At the committee meeting early last year, when the seasons boating was being prepared, the proposal was made that President should visit Coventry, having not done so for about fifteen years. The journey back from Beale park would fit in very nicely with the National Heritage Week-end in Coventry  when the canal basin warehouses would be open to the general public. From this the ‘grand plan’, was formulated and all arrangements made.

The National Heritage Week-end is an annual event when historic buildings not normally available to the public are opened for a couple of days. Over the last few years this has grown to include other buildings such as churches, where guides are present to provide historical information. In essence the grand plan involved four historic sites, a token cargo of real ale, and being linked together by a horse drawn dray, a steam boat – President, and a steam lorry – Mt Peach’s Sentinel S4 ( 9192 circa 1935). Added to this a Royal Daimler – from Coventry transport Museum, the city’s lady Godiva, a brass band and members of the Coventry Watch Museum Project.

It was a great relief when the Coventry Canal Society offered Panther to take the place of the failed President. And then, a day before the ale was due to be loaded at Braunston, Hook Norton Brewery telephoned to say they were pulling out of the exercise – a message left on my answer phone picked up in the evening. A telephone call back elicited the fact that this was not due to our steamer being unable to participate, but their concern that the ale would arrive at it’s final destination in good order. I told them about all the plans in place, and in the circumstances the real ale could go by road and the water born cargo could just be water in a beer barrel. Well it didn’t come to such devious tactics. After contacting the public house the ale was consigned for they were back to me in twenty minutes and everything was back on. I was just about a nervous wreck. On top of this I was on a twenty four deadline to completely clear a house and workshop. One day on and the story gets really good, happy, and the sun shone.

Hook Norton Brewery in Oxfordshire is a Victorian tower brewery dating back to 1849.  The machinery in the brewery is still powered by a steam engine:-
Engine details from “ A country Brewery, Hook Norton 1849-1999 by David Eddershaw, published by Hook Norton Brewery:
25 h.p. single horizontal cylinder, 10” diameter, 22” stroke, working pressure 80 p.s.i. Inlet valves, Thornley drop, exhaust valves: Corliss.
Built by Buxton and Thornley at Burton on Trent, and delivered 18th October 1899, cost £175. It is believed to be the last steam engine in the country still in daily use for its original purpose.

Friday 8th Sept. dawned bright and sunny so an early start was made for Braunston – the second historic site on the journey. Already there was Panther being cleaned, polished and prepared for a cargo of ale by the crew from Coventry Canal Society; Tony Mann, skipper; Eddie Jones; Steve Kingham & Tony Villiers. It was essential to keep the cargo cool so wet material would be maintained over the ale casks during the passage.

After an hour or so the Hook Norton lorry and trailer arrived. In the lorry – two magnificent horses, major and Consul and on the trailer, their dray. Another hour passed whilst the horses were groomed. Really  super groomed – even their hooves being given a clean. Their patience was rewarded with a bottle of ale.
The whole process of being groomed, harnessed and connected to the dray was fascinating and when all was done we were treated to one of the most memorable scenes from the whole exercise.

Lot’s of photographs of course including the cask of ale being transferred from the dray the Panther.
And then, mid-afternoon, the narrow boat set off and, having watched the horses and dray being prepared for the journey back to Hook Norton, we set off to Daventry for some sausage, egg and chips and a mug of tea.All the staff from Hook Norton were brilliant – they did us proud.

Saturday 9th September also dawned bright and sunny, and one was up with the lark. Firstly flowers to be purchased for lady Godiva, then off to the canal basin to help with erecting the F.o.P gazebo. Nick and Sue Haynes, Neil Ratcliffe, Dave and Angie Stott were in attendance and looked very smart too, in their FoP outfits. A little while later a steamy hissing sound at the road entrance to the basin took me by surprise – then turning round I saw Mr Peacher’s Sentinel S4 blowing off after it’s journey from Balall Common. He chugged into the basin and positioned the steam lorry by the vintage crane with the old warehouses as a back-drop. A really evocative scene of yesteryear. There had been some concern over the scene setting because the sun was from the wrong direction. For this reason the ale transfer was retimed to mid-day In the event it turned out photographically well.

Next, Nick set off to the Coventry Transport Museum for a date with Lady Godiva and the Royal Daimler. The Coventry festival Brass Band were by now set-up and their music added a super dimension to the overall ambience. I doubt whether an F.o.P member will arrive anywhere else ever again, in such style as our Nick. Once King George VI and his Queen  had sat in the semi-open vehicle, now Nick and Lady Godiva, in all her finery. Time for speeches and then, on a pre-arranged signal Panther made it’s entrance with the cargo of ale. The band played “Hail the Conquering Hero Comes”, - apologies to our Scottish members – but it was along time ago – and as the ale was transferred from boat to Steam Lorry, “Roll Out the Barrel.” Lady Godiva did a truly great job and spent much time talking to many of the visitors to the basin. When the time came for her to leave, she made her departure on a steam boat.

Not all the friends of President are members of F.o.P. but when the news Presidents’ failure got around the canal tow-path telegraph the owner and crew of Adamant said “you shall have a steam boat for the week-end, and we did. They deserve a great thank you for this.

Well, the ale was moving forward to final stage of it’s journey, three historic sites now linked, the one final one remaining. There were three great watch making centres in England. Coventry, Prescot near Liverpool and Clerkenwell, London. A considerable amount of Coventry’s old watch making district survives and it was to a public house here in Coventry the ale was consigned. The Nursery Tavern in Lord Street Chapelfields. Up to now the modes of transport had been slow. As the steam lorry made to leave the basin I jumped into Derek Billings motor car and we roared off determined to beat the lorry to Lord Street – and we did.
The Nursery Tavern was all prepared for the arrival of the ale, there had been publicity in the pub for a couple of weeks, and members of the Coventry Watch Museum were present in their watchmakers outfits.

Now you can empty a pub by shouting FIRE, or “I’ve got chicken flu”, but to achieve the most rapid result shout “The Steam Lorry’s coming”. I think for all those of us who had followed the ale's journey the sight of the Sentinel S4 coming down Lord Street was the other most memorable scene  This was winding the clock back many a long year, and all in Technicolor and real time. A really good crowd of transport enthusiasts had turned up so there was lots of photography before the ale was unloaded and rolled into the cellar to settle. And then we all trooped inside the Nursery tavern for a free pint of PANTHERS PRIDE – yes, one cask did go by road.

Just one thing remained – a surprise for Dave Stott. But that’s another story………

Derek Billings, a top photographer, submitted the story of our weekend, together with lots of good pictures to a number of journals and John Toy came from “Old Glory” So, there was a fair amount of publicity. I particularly liked the two page spread in “Old Glory”. And the report in “Towpath Talk”. President is usually the star of the show. On this occasion the boat would have had to share equal billing  with the two horses, and steam lorry. Particular thanks have to go to Sarah Upstore and Elizabeth Holmes of Hook Norton Brewery. Without their understanding and kindness the great plan would have fallen to pieces. And of course to the Coventry Canal Society for coming to the rescue. Friends, indeed.

Thanks to Coventry Transport Museum. It was a great motor car they provided, alas, the Mandslay built the same year as President was “off the road”.
And to Sue Poretta, who gave her time freely and enthusiastically in her Lady Godiva role. And to Andy Littlewood, the senior Coventry Canal ranger, who went out of his way to help everyone at the basin. He said if we planned to include Coventry in President’s centenary year, to let him know our plans and, if he is still around, he would carry out all we requested. However, before then Coventry Canal Society has a very special birthday. We may care to return a favour.

Keith Rogers