Well Creek Trust News – June 2008

Visit of Steam Powered Narrowboat President: - reproduced by permission of Dave Short, vice chair of Well Creek Trust

Only a year later than originally planned, restored steam powered working narrowboat President and its butty, Kildare, finally made it to the mooring at Church Bridge on Friday 27th June – just! It was nearly, but not quite, beaten by the low height of Church Bridge which it took almost 20 minutes to negotiate with the aid of muscle, barge poles, much snorting of steam and belching of smoke, and of course, frequent loud sounding of the ship’s whistle. Given the heavy rain, a good crowd turned out to watch the arrival, not just at Church Bridge but at vantage points from Marmont Priory Lock onwards. The crew, well used to appreciative crowds of many thousands at rallies and festivals, remarked that never have they previously received such a warm and friendly welcome when simply passing through or night-stopping at any town or village as they did in Upwell. The volunteer crew, captained on this leg of their journey by Neil Ratcliffe, were able to spend three hours answering questions from interested people, – questions ranged from, “At what pressure does the steam boiler operate?” (I missed the answer to that one), to the old boating chestnut, “What are the toilet arrangements on board?” (Butty Kildare provides remarkably well appointed crew accommodation including a stainless steel galley, a large hip bath and, a ‘proper’ toilet; and yes, the boys, even the ubiquitous snorer, share a large single cabin but the one girlie crew member sleeps in the aft cabin). A few were lucky enough to get a close look at the gleaming brass and copperwork of the amazing single cylinder steam engine. Following question time the crew got out of their 1920’s barging gear, - after a day of shovelling coal, greasing bearings and the like they scrubbed-up quite nicely really, - and in spite of their loud protests, allowed themselves to be dragged struggling to The Five Bells where I felt obliged to join them: Well it would have been churlish not to do so wouldn’t it. After many boating stories, (much like fishing stories really but with far more exaggeration), a meal and so to bed. Up at the crack of umpty-tum o’clock on Saturday to work up a head of steam, the string was untied at around 8 a.m. and the boats set off to catch the tide at Salters Lode and onwards to Littleport on the River Great Ouse. Meanwhile the redoubtable David Barnard collected an empty gas bottle from President, exchanged it for a new and full bottle, setting off in chase to meet them at Salters Lode. Well done David.

The visit of President to Upwell was organised and arranged by Well Creek Trust Committee in association with President’s crew.

President and Kildare are owned by The Black Country Living Museum whose strategy for President is to treat it as a roving Black Country cottage. (Many of the museum’s exhibits are industrial era period cottages). Its mission is to publicise the museum whilst ensuring preservation and use of this important part of our waterways history and heritage. You can find out more about President on the ‘Friends of President’ website at www.nb-president.org.uk

Well Creek Trust Contacts: Loads of info available on the Trust’s website at www.wellcreektrust.co.uk. or from me, Dave Short, vice chair