The trip to Manchester had been eagerly looked forward to ever since we learned that it’s climax would be a journey along the famous Manchester ship Canal.

Not only would President be travelling along this historic waterway but her performance in deep water – not far short of 30 feet underneath her – would be fascinating.

For the writer it would be a first on the Shroppie – what a magnificent week in prospect.

The crew for the outward trip was Neil ‘Ratty’ Ratcliffe, Malcolm ‘Mole’ Nixon, Bob –‘the Bionic Boatman’ – Sawyer, one Keith 'Black Ferret' Rogers, all kept in order by Skipper/Chief engineer Les langworthy, who is a bit of a (Mr) Toad at times – but in the nicest possible way you understand.

By Friday evening ‘Brunel’, our crew boat , manned by those very real friends to tired and coal blackened steamboat men, Alan, Pauline and Brandy, together with most of the ‘President’s crew, had assembled at the Black Country Museum.

The Black Ferrit arrived very late – he had been carrying out amazing logistical manoeuvre designed to get him to a party somewhere beyond Nuneaton the next night in order to meet several members of his harem. This, amongst other things, involved walking from a farm not far short of Brewood to Wolverhampton railway station to catch the very last train, then walk from Sandwell and Dudley station to the Black Country Museum. By good fortune a late night coffee party was still going on aboard Brunel which is just what he needed after all this strenuous exercise. Coffee drinking over the crew bunked down in brook Street.

Saturday dawned and creaking bodies prepared for the first day of the historic voyage. Les was up early putting matches to ranges and boilers and a little later Neil arrived. Breakfast was taken on Brunel and then it was time to complete some fitting jobs and oil round. At 1100hrs (BST) we passed through the museum lift bridge out onto the cut. Nigel came aboard as far as the first bridge hole, it would be nice if one day he is able to join us for a whole trip with his cheery company.

So, after all the anticipation we were on our way to far distant places. Alas, the great adventure, the epic voyage, came to an abrupt halt still within sight of Bean’s foundry amidst gloom and rain. Not unusual for these parts, the propeller had become fouled with wire. A jolly hour or so, 1hr 30min to be precise, was spent in disentangling this material with occasional forays under a convenient bridge to shelter from the worst of the rain.

Thereafter, progress was steady with few interruptions, apart from congestion at locks and a few relatively minor groundings, for the rest of the trip.

Three further ‘Friends’ made an appearance at Wolverhampton, two of whom were to be spotted popping up over hedgerows, bridge parapets, on the tow path, and at lock sides. This was the boaters alternative to the railway enthusiasts sport of chasing the train.

Cyril dean and Andy Booker were the eager photographers who followed our journey. On the Saturday they had Bob Smith with them, and we were grateful for the help all three gave us in working down the Wolverhampton 21. Cyril and Andy now have the best photographic record of ‘President’ on the move.

At Aldersley junction Doug Greaves was spotted on the far bank of the Staffs and Worcester to cast a critical eye on our ability to negotiate the tight right hand turn. There is, of course a severe lack of depth of water here, in what is deceptively wide area of water, can catch the best of steerers out. Thus it was that we had to take a second go at getting the boat round. I wonder if the Canal Panel would find a steam powered bow thrusters acceptable?.

Perhaps Mr Greaves felt his students hadn’t quite reached the extremely high level of boat handling skills he was aiming at during training weekends and a voice came over the water, “What do you have in mind?”.

Fortunately, he wasn’t within ear shot of ‘President’s’ crew for the steerer said he was thinking about his dinner, and the driver about the party he had to get to!!.

In September Doug had had first hand experience of steering ‘President’, getting to know what an awkward boat she can be at times, so I think our manoeuvres at Aldersley will be forgiven.

At Autherley Junction we turned into the Shropshire Union Canal and there was a feeling that the Black Country being behind our journey had really begun, and that the unique pleasure of travelling this canal was now a reality.

