and a full crew to help. Rapid locking! Above the top lock the canal was very crowded with boats. Stoke Bruerne looked like it did during the Defra blockade last November. Almost bank to bank working boats.
NBs Jubilee and Albert sharing Stoke Top Lock
Returned to Kingfisher Marina on the Monday morning with heavy showers and lots of water coming down the flight. There was so much water it was very difficult to get out of the second lock. We contemplated calling BW to help.
Cascades of water, Stoke Bruerne Bottom Lock
Black Boy, 2007 - Following-up on NB Lion
Because we were passing through Knowle on a wet Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend we decided to follow-up on Ken Tremain's 1960s photographs of NB Lion moored up outside the Black Boy. Several features of the pub look similar but the building has been much altered and the gardens are very different. Still what do you expect after 40 years!
The moorings opposite, for members of the Black Boy Cruising Club look very much improved. Unfortunately we couldn't gain access to off-side so we couldn't re-create Ken's camera angles; however it was interesting to re-discover his old haunts.
Narrowboat Lion - Story of a 1960's working boat conversion
We recently came across some photos and a notebook that belonged to Maggie's uncle, Ken Tremain. He was an early canal enthusiast who converted part of a working boat and lived on it for over 20 years near Knowle on the Grand Union.
Ken purchased the stern section of the former Birmingham Canal Navigation boat Lion from HW Ollis for £100 in 1963. The boat is thought to have been originally been built by Harris Brothers of Bumblehole, Netherton and is typical of the riveted boats they produced for use on the BCN.
Lion as purchased
Because the original boat was an unpowered butty the stern section of the "barge", as it was described on the bill of sale, was easily converted to the bow of the boat. A transom was welded onto it and stern gear fitted. The boat was 32ft in length and powered by a Wolsey 10 engine converted to run on paraffin. Ken built the cabin and fitted it out from 1963 until 1967.
Bill of sale for Lion
During the fit-out the boat was kept near the Black Boy pub near Knowle. Ken kept meticulous financial and technical records in a small notebook. Design outlines, sketch drawings, lists of components and details of all expenditure were recorded in the notebook. In all he spent £489 3s 6d during the build. This included £100 for the hull, engine and stern gear. Even details such as the screws and varnish used were recorded.
Ken Tremain during Lion's fit-out
Accounts for Lion
The notebook has suffered from water damage.
Lion moored at the Black Boy
Ken lived on Lion until his death in 1987. Lion was then sold by the family. Most of the time he lived afloat Ken moored on the Grand Union near the Black Boy. He had a ginger cat appropriately called Leo. Working boats occasionally passed to and from Birmingham.
Lion with sleeping cat, tunnel light, fuel can, and club flag
The original BCN decoration can be seen on the bow (formerly the stern).
BW working boat Banstead on its way to Birmingham passing the Black Boy and Lion
A butty is obviously in tow. It may have come from the Oxford area.
An empty working pair from Birmingham passing Lion and breaking ice
During our recent trips along the Midlands Canals we looked out for Lion. In August 2004, whilst travelling along the North Stratford canal near Kings Norton, Steve noticed the characteristic bows of a BCN riveted boat and spotted the name Lion on a boat moored up on the off-side. Because the owner was on board, Steve stopped Albert and asked the owner, who by then was wondering why a boat had come alongside, if he knew the history of his boat. "Yes it is part of an ex-BCN boat converted by Ken Tremain" came the answer. It appears that after a short period with some other owners, Lion had been purchased by Ken Bromidge who used her since as a live aboard.
Lion on the North Stratford Canal 2004
The windows are now portholes and the rear deck has been changed.
During our mid-canal chat Ken B told us that he been recently refitting Lion's cabin and had discovered a letter addressed to Ken T behind some pine panels. It had been sent to Ken T shortly before he died and been mislaid. We were able to give the letter to Mollie, Ken Tremain's sister (Maggie's mother). Sometime later we were also able to take Mollie over to visit Lion. It brought back memories of her brother.
NB Albert meets NB Lion
For more details and photographs of Lion please enter our web album where you will find a collection of scanned images of Ken Tremain's notebook and pictures taken by Ken Tremain of Lion during the 1960s.
