 |
| Summer 1977Chester & Cheshire |
 |
 |
|
|
| Thanks to Tom for these pictures taken in 1977 on a two-week cruise. Looking at the photos the lower windows bring, back memories of breaking into the boat at various places, Chester being one, when the key holder wasn’t there to open the door. Attendees from the photos were Pies, Joe, Tom, Steve, Tony Herbert, Brian Carey, Tim, JOC. |
| These photo was taken between The Anderton Lift and Bunbury Locks (Shropshire Union Canal), possibly on The Middlewich Branch. According to Tom's records the cans of beer in the picnic photo are Watneys Red Barrel purchased by Steve. The beer cans have been enlarged so you can check out Tom's theory. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| I don't know if you realise, but this photo of Joe and Tim was taken just after Joe's partial emersion - Tom |
| Barton Swing Aqueduct across the manchester Ship canal |
| These three pictures were taken at Bunbury Locks and the fellow driving like a manic is JOC according to Tom- to others it looks like an bit of excellent manoeuvring!!!! |
 |
| Lockgate – Judging by the numbers and one person having a handbag (Tim wasn’t into them till a few years later) there seems to be another boat crew here. Identifiable Brian, Tony, Joe and Steve |
 |
| A lovely photo of a beer swilling Pies before all his medical problems |
 |
| John measuring Tim’s flares at the entrance to Little Morton Hall – in those day security revolved around avoiding being whipped by trouser flares! |
| Shore leave and so off to a pub. L to R Brian, Joe, Tony, JOC and Pies |
| Pies at Nantwich Basin where we picked up the boat. |
 |
| Mow cop L to R Brian, JOC Joe, Tim, Tony Herbert (having a quick pick) and Pies |
| Tony, JOC and Tim cruising on what look like a pleasant day |
 |
| Tom on window cleaning fatigues at Little Morton Hall |
| Harecastle tunnel – The North end - Brian and Tony celebrate getting through. To Tony’s left was the spot that Iain tried to make a new tunnel in 2002 |
| Pies, Joe and Tim step out on Cheshire’s pastures. It could have been on this trip, that Pies lagging behind spotted a bull and sped past the other walkers at such a rate of knots that he was first over the gate. |
 |
| “Enrico” Blogg giving voice on Mow Cop |
 |
 |
| 1978 Summer -Leeds Liverpool Canal |
| The 1978 trip was a two-week effort on the Leeds Liverpool canal. The boat was very unstable as it lacked ballast. Anyone getting on or off made the boat rock considerably. The locks were very deep and locking through them with only one narrow boat in them was pretty precarious, especially since till our accident we weren’t using ropes to help stabilize the boat.. The Navigators were Joe, Tom, JOC, Pies, Tony Herbert, Tim and Bill; Steve joined us on the first Sunday. That day Tim was doing a roast beef dinner, going through one lock the boat almost turned turtle by rolling over, and was only stopped when Pies who was driving did a spot of yachting traipsing on the other side on the boat, joined rapidly by John, Bill moved pretty fast out from the lunch table to join them and to finally stabilize the boat. And what did Tim do in this time of crisis, when all had abandoned him. He put his body against the stove and stopped the food from falling to the floor – in those days Navigator’s food was worth having. It certainly was the scariest moment on the canals for the four people concerned. The weather was pretty awful with lots of rain. Tim who was into ‘Kicker’ designer clothes astonished us with the range of articles they produced and that he could wear. There were boots, pant and T-shirts. A memorable day was when he jumped of the boat onto the towpath (which at that point was part of the Pennine Way) to show off his out fit of Kicker Jeans, Jean top, boots and shirt to two girls who were walking along with their rucksacks. After it was clear he was getting nowhere, he jumped back on the boat. Unfortunately instead of grabbing the handrail on top of the boat, Tim grabbed the boating pole, which was sticking out at the end. So in to the canal Tim went, which was quite deep at that point, much to the amusement of all, especially the girls he so recently had tried so hard to impress. All of us were even more surprised that Kickers did swimming outfits as well! These pictures are from Tom’s camera. |