At the Wolverhampton Boat Club, at Pendeford, between bridges 3 and 4, the Black Ferret, along with ‘President’s’ new bicycle – overhauled and superbly painted by Trevor Hale – went ashore. The previous night he had left his van in the nearby farmers orchard and before returning to the Black Country Museum had enquired at the Boat club if it would be ok to disembark on their premises ”yes”, they said. What they didn’t make clear was that when he did so the next evening he was likely to find himself trapped in a barb wire enclosure. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before someone came along to open up the Club house for the evening.

Very early next morning after a thoroughly enjoyable evening – the little grey van was driven furiously back to the farmers orchard, and then onto President’s bicycle. The change in modes of transport was so rapid even the farm dogs hardly had time to bark. The ride along the towpath to Brewood was extremely bumpy, made worse by a distinct lake of air in the tyres, and only a delicate and expert touch on the handlebars prevented an early morning dip. Would he get back to ‘President’ in time? – the thought was that if she had set of a pretty rough day was in prospect, and no doubt some extremely rough words from the chief engineer – the Royal Navy take pretty dim view of sailors who miss their ships sailing and Mr Langworthy would, no doubt, have not forgotten how to handle such a situation.

But no, all was well. Time for breakfast aboard Brunel, then signing on for duty again, filling the engine lubricators, and raising steam to working pressure. After all this excitement it was time to settle down to the task of getting the boat to Manchester on time. During the next few days on the way to our destination the weather would vary from oil skins to sunbathing gear.

Sunday, the 21st of August was a particularly interesting day. At bridge 18 we were greeted by Mr Philip Weaver, and Mr Rodney Weaver, his son. These gentlemen are the authors of “Steam in Canals”, an excellent book which no self respecting canal steam boat man or enthusiasts will omit to have in their bookcase. Mr Philip Weaver came on board whilst his son chased ‘President with his video camera.

Mr Philip Weaver was consultant to Malcolm Braine and Nicholas Bostock, the partners who restored ‘President’, and he contributed some most interesting articles on the restoration of the boat in editions 8 and 9 of ‘195’.We had a long discussion in the engine room on this topic, it was a pleasure to talk to a key person who had been involved first hand in this phase of ‘President’s’ history.

At bridge 23 Mr Rodney Weaver came on board and took a turn at driving ‘President’ – quite a change from driving on the Ffestiniog railway – I wonder if he’ll let me have a go on one of his steam locomotives. In addition co-authoring “Steam on Canals” he made the calculations for the design of ‘President’s’ new propeller.

At bridge 25 the Weavers left us. It had been a most pleasant interlude having them with us and showed that there is some value in printing an itinery in ‘195’ of President’s run for each day, even if it is fairly imprecise, in advance of her journeys. In this way members can plan to get some nice views of the boat on the move.

On the Sunday ‘Sir Daniel Gooch’ caught up with us. Michael Wilkinson’s new boat is a quite magnificent creation and is a credit to her designers and builders in achieving a refreshing and totally new concept within the severe limitations that our narrow canals impose.It will be interesting to see if her departure from the ‘traditional’ mould inspires further fresh thinking in canal boat design. It is not only her outward appearance that is different, she is packed with many new technical innovations.

On Monday I noted in my log some ‘spirited running’ between bridges 66 and 68. We took 13 mins to cover 0.825 miles, giving a speed of 3.8 mph; this was just on the limit of creating a bow wave.

On Tuesday we passed two boats in FMC old livery – ‘Belgium’ just after Nantwich aqueduct, and between bridges 98 and 99 a boat called ‘Saltheart’.

At Barbridge we tied up for a couple of pints of shandy each at the inn there. It was noticed that this hostelry sells a brew called “Steam Beer”. Must try that next time we are that way. On this occasion, however, it was a question of laying coal dust in the air passages on a very hot day, so for this there is no better refreshment than a bitter shandy.

This inn at Barbridge is a rather smart one, and at lunchtime is inhabited by business representatives and their clients dressed in Sunday suites. Four overall clad steamboat men arriving on the scene probably quizzed the management, however, we were not thrown out. Anyway, being a nice day we sat in the garden and watched the arrival of ‘Brunel’ whilst enjoying our drink.