If you have any information regarding Lion we would be pleased to receive it. Our email is below.
mailto:nbalbert@btinternet.com
Ken purchased the stern section of the former Birmingham Canal Navigation boat Lion from HW Ollis for £100 in 1963. The boat is thought to have been originally been built by Harris Brothers of Bumblehole, Netherton and is typical of the riveted boats they produced for use on the BCN.
Lion as purchased
Because the original boat was an unpowered butty the stern section of the "barge", as it was described on the bill of sale, was easily converted to the bow of the boat. A transom was welded onto it and stern gear fitted. The boat was 32ft in length and powered by a Wolsey 10 engine converted to run on paraffin. Ken built the cabin and fitted it out from 1963 until 1967.
Bill of sale for Lion
During the fit-out the boat was kept near the Black Boy pub near Knowle. Ken kept meticulous financial and technical records in a small notebook. Design outlines, sketch drawings, lists of components and details of all expenditure were recorded in the notebook. In all he spent £489 3s 6d during the build. This included £100 for the hull, engine and stern gear. Even details such as the screws and varnish used were recorded.
Ken Tremain during Lion's fit-out
Accounts for Lion
The notebook has suffered from water damage.
Lion moored at the Black Boy
Ken lived on Lion until his death in 1987. Lion was then sold by the family. Most of the time he lived afloat Ken moored on the Grand Union near the Black Boy. He had a ginger cat appropriately called Leo. Working boats occasionally passed to and from Birmingham.
Lion with sleeping cat, tunnel light, fuel can, and club flag
The original BCN decoration can be seen on the bow (formerly the stern).
BW working boat Banstead on its way to Birmingham passing the Black Boy and Lion
A butty is obviously in tow. It may have come from the Oxford area.
An empty working pair from Birmingham passing Lion and breaking ice
During our recent trips along the Midlands Canals we looked out for Lion. In August 2004, whilst travelling along the North Stratford canal near Kings Norton, Steve noticed the characteristic bows of a BCN riveted boat and spotted the name Lion on a boat moored up on the off-side. Because the owner was on board, Steve stopped Albert and asked the owner, who by then was wondering why a boat had come alongside, if he knew the history of his boat. "Yes it is part of an ex-BCN boat converted by Ken Tremain" came the answer. It appears that after a short period with some other owners, Lion had been purchased by Ken Bromidge who used her since as a live aboard.
Lion on the North Stratford Canal 2004
The windows are now portholes and the rear deck has been changed.
During our mid-canal chat Ken B told us that he been recently refitting Lion's cabin and had discovered a letter addressed to Ken T behind some pine panels. It had been sent to Ken T shortly before he died and been mislaid. We were able to give the letter to Mollie, Ken Tremain's sister (Maggie's mother). Sometime later we were also able to take Mollie over to visit Lion. It brought back memories of her brother.
NB Albert meets NB Lion
For more details and photographs of Lion please enter our web album where you will find a collection of scanned images of Ken Tremain's notebook and pictures taken by Ken Tremain of Lion during the 1960s.
If you have any information regarding Lion we would be pleased to receive it. Our email is below.
mailto:nbalbert@btinternet.com
Easter 2007 on the Aylesbury Arm
Took a trip down the Grand Union to Marsworth and then to Aylesbury. Weather was glorious throughout and the welcome at the Aylesbury Cruising Club was as warm as ever. Took Patches, our 14 year-old male cat, with us for the first time. It all went very well since he isn't very active and therefore is easy to control. He enjoyed sleeping on our bed and waking us up in the mornings.
We left Yardley Gobion on Tuesday April 3rd and moored up on Wednesday night at Campbell Park, Central Milton Keynes. Found that one of the domestic batteries had failed, and the calorifier was leaking! Couldn't do much about the latter but with the help of our neighbour Anthony Cross we replaced the battery via the chandlers at Whilton. The calorifier leak meant Steve had to bale out the "dry" bilge every day. Useful things towels as Ford Prefect pointed out to Arthur Dent in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
After replacing the battery on Wednesday morning and checking it was charging correctly we made it to one of our favourite moorings at Old Linslade that evening.
