News

New Engine We are now the proud owners of a single cylinder Sisson steam engine. It was delivered by steam lorry to the Waltham Abbey, full details of which are contained in the report elsewhere in this issue. Further details	The new engine is loaded aboard President for the journey to the Black Country Living Museum
Hull repairs The boats are currently at the museum, the hull work has been delayed until after Christmas on the request of the boat builder. However, David Stott has been busy striping the steam plant down and will be in a position to remove the engine and boiler shortly.

Chair Chat

I am just finishing this article after returning from the AGM at the museum. I would like to thank all those members who turned out in the really awful weather. My thanks also to my colleagues on the committee who have worked so hard over the past year. There were no changes to the committee for the next twelve months and we are all ready for the challenge ahead and what a year it should turn out to be for ‘President’.

But first reflections on the 2000 boating season. As I mentioned in my last little chat we started this year with a very successful visit to the Bone Mill at Etruria and the Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival followed this and I am told was also a great event. A new event for the waterways followed in July with the Inland Waterway Boat Show in Birmingham, here the boats (and the crew) made a great impression. The trip to Waltham Abbey was made in mid August over a two-week trip with a change over in Leighton Buzzard. This was marred by Richards unfortunate accident in Blisworth which he covers himself. I would like to say thank you to the rest of the crew for doing all they did at the time and for getting the boats to the change over ready for the new crew. The ‘Rally’ (I know it’s a Festival now) at the ‘Abbey’ was a wonderful event and we saw a lot of old friends and made a lot of new ones. I had the pleasure to bring the boats back from the Abbey to Stoke Bruerne, this turned out to be quite a heavy trip owing to a late get away and traffic in London, the Regents Canal, my crew were fantastic and did sterling job.

The big challenge this next year is going to be ‘President’; preparation work has already started to get her ready for the trip in January for the hull and cabin repairs. Over the next few weeks there will be a number of working parties to complete this work, please let Ron know if you are available, we will also be sending out fixed dates shortly. We can’t plan any trips next year but we do hope to be fully operational again by mid summer. There will be a lot of work to do on ‘Kildare’ whilst ‘President’ is away so the spring is looking very busy. Of course all the work has to be paid for, the target is in the region of£30,000 so please help in any way you can. Please contact me if you have any ideas for fundraising.

Have a good Christmas and a happy boating New Year.

David Powell     ( Chairman of Friends of President )

POST BAG - Letters

Quartermistresse's Tale. On reading the above mentioned article from Judy Spencer - we would like to take the opportunity to straighten the record somewhat. In particular her comment "I have heard horrendous tales of 'life before Kildare', but fortunately I didn't experience that period. "As many of F.O.P's committee members (and Simon, our editor) can vouch, President had a superb crew boat/escort called Isambard Kingdom Brunel for many years, on all their long runs, crewed by Pauline, Alan and a Labrador called Brandy. I don't know how Pauline managed it, but you could guarantee a hot evening meal very shortly after mooring for the night - none of your 11pm meals, or "It's too late for the pub" etc.On top of this they had comfortable beds on a centrally heated modern boat with hot showers etc. - a hard day's work was rewarded with a comfortable night's sleep.The next day cooked breakfast was followed by packed lunches so there was no need to hunt for a lunch - hot drinks made on board, or passed over on the move.We even managed a similar operation whilst crewing the Fellows & Morton diesel boat "Vulcan" for the James Brindley Statue run from St. Katherine Docks in London to Etruria - and yet again hot meals were always 'on time' at mooring.Another part of our duties as an escort were to assist President when she got stuck in bridge holes, etc. - either a 'snatch' from the front or a 'nudge' from the rear, depending whether we were ahead or behind President. The main effect of this was that we were able to keep President on the move without inconveniencing other boats on the cut.Unfortunately, we have had to retire from the cut for physical reasons, but we have many years of great moments to remember. Not the least being of President committee members falling in the cut!!

All best wishes to the present crew members who are keeping the F.O.P flag flying, as well as the Black Country Living Museum - all power to your elbows!!

Pauline & Alan Pease

[195 Ed. - Indeed I can vouch for the fact that life before 'Kildare' was not all bad. But, I am sure that Judy has been a victim of our collective tendency to only remember our bad experiences. As a young trainee I was very grateful for all the boating knowledge passed on by Alan and the food prepared by Pauline. However, in Judy's defence I have some particularly uncomfortable memories of hard floors at the museum]