Saturday 21st May

I was picked up by George and taken to the museum as there were a few jobs to be done before we could set off the following day. One of which was fitting the new rudder which Bob had made. Bob arrived with the rudder and ‘Kildare’ was moved under the crane for the fitting. Bob had done an excellent job with the rudder, the full story of the making of which can be found elsewhere. [ In Steaming Up & on the website ]. The next job was to fill ‘President’s boiler, this was started but not finished until the next day. ‘President’ was looking well loaded with the replica castings for the Crystal Palace project, which were being taken down to London, via Crick (again story of this part of the trip to be found elsewhere). The three columns were underneath the coal and slowly appeared as we got closer to Crick.

Sunday 22nd

We were due to leave the museum at 2.30pm as this was the earliest that Dave could arrive. Tony was going to meet us in Birmingham at 7pm. The boats were moved out of the arm and tied up just outside the museum to wait. The plan was to go along the old main line and stop by the Chance’s glass works for a photo, but this was cancelled because you couldn’t see the building because of a large car advert blocking the view.

Dave arrived and we set off, still going via the old main line. I had come back this way from Leamington a few weeks earlier and we had had a very uneventful run. I think Dave would have preferred the new main line but was overruled. By the time we got to Smethwick, and making very good time, I can remember Dave saying “Why do we usually use the New Main Line?”.

A few minutes later, we left the bottom lock and 50 yards further on was where we spent the next 3 hours, all sorts of stuff wrapped around the prop. We even thought of taking the boat back up to the middle lock and use it as a dry dock, but eventually we succeeded in removing everything. Unlucky for Bob as he discovered he could fit in the gap below the counter to get at the weedhatch. Whilst all this was going on there was also thunder, rain, hail etc.

During this 3 hour spell we had also agreed with Tony’s nephew that we would now meet Tony in Birmingham in the morning, but just as we were about to set off Tony turned up, courtesy of his daughter. We finally arrived at 10pm.

Monday 23rd

We fitted the Crystal Palace banners onto the boat whilst in the stop lock at Worcester Bar. Usual places caused problems en route for the Wharf at Hockley Heath i.e. railway bridges on the W & B, Kings Norton stop lock and Shirley Drawbridge.

Tuesday 24th

The joys of Lapworth and Hatton flights today, only 59 locks. It was a pleasure to see Dave Speer at Lapworth top lock. He had parked his car at Lapworth station and walked up the flight to meet us. Good progress down the flight. At the junction we took ‘President’ through lock 19, and ‘Kildare’ through 20. You don’t have the problem of getting the towing line over the finger post. ‘President’ then reversed through the link to pick up ‘Kildare’ again.

At the bottom of Hatton Dave Speer said farewell. After spending 9 hours in our company (very many thanks Dave), he was catching the train for the 9 minute ride back to Lapworth and his car. The mooring for the night was in pole position outside The Cape of Good Hope, Warwick. We are always made very welcome in this pub, and the mooring had been pre-arranged. John  Greatrex from the Crystal Palace Project turned up and joined us in the Cape and then stayed overnight on a spare bunk.

Wednesday 25th

Usual trip from the Cape to Braunston today, to make use of the shower block (thanks Tim). Arrived at Braunston to find a new boat, launched about an hour before, moored in our spot on the diesel point. After a short discussion they moved it to another spot in the marina. It was also going to Crick as a show boat. One woman was convinced that even if they left an hour after us from the marina, they would get to Crick before us – they didn’t!!

Thursday 26th

Slow progress up Braunston due to the amount of traffic. Bob had a very unpleasant trip steering ‘President’ through Braunston tunnel. We are all used to the spiders in tunnels, but it must have been mosquito breeding season here. There were about 1-2” of dead and dying all over the cabin top.

Expected long delays up Watford, but we were told to go straight up by the lock keeper. Now to try something that I hadn’t done before, swinging the towing line under the footbridge and catching it the other side. Flushed with the success at the first attempt, I then went and lost the line completely at the second bridge, and had to climb down onto ‘Kildare’ to get it back. The third bridge took 3 attempts, and the fourth only needed 1 attempt. After a failure on the last bridge, the lock keeper showed me how it was done, he laid on the bridge and swung the line from one hand to the other under the bridge. Both lock keepers took membership forms, so if you are reading this, thanks for your help.

On arrival at Crick we had the usual problem of not enough depth to get ‘President’ against the bank.

Crick Show

Crew – Neil Ratcliffe (Capt.), George Hopkins, Bob Crompton (drivers), Martin Buckland, Penny Clover, Nigel Wood, Louise Clark and Andre Layzell. The sales stand was run by Richard Thomas, Celia Byham and John Byham.

The boats were cleaned on the Friday ready for the show and arranged so that people could stand on ‘Kildare’ and see into the engine room. Also helped put up the two sales stand gazebos.

7.30am Saturday we were told that our gazebos hadn’t stood up to the wind overnight, we managed to make one good one out of the undamaged bits, and another heavier duty one was purchased. It was a very busy show over the three days, with queues forming to see the cabin and engine room. The evenings in the beer tent were also very enjoyable, with our version of Mornington Crescent. My thanks to all who made it a success.