Monday 14 August 2017

THE BIG FREEZE.

1963 was a very big and traumatic year for both myself and the British canal network, especially the BCN. The effects on both were due to the same reason.  It started back in December 1962 when cold weather hit the UK. On the 12th & 13th December snow fell, then on the 26th December we had heavy snow and on the 29th & 30th Dec we had a blizzard which left snow drifts 20 foot thick in places.  January 1963 saw an average temperature of -21°C with lows of -19°C in fact the sea froze in parts around the coast and up to 1 mile out.  In February 1963 more snow fell, the most being 5’-0” (1.5m) in one night in Monmouthshire.  This all lasted up until 6th March 1963 when The Thaw began.  In other words a freeze that lasted 12 weeks.  I remember it biting hard into the movement of coal around my BCN area.  Prior to this bad weather I would still see at least two or three coal boats a day come past the end of our street, then suddenly for three months nothing moved.  The canal never really recovered for even after the thaw, the boat movements never got back to what they were.  Whether this was due to a change in the need for coal due to the clean air act and restriction on burning household coal, whether the introduction of more advanced technology (gas/oil fire boilers or whether customers had had to find alternatives through this period is arguable but what I do know is what I was seeing – the disappearing boats.
During this time we had spent quite a bit of time playing on the canal, taking the tyres off and riding our bikes on the ice, playing football, trying to cut/drill/break a hole in the ice, all to no avail and so we came up with an idea.  “Lets see how far we can walk on the cut without getting off as even under the bridge oles the ice was at least 9” thick, and so we set about our adventure. A group of us, about 5 including my then best mate, William Millward, climbed/jumped/ran and slid onto the ice and we then headed off towards Factory locks.  As with most groups of young lads out on an adventure we giggled and cajoled each other along telling tales of woe where people had gone through the ice under this or that bridge never to be seen again.  Eventually we got to Tipton Green Junction where the Toll End Communication canal (or as we called them the Toll End locks and the Tipton Green cut)crossed the New Main Line and after a short respite in the expanse of the large junction for a game of ‘ice football’ with a chunk of ice used as a ball, we decided we would head off down to the right along the Toll End Locks.  Here came our first obstacle as we had said the adventure was to get as far as we could without getting off the canal.  Solution, climb over the top gate and down into the chamber down the frozen gate and cill onto the iced water in the bottom of the chamber then if the bottom gate was open straight out if not then it would have been a case of climbing up the gate lock wall and down the other side.  At this time the lock flight was still fully functional although the top gates had been ‘nailed shut with timber sprags and the top paddles had had their racks removed however these measures would not deter those canal enthusiasts of the sixties using cabin shafts to pull paddles up and removing the timber sprags to enable the 1962 failed action cruise that was held.  Fortunately for us , at this time most of the pounds were quite empty and , as we found all of the bottom gates were open so our progress was quite unhindered, that is until we got half way down the flight where the notorious unfriendly lockie still lived in the lock house next to the pound at the back of The Little Burton where the canal took a sharp 90° turn. As we approached we held back while we decided what to do as this guy was known to catch little boys who strayed on his towpath and lock them up ‘never to be seen again’ (we had a lot of that when we was kids’.We had decided to make a run for it so with the word go, we started running.  No doubt alerted by the noise we were making, the lockie was out at his front door and as we approached he came out onto the towpath shouting at us about trespassing and to ‘clear off’ or he would ‘give us a good hiding’.  That was enough we all turned tail and jumped off the canal onto the towpath and ran for our lives without even turning to see if he was in pursuit.  And so ended out great adventure.  We retraced our steps but this time on the towpath and this was never to become an opportunity again as the canals never froze again like they did in that year.
I started by stating that both the canal and I had a traumatic experience and the experience that I encountered, came towards the end of the big freeze when finally temperatures began to rise and the Ice began to gradually thaw. I went out into the street and was greeted by an excited friend, William Milward who greeted me with  “thice breakers bin through n bost ed up orl thice” we both ran up the bank onto the towpath and sure enough the ice, which was still about 5’6 inches thick, had been broken into a variety of sized slabs.  Some only a foot or so square but with others being huge slabs several feet wide/deep.  Now what you have to remember is that at this time something like this would keep a couple of 10 year olds amused for hours so having armed ourselves with sticks, we spent the next hour amusing ourselves by  pushing, steering the slabs around the cut until William, who had discovered a particularly large slab of ice,  decided he was going to see if he could use it as a raft and propel himself around.  He gingerly sat in the snow on the edge of the towpath and placed both feet on the slab then gently added his weight.  Immediately the slab started to tip and sink.  After several trial attempts of changing his position and the way he distributed his weight he had failed miserable and so gave up that  means of attack.  Instead he stood on the edge of the towpath and announced he was going to jump from the bank to the centre of the slab as that would work.  Despite warnings from myself that I did not think it would support his weight, quick as a flash he had hurled himself out onto the middle of the ice slab and to both our surprise, it held his weight, if only a little unstable if his weight moved, and he proudly called out “See ar towd ya it ud werk”  He spent the next 30 minutes gingerly pushing himself and his newfound craft around the canal steering and moving the surrounding ice flow with his stick.  As with most young boys, he soon got bored and needed a change..  Now here was the dilemma.  How to get off the slab of ice as every time he even moved towards the edge to climb off, the slab would start to tip and sink.  After several failed attempts he decided to just go for it and made a put for the side.  I watched on in horror as the slabed tipped up at an angle of 45° and William slipped off it’s slippy surface into the freezing water only for the slab to come crashing down over the top of him.  Panic as there was no sign of him and the ice slabs were all closed in.  I lay down onto the frozen surface of the towpath and plunged my arms into the freezing needle like cold of the water and waved them around hoping he would see them and come towards them.  After what seemed an age, i felt the warm grip of one of his hands and just pulled with all of my might to get him to the side, once there coughing and spluttering I just had not got the strength to pull him out of the water..  If anyone knows this stretch of canal, they will be familiar with the fact the canal here runs right next to Dudley Port station where several people were stood awaiting their trains.  Still in panic mode, I screamed across to then to help me get me mate out the cut.  Minutes later a British Rail employee, I believe the station master, came round and helped me pull him out.  The second he was out of the water he was off like a greyhound and ran home without so much as a thank you.  I don’t think he ever told his parents as it was never mentioned by them to me, not even a thank you for saving his life.
During these months the canal froze with ice over two foot thick, In fact, as the following picture shows, Ice breaking on the Cannock extension canal at Pelsall, the ice was so thick that it would not break and  the ice breaker, along with its crew, was pulled up onto the ice!
                                (just canals.com)