| Bill and Steve (in case you're wondering what Steve is up to, Steve to Bill just before this incident, 'Fancy a chuck about with my Frisbee?'). |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The Water Reed, Steve Chapman on the bank, Tom lazing in front and Al driving |
 |
 |
| Trent and Mersey Canal in the Anderton Lift, Bill driving. Note how much room there was on the back of the boat. |
 |
| Breakfast Pies, John, Bill and Steve. The cider was Steve’s but for breakfast? |
| John 'doing The Pennine Way', Note how Tim could mistake the handrail on the boat top. |
 |
| Tony Herbert driving with Joe and Steve working the lock. Note the top of the boat where part of Tim’s Kicker ensemble is laid out in an attempt to dry it after his unexpected dip. |
 |
| Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Bill Wadley driving in his blue outfit whilst Pies, Joe and Tim in his Kicker outfit walk, which considering how easy it was to tip the boat over was probably a good idea. |
 |
 |
| The top of Malham Cove, Tim to Joe, 'Lying bastard!' Tim is wearing one of his non-waterproof Kicker jackets, but sure does look good in it, shame it rained heavily after this photo was taken |
 |
| Steve (another nice day, but now you know why its so difficult to get him on the tiller now) |
 |
| Joe and John, this was taken on Sunday morning before Steve arrived and we nearly sank the boat, no ropes holding us against the side |
 |
| Malham Cove, Tim to Joe, 'Are you sure the canal is up there? |
 |
|
|
| Tim set fashion standards that fortunately have never been met again. Here he is pictured in his pyjamas in a pub, where he looks like he is about to eat. |
| 1979 Summer |
| 1979 and two veteran Navigators join up, Jake and Colin – both had boating experience going with Colin Longden on the Norfolk Broads and other canals and to show what a tough sailor he was Colin was the instigator of the famous midnight cruise written up below. Jake being a better swimmer went overboard helped by Pies. Steve Chapman and Big Al also made their first appearances. Towards the end of the two week trip we went for a curry, Tom led most of the crew back to the boat by a long route along the canal towpath. It seemed that everyone had forgotten their torches. In those days the towpaths weren’t in such good nick as today with big sections falling into the canal. A few feet got wet and Bill went in to his knees on a particularly eroded part. As we neared where we thought our boat was moored there was much debate whether it was our or not so Tom pulled out of his pocket his torch and shone it on the boat… |
| 19 June 1979 was to be perhaps the longest ever day on the canals but even after more than 22 miles and 11 locks the insatiable crew were not satisfied. Craving more canal mileage -and possibly influenced by gallons of Pedigree -they embarked on the notorious midnight cruise. The day had started at Atherstone on the Coventry Canal when Roger was woken by Tom's bony hand on his shoulder at 4.30. Navigating for the O'Connor crew for the first time, Roger had unwittingly revealed that a long dry (beer-wise) stretch of canals lay ahead that was best negotiated as quickly as possible, thus earning an early morning call. In fact it was a fine day and a delight to be out in the peace of the Warwickshire countryside while the other lazy bastards festered in their pits. Stopping only for a swift pint of something unmentionable in a forgotten canalside pub, we passed Fazeley and Fradley junctions and turned eastwards on the Trent & Mersey, finally stopping for the evening at Alrewas, a pleasant, if unpronounceable village. Alrewas has two Marstons pubs -the George & Dragon and William IV -and we tried them both at length. The Burton beers went down a treat and much was consumed, despite two of our number being on the wagon (the late Pies, suffering from hepatitis, and Steve Chapman, pining for Sheila, silly boy!) At some stage of the proceedings, the subject of night cruising was brought up and, since there were no gay bars in the village, we decided to try it on the canal instead. So we fell out of the pub and returned to the boat, cast off and away we went. On the tiller was Colin and up front, pointing the way was Big Al 'Stowaway' Riley. We quickly arrived at Alrewas lock where Roger decided to get in some canal diving practice, plummeting from the side of the lock on to the side of the boat. The only damage was a cut thumb; when the injured digit was dowsed in Dettol, the hapless drunken diver sobered up pretty sharpish! Despite everything we made