Coventry - Friday 1st June 1990

The arrangement for the crew was to join the boat at Coventry basin, but unbeknown to them, the preceding crew had decided to move the boat to Hawkesbury to save time in the morning, hence on arriving at the basin at 19:10 the boat was nowhere in sight. Finding someone else also looking for "the steam boat", who fortunately had a car, a familiar procedure of hunt the boat started. Being rather well known for appearing at bridge-holes, it was no surprise to the crew to find one new crew member waiting for them at bridge 5 on the Coventry arm.

First to appear was one British Waterway tug, followed on a line by Vulcan, which in turn was towing President, the shallow arm had defeated not only President, but also Vulcan with a few inches less draft. Having boarded, the evening meal was enjoyed still on the move, so that Hawkesbury was finally reached at 21:45. Neil Ratcliffe handed over to Malcolm Nixon, and within the next two hours the new crew was complete. David Stott was driver, Eddie Oades was assistant driver, and Richard Thomas was steerer.

Saturday 2nd - Hawkesbury to Polesworth

A reasonably early start was made on Saturday, with Dave Stott lighting the boiler at 05:10, and a departure from Hawkesbury at 7:10. Good progress was made in the morning, with only a few bridge-holes causing grounding.

Thanks to BW, we had water very close to weir height, and we reached Atherstone top lock without problem, but steady rain spoilt the last stretch of the Coventry summit. The welcome sight of Sean Neill greeted us, the extra pair of hands being very handy for the flight of locks. These caused us no problems, and we reached the bottom by 15:50. Another long pound followed, and we reached our objective of Polesworth by 17:15, mooring reasonably early for President, and overlooking the River Anker and town by the recently dredged and piled moorings.

Sunday 3rd - Polesworth, Tamworth & Fradley

Sunday started for the driver at 5:45, and we were again on the move by 7:15. We were fooled by the deep water, and a good speed was achieved to Alvecote Bridge. Then the problems began. First we hit an underwater obstruction which damaged part of the tingling - the thin aluminium protection at the end of the wooden bottom plank. Slower progress was made to bridge 66 where we went badly aground. We had an appointment to keep in Tamworth, so the long delay in getting through was unwelcome. After much to-ing and fro-ing, Vulcan finally pulled us through. We were to re-learn much about such manoeuvres in the following days.

Every bridge-hole from 66 to Glascote basin was troublesome, but we made it by 10:20, just a little late. Here the first of the weeks civic receptions was held and we were greeted by the deputy Mayor of Tamworth, our friends from the Brindley Trust, and the local boat clubs.

One thing we did learn in the next few days was how to have our photograph taken by the press, and some rather strange poses appeared in the local press.

Members of the Huddlesford boat club warned us that even 2 foot draught boats have trouble on the next stretch. We were invited to stop at the junction, so after a brunch, we set off again.

All was fine until Hopwas woods, and then... oh so slow; the gravel bottom was rather close to the top. A long and tiring push and shove at Hopwas Wood bridge was the worse bridge-hole so far. If only the bridge-holes could be dredged, progress would be much better. Three boats appeared and they patiently waited and watched the fun; at least the surroundings were attractive.

We did eventually make it to Huddlesford - and the welcome was very friendly, but the time was slipping by, so regrettably we pushed on for Fradley. I wonder if we will ever go this way again, with the talk of restoring this link into the B.C.N., lets hope we can some day.

At Fradley we moored right outside the Swan at 20:30, and it wasn't long before we quenched our thirst. It had been a hard but satisfying day.

Monday 4th - Fradley, Armitage & Gt. Haywood

 Monday mornings objective was the Plum Pudding at Armitage, so a later start was made at 7:40. Now we were on the Trent and Mersey Canal, one of my favourites. We encountered an obstruction at the bottom of Woodend lock, and a friendly greeting from the occupants of the house here. We were also advised that the moorings immediately above the lock had only just been dredged. Unfortunately, the dredger only moved the mud from the edge and put it in the middle !; so for a hundred yards or so, we then had to plough a furrow and compact the mud.

The Plum Pudding was reached on time ready for a press call and a meeting with one of our Sponsors National Power, whose representatives from their nearby power station at Rugeley joined us in more poses, this time with sacks of coal!.

When this was over we declined the attractions of the adjacent pub, and set off through the tunnel and along the deep stretch by Spode House. We were joined now by Geoff Heathcote who travelled on Vulcan to take a video film of us. What followed was not what Geoff had in mind. The deep water lasted only until bridge 62, which took more manoeuvring and shoving. Vulcan again helped, her six inch less draught making all the difference.