On Wednesday we passed the steamboat ‘Swallow’ moored up at bridge 109. later in the day we arrived at Chester. Our progress through the locks into the city was in the company of ‘Tyseley’ the boat the “Mikron” Theatre travel on. That evening, after completing the boiler shut down procedures, repacking of  the valve chest glands was undertaken.

Thursday was a day of being exposed to high winds on the run to Ellesmere Port. Alfred Matty’s tug ‘Governer’ gave us a helping hand when the wind became too much on ‘President’s’ cloths. Arrival at Ellesmere Port was in time to visit the Canal Museum. I found this very comprehensive and well set out, and interesting compared with a visit earlier in the summer to the museum at Stoke Bruerne. To me Jo and Rose Skinner’s ‘Friendship’ was a sad sight, I think they would be pretty horrified to see it now.

That evening we were treated to one of the finest examples of boat handling we have seen. A large dumb barge, ‘Bigmere’, was worked down the locks to the basin where the boats were assembled ready for departure onto the ship canal the next day. This descent of the locks was accomplished by two men, one moving the barge forward by means of the winch on the fore-end, the other deftly throwing the line under the foot bridge at each lock, catching it at the other side as it whipped up, placing it on the bollard ready for the boat to be moved on. It was a symphony of coordinated boat handling and rather brought us down to earth.

The locks also provided entertainment of another sort as Mr MacDonald and his wild dog locked down. The dog seemed to have a thing against running water for it dashed up and down, up and down the lock side without stopping for a second wuffing furiously at the sight of the water as it moved through the lock chambers. It also seemed to have a thing about steamer men for a glance at it’s beady eyes brought forth a torrent of canine verbal abuse. Should be fun to see what it makes of the large locks on the ship canal we thought.

Here’s something to break the records, by 04:45 all the crew of ‘President’ were out of their bunks, as to were those of Brunel and Sir Daniel Gooch. At 06:14 we were breasted up with ‘Vulcan’. By 06:55 we were out onto the ship canal with the MSCC launch fussing about keeping the flotilla together as she would all the way to Manchester.

The day was to be delightfully warm and bright, however, for the first few hours on the canal there was almost a feeling of boredom – but maybe some of this feeling was in part due to the early start. Later, with breakfast deftly passed from Brunel we chirped up and the passage of the canal became very enjoyable and quite exciting at times as pairs of boats indulged in a bit of racing.

‘Brunel’ was breasted up with ‘Gooch’; the Michael Wilkinson fleet was most impressive carving through the water. Alan and Anita Green Richard Pardoe, James Kirby, and Jim the engineer travelled from the midlands aboard ‘Gooch’. Alan, Pauline and Brandy Pease were on ‘Brunel’. Now the two breasted up boats had Cyril Dean and Andy Brooker on board for the passage of the ship canal.

Only a few miles after joining the ship canal the MacDonald appeared once again on the scene, this time to effect an amazing rescue. He was breasted up with two other boats and they were bringing up the rear of the flotilla. ‘President’ and ‘Vulcan’ although last but one at this stage, were some way ahead of the trio. Suddenly a gust of wind snatched Peter Chalk’s favourite boating cap and before he could get his hand to his head it was gone. Alas, he thought to a watery grave.

Frantic signals to the following boats elicited no response for a time then, hope. MacDonald’s boat detached itself from the other two boats she was with. The rescue operation was underway. A primitive semaphore had been understood so that the search and rescue boat knew what it was looking for, but seeing a soggy cap in the large expanse of choppy water was not easy. Happily there was a successful outcome. MacDonald’s boat turning in large circles in the middle of the canal to achieve this – as well the control boat had gone up to the head of the flotilla. This incident made an interesting point as the problem of dealing with a man overboard situation in wide deep water.

Quite severe rules had been applied for the journey with regard to the fire risk on the canal in the vicinity of the oil jetties and refineries. All boats had to have their gas refrigerators turned off until Ince was passed. Obviously, ‘President’s boiler could not be lit, so ‘Vulcan’s’ sturdy diesel had to propel both boats.