satisfactory progress in the gloom until we were forced to stop when we reached the next lock and found a British Waterways Board boat moored in the way. In fact we had travelled not much more than a mile and a half. The following morning the not-so-early-as-the-morning-before risers went to open the lock and had a chat with the BWB men. They had heard us arrive the night before and reminded us that we were not insured to drive after dark and that the stretch of canal we had just navigated was actually joined by the River Trent and there were dangerous weirs, which of course we had not seen. Later that morning we arrived at the Bridge Inn at Branston for a Pedigree top-up and Colin was most surprised to be accused of driving the boat in the dark, having no recollection of such a thing. Finally, let it be noted that Black Tom spent the entire midnight cruise hiding Dude style under his blanket. No sense of adventure some people. |
| Some of Jake's memories recalled in Sept' 04 of this trip After our early start on the first Monday, Tom's insomnia returned on our way back. I was woken at an unearthly hour and foolishly responded by leaping from my bunk. It was still dark and I had to put the light on to get dressed. It was just past 4 in the morning. I took the tiller and watched the sun rise over rural Staffordshire. We soon came to a lock - Tom opened the bottom gates, shut them after me and then disappeared for some while. Eventually he reappeared and opened the top paddles. This, I must point out, was a wide lock and we had no ropes attached to the side. Soon the currents in the lock were pulling the boat forward and the more I did to halt our progress, the faster the boat seemed to go until we were hurtling inexorably to the top gates. The resulting crash woke all the sleepers down below and redistributed a jug of fruit salad that was intended as part of breakfast. When I finally re-established verbal contact with Tom (when he stopped laughing) he told me he'd been talking to a couple of coppers in a squad car who were parked by the lock. He had assured them we were all experienced boaters. Just goes to show, you can never believe a word Tom says. Part of our route took in the Erewash Canal. JOC was eager to do this one, never having done it before and wanting to ink in his canal map at home (a kind of canal ticker). However, I persuaded him that there was no point in going right to the end as there were no pubs worth visiting. No problem until several days later when Tom bought the latest copy of Waterways World. In glorious technicolour on the front cover was a picture of Langley Mill basin at the end of the Erewash complete with the Great Northern Inn - a Hardy & Hanson pub! Luckily John saw the funny side. One day we stopped for our afternoon feed and tied up underneath a disused railway bridge. This was not a typical bridge, the canal did not narrow at all. While we were stopped a boat passed by and the driver called out (in a foreign accent): "You must not park under ze canal bridges!" We ignored him/shouted abuse in return (I can't remember which) and carried on. On the last morning Big Al got up early to do the driving (he felt guilty about sleeping in later every day; Bill's conscience did not trouble him the same way). As the rest of us got up we realised we were on uncharted territory - Al had missed the turn at Hawkesbury Junction and we were heading for the centre of Coventry. A hasty turn round and we made extra haste to get to the pub in good time for lunch. Needless to say we were leaving quite a wash behind us, which disturbed a moored boat as we sped past. A man leaped out, shook his fist and shouted (in a foreign accent): "You must slow down past ze moored boats! is zis your first time on ze canals!" We didn't stop to exchange pleasantries. Lunchtime was in the Barley Mow at Newbold on Avon, a canalside Davenports pub with table skittles. When we left the pub, Bill was lagging a bit and had to make haste when he saw the boat about to leave. He tried to grab the boat rail, caught the boat pole instead, fell back onto the bank....and rolled into the canal. On the last morning as we were packing up a familiar looking boat pulled into the boatyard. It was our Swiss friends (I'm not sure how we discovered their nationalities). One of the female members of the party approached us and said; "Is zis your first time on ze canals? I zink so!" John - ever the diplomat - replied: "You Swiss are a nation of bankers and wankers!" |