On Thursday we travelled south with NB Keeping Up With The Jones. We've recently enjoyed veiwing their web site. We stopped at Leighton Buzzard (Tesco) for supplies but they travelled on. At Grove lock we picked up with NB Tyro who used to moor at Fenny Stratford and had just begun their "continuous cruising". That evening we moored up at Marsworth and enjoyed good food at the White Lion. On the Friday we made our way down the arm to Aylesbury. Joined by two Wyvern Shipping hire boats en route. Both crews were from one family. We mooored up on near the Inland Revenue in Aylesbury and found the Jones boat also moored up.
On the return we followed the Wyvern pair for some time but they stopped for lunch and we didn't.
Mooored up again at Marsworth on Sunday. Saw two steam traction engines outside the Red Lion.
We were tempted to stay at the Red Lion (good real ale) but they were not doing evening meals so we walked up the main line to the the Grand Junction at Bulborne for a good Sunday roast. Very popular on a warm Easter Sunday evening. Spectacular transit of a hot air balloon.
On Monday 9th we travelled north in company with Still Tai who had also visited Aylesbury. Still Tai is a two year-old Lees 60ft sailaway that is still being fitted out by the owners. When they visited Aylesbury some of the family stayed in the Holiday Inn. They normally mooor at Leighton Buzzard not far from the Tesco store. The boat name means "STILL Thinking About It"! Glad I asked.
On Tuesday we moored up just outside Great Linford near to the lakes at Stantonbury. Took a walk down to the Great Ouse and the ruined church. Idyllic in the warm evening sun.
We got back to Yardley on Wednesday 11th after a leisurely journey back and lunch at Cosgrove. Patches was pleased to get home and investigate the garden. Now Steve will have to fix the calorifier!
We left Yardley Gobion on Tuesday April 3rd and moored up on Wednesday night at Campbell Park, Central Milton Keynes. Found that one of the domestic batteries had failed, and the calorifier was leaking! Couldn't do much about the latter but with the help of our neighbour Anthony Cross we replaced the battery via the chandlers at Whilton. The calorifier leak meant Steve had to bale out the "dry" bilge every day. Useful things towels as Ford Prefect pointed out to Arthur Dent in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
After replacing the battery on Wednesday morning and checking it was charging correctly we made it to one of our favourite moorings at Old Linslade that evening.
Old Linslade
On Thursday we travelled south with NB Keeping Up With The Jones. We've recently enjoyed veiwing their web site. We stopped at Leighton Buzzard (Tesco) for supplies but they travelled on. At Grove lock we picked up with NB Tyro who used to moor at Fenny Stratford and had just begun their "continuous cruising". That evening we moored up at Marsworth and enjoyed good food at the White Lion. On the Friday we made our way down the arm to Aylesbury. Joined by two Wyvern Shipping hire boats en route. Both crews were from one family. We mooored up on near the Inland Revenue in Aylesbury and found the Jones boat also moored up.
Narrow locks on the Aylesbury Arm
Aylesbury basin
On the return we followed the Wyvern pair for some time but they stopped for lunch and we didn't.
Reedy section of the Aylesbury Arm
Mooored up again at Marsworth on Sunday. Saw two steam traction engines outside the Red Lion.
Steam at the Red Lion, Marsworth
We were tempted to stay at the Red Lion (good real ale) but they were not doing evening meals so we walked up the main line to the the Grand Junction at Bulborne for a good Sunday roast. Very popular on a warm Easter Sunday evening. Spectacular transit of a hot air balloon.
Hot air balloon at Bulborne
On Monday 9th we travelled north in company with Still Tai who had also visited Aylesbury. Still Tai is a two year-old Lees 60ft sailaway that is still being fitted out by the owners. When they visited Aylesbury some of the family stayed in the Holiday Inn. They normally mooor at Leighton Buzzard not far from the Tesco store. The boat name means "STILL Thinking About It"! Glad I asked.
On Tuesday we moored up just outside Great Linford near to the lakes at Stantonbury. Took a walk down to the Great Ouse and the ruined church. Idyllic in the warm evening sun.
Great Linford
We got back to Yardley on Wednesday 11th after a leisurely journey back and lunch at Cosgrove. Patches was pleased to get home and investigate the garden. Now Steve will have to fix the calorifier!
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