The fire was duly laid, however, ready for raising steam when we were clear of the fire risks. The danger arises when spillages occur into the canal. It is as well as this preparation to raise steam had been made for ‘Vulcan’s’ engine had been showing a temperature rise and a decreased oil pressure, and at 10:47 ‘President’s’ boiler was lit. At 11:57 there was 75lb on the gauge and the engine was started.

So a little while later, ‘Vulcan’ shut her engine down, the tension in the warps joining the two boats momentarily relaxed, then the pull was taken up by ‘President’ and at 1233 on Friday 26th August 1988, for the first time since 1927, sixty one years back in her history, ‘Vulcan’ was again making way under steam power.

This was a dramatic event in our journey on the ship canal, both for Peter Chalk and his family, and shared by ‘President’s crew. As Vulcan had found earlier, propelling two boats at more than usual narrow canal speed imposed a lot of work on the engine, and so it was on ‘President’. The balancing speed dropped and the engine, in need of a major overhaul, began to sound stressed as we maintained the overall speed of the flotilla. All too soon then, the moment had passed as ‘Vulcans’s diesel was restarted. For a few minutes however, ‘Vulcan’ had stepped back in time to experience again her great days as one of the elite boats of the canal system, and this will, no doubt, remain a cherished memory for us all.

At 13:20, ‘Vulcan sent soup, rolls, fruit pie, tea and coffee across to us. A delicious waterborne picnic in the sunshine.

Ar Irlim locks someone decided it was time for their boat doggie went for a ‘walk’. Now with so many boats filling the lock there  were very many abreast. I think this particular dog had to traverse a couple of boats to get to the lockside, however, everyone else then decided their dog needed to stretch a leg, too, and so, lots of dogs were then to be seem being handed from boat to boat to get ashore. The transfer all of these hounds was an amazing sight. I don’t think any were left behind, nor did we hear anything from the wild MacDonald beast – maybe the scale of the MSC locks had subdued it at last.

At Mode Wheel lock, the last of our journey, we were much photographed, including from a helicopter.

From here to where ‘President’and ‘Vulcan’ separated to moor ’President’at Wilburn Street basin, Jennifer Chalk, a pretty young lady of 11 years, steered the pair from P’s tiller. Peter Chalk came into the steamers’s engine room to see steam propulsion at first hand, and a little later James Kirby shovelled coal into the firebox.

Very many boats were already moored for some considerable distance before our berth and we steamed proudly past them. Being a steamer man does fill a chap’President’with pride. I suppose being a suction gas man has the same effect! [Vulcan was gas powered for a while].

Wilburn basin had been refurbished with smart new wooden staging, and it’s masonry cleaned, even though the water looked particularly foul. Alas, the newness of the timber in the vicinity of ‘President’was short lived as ashes and hot coals were disposed of.

On the ground above the basin was a gaudy fun fair. We didn’t think it at all funny but fortunately for us for some reason it attracted few clients and shut down fairly early each evening. We had a similar situation at Hawkesbury. Now – if it had been an old fashioned steam fair – we wouldn’t have minded one bit.

The next day, Saturday, saw a severe change in the weather. It poured with the sort of rain for which Manchester is famous. There was no sign that it would ease u’President’and there were no visitors to our part of the rally site. The crew was therefore, stood down – and off they went to visit the museum complex a short distance a way.

Some time later the rain stopped and the sun came out. The rally site then attracted people but they were concentrated on the commercial areas. Most seemed to enjoy the various street entertainments Manchester had put on.

We saw Fred Didnah and invited him to come to see ‘President’, however heavy repairs to his steam roller  the next day took all his attention. Perhaps he couldn’t face the fact that a steam boat is more fun than a steam roller.

On Sunday I returned to the farmers orchard to pick up my mini-van, the expectation was almost full circle. Neil Ratcliffe and myself being kindly given a lift back to the midlands by Elen, Katherine and Patricia Millatt.

The journey to Manchester had realised all our expectations and for those on it it provided a most pleasurable experience to remember, one that is unlikely to be repeated for a very long time, if ever.

Keith Rogers

[ Postscript – in fact President did return to Manchester on the ship canal in August 1998]