 |
| The Bass museum at Burton on trent.Steve Chapman, Tom, Pies, Big Al, Colin, John and Bill. Jake being the photographer |
| Breakfast Pies, John, Bill and Steve. The cider was Steve’s but for breakfast |
 |
 |
| The crew outside the William IV pub. Left to right Tom showing he has the sight by hiding 3 hours early, the late Pies pinching Tom’s beer, Bill giving tongue, Steve trying to enjoy an orange drink without much luck, Big Al asleep, Colin getting some down in preparation for the night driving and a somewhat slimmer and darker John |
| Big Al Colin, Jake and JOC |
| Al seated on the driving seat, Jake and Colin lurking in the doorway |
| When these pictures were being posted in 2004 Roger added these notes to go with Tom’s photos. I've just spent a few minutes trying to recall our route for the 1979 trip after your email the other day. We started from Hillmorton near Rugby [we met outside the Rosie with Pies and Steve driving]. Sat eve Newbold on Avon [table skittles in davenports pub] Sun L Bedworth [Miners Arms, Marstons] Sun E Atherstone [?Davenports canal side pub?] Mon L ??? this is the day we started very early Mon E Alrewas [followed by midnite ride] Tues L Branston then Burton inc trip to brewery museum Tues E Burton Wed L Shardlow [Home pub, I sobered up later thanks to Pies' elbow] Wed E Long Eaton Thurs L Cotmanhay [Bridge Inn, Hardy & Hanson] Thurs E Ilkeston [canalside Shippos pub] Fri L & E Loughborough Sat L & E Nottingham [inc visit to dubious cinema] Sun L Trent lock [Home pub] Sun E Shardlow Mon L Branston [canal side Marstons pub] Mon E Alrewas [?] Tues L Fazeley Tues E Atherstone [different pub] Wed L Lime Kilns, Hinckley Wed E Market Bosworth {Red Lion, Hoskins] Thurs L Lime Kilns [I think one or two of us went back to the Red Lion and got a cab to the LK later] Thurs E Bedworth [we went for post pub curry and Tom led everyone bar two of us back along the towpath - the long way!] Fri L Newbold on Avon [after Al tried to take the boat to Coventry] Fri E Rugby [after frank and honest exchange of views with Swiss boaters] Quite a bit of mileage for 2 weeks. Bit sad I can remember all this really. |
 |
 |
 |
| River Trent - Steve Chapman driving |
| Erewash Canal.in pink light |
| The Trent and Mersey Canal, JOC, Al Riley and Pies. The Swan,Fradley Junction |
| A slim Colin with shirt open, Jake driving and Pies washing indoors |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Three Heavyweights -Pies, Big Al and JOC |
 |
| Steve Chapman on lock duty |
 |
| Ashby Canal, Lime Kilns Inn, with Big Al seated by the tiller |
| Shakespeare Inn serving Homes with Bill and Colin outside |
| A rare photo of a
Navigator in the cut
or in this case the Trent. Jake after being pushed in the River by Pies. Evil Black Tom did his bit by throwing in a life raft and hitting Jake as he surfaced. |
| JOC in the sunshine on the top of the Water Reed |
| Pies and Jake (Jake wondering if he's safe with Pies and water so near). |
| Colin in the stern of Water Reed our boat |
 |
| 1979 October- Rivers Avon & Severn |
| Extracts from Navigator Vol 3 “Canal Babylon”
When the two Jims -Mackay and Curran -met on the River A von in 1979 the effect was devastating. Within days they had decorated all the walls, ceilings and other exposed surfaces on their boat with cuttings from porno mags. It was damned difficult for their colleagues to eat breakfast with tits and fannies staring at them from all directions. Jim Curran -let's be frank about this -liked a drink. Away from his adoring partner Christine for a week he descended on the pubs of Worcestershire like plague of locusts on a cornfield. After a valiant lunch time attempt to drink Pershore dry he retired to his pit for a well earned afternoon's rest. He was rudely awoken to eat prior to an evening's imbibing. With no time to change on the boat he took a full set of clothes with him and got changed in the public bar of the pub leaving, it transpired, his dirty underpants behind. The pub was later closed by local health authorities. Jim has never been invited again. What is it about canal first timers? Geoff Moore was all set to make his debut in 1979 when his beloved Crystal Palace mysteriously appeared near the top of the first division Not wishing to miss any matches he cancelled his holiday, only for Palace's form to slump. Geoff subsequently fled to Canada to escape further humiliation. Sadly, his place was taken by another new boy, Spider Unwin whose 'human exocet' stunt was another new nadir in degradation. It all began with some innocent after hours fun with a ouija board but it soon descended into a journey into hell for one crew. Soon they were performing satanic rituals, sacrificing goats, babies, virgins -anything to make a decent curry. |