The much revised plans meant we intended to go to the next winding hole over the Trent aqueduct, and then return the way we had come, with the intention of going to Stenson. However, we found the stretch through Rugeley so bad, and not relishing the thought of doing it three times we had a conference at the aqueduct and decided that we would reluctantly abandon this plan, and proceed to Great Haywood. The word "mutiny" didn't even come into it!. We carried on to Gt. Haywood Junction, and moored just around the corner on the Staffs. & Worcester canal.

Tuesday 5th - Blow down at Gt. Haywood - and a short trip to Weston upon Trent

We took the opportunity of the time saved, and blew down all the water from the boiler, having of course removed the fire and let things cool a little first. Next morning we were welcomed by the Anglo-Welsh boatyard opposite, and filled up with fresh water. The manager there is a steam fan too, so the driver got on rather well. It is a most pleasant spot to spend a few hours, one of the best canal junctions on the cut I feel. So no one complained that we got away late.

We set off from Great Haywood at 17:00, intending to stop at Weston. There was no problem with the channel on this stretch, but our intended mooring close by the bridge at Weston was impossible because of the shallow water by the bank. Instead we carried on a few hundred yards and moored at the first available spot.

This happened to be close by an old farm building - or so it seemed. We put Vulcan in as close as she would go, and moored President outside. Whilst shutting down the boiler and putting on the cloths an elderly gent appeared from the farm and enquired if we intended to unload the boats. "No", we said, "we would be moving off early in the morning".

Wednesday 6th - Harry Clarke, and on to Stone

Engaging the gent in conversation it emerged that he had been a boater many years before, so next morning we offered him a ride on the boat, as far as the next lock - Sandon. We put him on the back-end plank, and with the cloths down again he was able to have a good view as we made our way along the cut.

Richard Thomas sat with him and collected his story:

"The first thing that strikes you about Harry Clarke are the clear blue eyes surrounded by tanned, wrinkled skin...

He came slowly out of his cottage soon after we tied up at Weston on the Trent and Mersey and told us that he had been on the boats. He stayed chatting for half an hour and departed with an invitation to join us next morning for a ride up to Sandon Lock.

He sat next to me on the cross plank in front of the boiler and told me about his days on the cut.

"I helped me Dad on the Cowburn and Cowper horse boats, carrying glucose from Old Trafford to Courtaulds at Coventry. I used to walk with the horse most times."

How old are you?

"I was born in January, 1902 - just there." He pointed to a pile of bricks by the bank. "There used to be a row of cottages there but they were pulled down years ago. I had eight brothers and sisters, all born there.

I went to help me Dad in 1913 when I left school. I remember the first two moons of 1916 when it froze every night and we were stuck in Coventry. I was paid one shilling a week to look after the horses in the stables down in the basin."

He stopped and thought for a moment - "Your clothes aren't right, those corduroys should have a flap front and we never wore a scarf. But then we weren't steamer men, I think they did"

He looked severely at the rolled side cloths. "those aren't right, either. They should be much neater and much tighter and those breeching strings should be shorter and thinner - but at least you've got the knots right!" I felt quite relieved at that.

He fell silent for a bit, then recalled, "We came down the Duke's Cut and through Preston Brook and paid our tolls. Past Anderton and Middlewich, up Heartbreak to the tunnel. I've legged through Harecastle. There can't be many alive now who can say that. At Fradley we went down the Coventry past Hawkesbury to the basin". I worked it out later to be 128 miles and 71 locks. He did that in 9 days.

"Talking about Coventry reminds me - once when it was frozen, I was watching them with ice boat - men and horses pulling and the team rolling the boat. Well, the ice was so thick the boat suddenly rode up on top - it shot clear of the cut and landed in a field next the cut!" He chuckled, "There was men and horses everywhere!"

When did you retire from the cut ?

"When my Dad packed up at the end of 1918, I left the boats and joined the alabaster factory and learned to be a turner. I got married and went to live at Acton Trussel for years and then moved back to Weston. My cottage used to be a pub and they used to stable the horses there overnight. So I still live next to the cut and my house has lots of memories. I've got five acres so I keep busy". This from a man of 88!. Harry Clarke, you're a character - thanks for spending some time with us.

Richard Thomas

Harry's son-in-law drove to Sandon lock to take him home, but it took several minutes to get him ashore because we again went aground at the foot of the lock - and we let Vulcan go through first to give us a tow in using a long line.

We said our farewells to Harry Clarke, it had been a great pleasure to give him his first ride on the cut for many years. We told him to look out for the boat on her return.

At Aston lock we again had a tow in by Vulcan, but then it was their turn to go aground close to the towpath above the lock. They waved us passed as had happened before, and we disappeared around the corner. Proceeding slowly we were caught up by a boat that had been following us since Sandon; the girls on board said that Vulcan needed a some help, so two crew were sent back, and the driver and captain very slowly moved ahead to Star lock at Stone. It took  about three hours to get Vulcan off and catch up, all manner of tricks being used to get her into deep water - we were still learning.

At Stone we were welcomed by John Moss - the chairman of the Stone Conservation Society, and yet another press photographer. We eventually moved through the lock and moored on the old BW yard - mooring, just above the Canal Cruising Company yard. Several people came to see us, and we stocked up Vulcan's larders at the nearby supermarket, and for once treated Pauline to an evening off - eating out in Stone.

Thursday 7th - Stone and a practice run up to the top of Stoke flight and back to Meaford

We had already decided that we would not stay alongside at Stone, but would go for a trip up to Stoke and back the next day, so the following morning ( Thursday ) that is what we did. Leaving early before breakfast, we later moored in the long pound between locks 32 and 33 at Meaford. Just by here is another National Power generating station. We were later to meet the manager of the station at the reception after the unveiling of the statue at the Etruria rally. Little did we then know that it would be announced that Meaford Power Station would be closing, the reason given is that it is too small and uneconomic.

 At Trentham lock the familiar figure of Dave Powell appeared, strange how people manage to find us out on the cut. We can also report that contrary to popular believe - Dave Stott can steer President. Like other drivers this year it is not unknown for them to emerge from the engine hole occasionally, and we made it into Stoke and up most of the Stoke flight without incident.

It was at bridge 115, that the reason for our days run became apparent - a gauging test of this bridge revealed inadequate clearance to get underneath. Put another way, we hit it with the cratch. Luckily no serious damage was done, and rather than take down the cratch, we moved about a ton of coal up towards the front, and stood people on the front. This exercise ( pun unintended ), delayed us an hour; just as well we were not trying to reach our appointment to unload the statue.

The whole episode was witnessed by Arthur Wood - well known for his series of broadcasts on BBC Radio Stoke about the boating people. We enjoyed his lively company all the way to the top of the flight, and whilst we moored at Etruria for our packed lunch.

Setting off down the flight again at 16:15, we hoped to moor for the night at Barlaston. Once again, shallow water foiled our plans, so we pressed on to the Meaford locks.

Not having experienced problems coming up, to our surprise we had difficulty at locks 33 & 34. President went aground beneath 33, and Vulcan now in 34 had the novel experience of going down and then up again so that we could flush water down to get President off.

Just to compound things - Richard decided that examination of Presidents propeller was necessary, so he dived under the counter to have a look - literally. What could have been a nasty incident was later the subject of much hilarity. He was standing on the bank and had been trying to push the boat off with a shaft: he put too much weight on it - leaning over the water, the shaft broke and he dived head first going completely under; luckily the propeller was stopped at the time. This is about the third ducking this year - and I think we should remind members that it is not the kind of thing we encourage. The trouble is, the guilty parties have all been committee members !.

We were moored close by, so a hot shower and dinner soon had Richard back in form. The mooring was in the long pound between locks 32 & 33, and unusually we had four feet of water close in to the bank.

Friday 8th - Meaford to Stone

We had an appointment in Stone the following mooring at 10 am, so we set of in good time in drizzle. This soon turned to rain, so when we had to stop at Stone top lock to clear some rubbish of the propeller, we got a little fed up. Here we also said good-bye to Eddy, who walked to the nearby station. Despite the slight delay, we arrived spot on 10, expecting to see crowds of school children. The rain must have deterred them as the place was deserted. We winded above the lock and moored up at the BW yard as before.

The day continued wet and with little to do. Perhaps it was the boredom, but Alan Pease decided that he wanted to get away from the boat for a while; he did it in some style in an ambulance in the middle of the night - those modern radio telephones have their uses in summoning help when needed, even if not circa 1909. We were all pleased when he turned up again just in time for the departure - so all was well.

Saturday 9th - A civic ceremony at Stone

Tony Millatt and Simon Nutall joined the crew, and Richard Thomas left on the Saturday morning. We were invited to attend the civic reception in the Crown Hotel, and afterwards welcomed the Mayor of Stone and other guests back at the boat. We made friends with many people in Stone, and they arranged Brindley 225th Anniversary Celebrations with barbecue and party at the wharf that evening.

Sunday 10th - Stone to Stoke

Martin Caldwell joined the crew that evening, and the next day (Sunday) after a further civic ceremony at the Wharf with the Mayors of Stone and Stafford in attendance, we set off for Stoke with Andy Flack steering President. The journey to Stoke was uneventful, and we moored up at just below the Stoke flight of locks. As I was leaving the crew that evening, I took the somewhat easier ride on Vulcan, leaving the new crew to take President up the locks the following morning to unload the statue.

The journey from London to Stoke on Trent had been achieved within schedule, albeit a somewhat long one, but we had stopped many times for civic receptions, press calls and general publicity etc; there had been very few problems and everyone had had a great time.

Malcolm Nixon

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