| These pictures of Eleanor and Countess taken from the damaged Minerva, which had been mortally hit by the ‘Unwin’ Exocet. They show a gallant Pies throwing buckets of water (which seem to be falling short) in response to the 4inch hose fire from the Eleanor. Seeing the inadequacy of this feeble effort, the Countess crew will launch their trump card… the Blogg boarding party |
| Minerva with Pete Day and Jim Curran driving and Countess with Bill driving and Phil Unwin and Phil Knight in the front enter a lock |
| The following item came from another Navigator Article but I can’t be arsed to go and find out which volume
It is October1979 and rivalry has been simmering for days between the crews of three boats travelling down the River Avon: the Minerva (captain: John 'Admiral' O'Connor), Queen Eleanor (captain: Ossie 'Fuhrer' Tillett) and Countess (captain: 'Black' Tom Blogg). That lunchtime the 18 boaters convened for a peace convention at the Berkeley Arms in Tewkesbury, There was much mirth at first when it was learned that Crystal Palace had been stuffed for the second time in four days, doubtless causing Geoff Moore to rue his decision to drop out of the cruise. However, as vast quantities of Wadworth 6X were downed, the mood of the meeting began to turn ugly. Soon it became apparent that members of the Queen Eleanor crew had signed an arms deal with a local hardware supplier and were busily stocking up with buckets and balloons. The point of no return had been reached and the tolling of the last orders bell was the signal to leave the pub and let battle commence. The Minerva's battle plan was immediately scuppered since the crew contained the Jims Mackay and Curran, who possessed prodigious thirsts for beer. By the time they had finished the pints they had lined up the other two boats had already passed through Tewkesbury lock and were lying in wait. When Minerva eventually came out of the lock it was ambushed by the other boats and pursued to the far side of the river. It was here that the Countess let loose its fearsome secret weapon: Spider Unwin, the human exocet. As Bill Wadley drove Countess at full speed into the side of Minerva, Spider launched himself at full length into one of its windows with devastating consequences. While Jake repaired the shattered window with a dustbin bag and Pete Day picked fragments of glass from the spaghetti Bolognese he was cooking, the crew of Countess fished Spider from the river along with his severed right arm which later 'Black’ Tom glued back on. In the meantime 'Fuhrer' Tillett had deployed his own fearsome weapon, the infamous V2 power hose. This he let loose on the Countess, which was launching an attack. While Pies furiously flung buckets of water at Queen Eleanor, Alan Appleton, commandeered by his tyrannical captain, climbed to the top of the boat and aimed the hose at full force on the hapless Bill whom Tom had chained to the tiller. All seemed lost but, cometh the hour, cometh the evil bastard: 'Black’ Tom girded his flared cords, leapt aboard Queen Eleanor, climbed to the roof, grabbed Appleton and flung him bodily into the cold and murky waters of the Severn. There were loud and hearty cheers from the Countess and Minerva: possibly the only time Tom has ever achieved hero status. This proved to be the end of Appleton's involvement with the Tillett youth and he opted for a quiet and dry life as a family man with his own TV repair business. This marked the end of hostilities since all three boats were by now in various states of disrepair and everyone was soaked and hungry. The flotilla continued up the river to Upton on Severn where the crews reconvened in the Plough to sign a peace treaty. This done the three crews tucked into copious pints of Pedigree with great relish and the regulars were regaled with many a chorus of some of our favourite songs |
| L-R, Jim McKay, Jim Curran, Phil Unwin, Phil Knight, Bill Wadley, Al Martin, a dodge brother, Ozzie, unknown and another Dodge Brother |
| JOC and Iain on lock duty |
 |
| Jim Curran, Pete Day and JOC |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|