Finally at the beginning of March 1963 the thaw had started.  Gradually the snow, which by now was mainly ice on footpaths/towpaths/roads etc. had started to retreat.  Within a week the snow/ice had all gone but what it left behind would be with us forever.  Never again did I see anywhere near the amount of traffic I had seen prior to the big freeze.  I think that many had found other arrangements when the canals let them down for 12 weeks and never returned after the thaw.  The freeze alone cannot be singularly blamed for the demise but it was a contributory factor.  The clean air act of 1956 had a dramatic effect on the coal trade as from 1956 through to 1968 saw Pits closing all over the Black Country, 1956 West Cannock No 2, 1957 East Cannock, 1958      West Cannock No 1, 1959 Cannock Chase No 3, 1960 Hawkins, Brerton, 1962 Cannock Chase No 8, 1963 Wyrley No3, 1964 Coppice, 1967 Mid Cannock, 1969 Hilton Main. although if you speak to the old colliers they say there’s still plenty down there. These collieries served the canal either through ‘Edgefud (Hednesford) Basin known to boaters as ‘the bump’, Holly bank basin and Anglesey basin and on the BCN Sandwell Colliery chutes at Smethwick.  As well as the domestic supply they also supplied the power generation industries at Birchills (Walsall) power station, W’TON, .Ocker Hill Which all received their coal by canal at this time, this transferred to road and rail transport in the mid 1960’s
  During the same period factories were going over to gas fired boilers, we were changing from town gas to natural gas, the M6 motorway was being built and all this together had a disastrous knock on effect on the canal trade, especially the BCN.   If we are not making town gas then we are not cooking coal, if we are not cooking coal we are not making creosote ( creosolic acid), coal tar, gas water and as the M6 was going straight through Thomas Claytons Oldbury site,  This company’s tar boats  finally went off the cut in 1966. Coal traffic to W’TON power station went off the canal in 1959, Birchills in 1965, Ocker Hill in 1966. 1963 saw Hednesford basin close, 1965 saw Hollybank basin go and 1967 saw Anglesey basin close.

And so we can say that after nearly 200 years (1768 – 1968) we finally saw the end of majority of the bulk trade on the BCN.
So that's it, and till next time,
Don't bang 'em about
Blossom

Friday 4 August 2017

BRING ON THE BIG GUNS

In 1966, Cliff Sherwood and myself were driving up Factory Road in Tipton when we saw a plume of smoke rising from the rear of the Tipton gauging station.  Stopping to investigate Cliff parked up and we entered the yard to be met by two British Waterways blokes who were having a bonfire and burning all the paperwork from the gauging station.  When asked what they were doing they said “clearing the building”.  Cliff enquired “what are you doing with them” pointing to a set of BCN registers stacked next to the bonfire ready to be consumed by flame.  “Burnin em” was the reply, “why dun ya want em, cuz if yow do then tek em”  We proceeded to load the fullscap sized books into the rear of his van, in all over 160 volumes containing 200 boats in each.  These were taken to Cliffs house and unloaded, after which Cliff promised me when he had finished with them they would be mine.
50 Years later at Parkhead boat rally, cliff spoke to me and said “I have something for you, you’ll have to come down to Greensforge and collect it.  A few weeks later saw Dawn and I visiting Cliff and Barbara and loading the boxed 160 volumes into Dawns car, along with a gauging stick I gave Cliff in 1968, for them to be transferred to our summer house.  Since then I have set about producing a searchable electronic data base of the registers which, when finished will be donated the Dudley Tunnel Trust’s Hub along with the original registers. So far I have transferred about 4000 boats in 12 months, so yes it is a big job but I feel worth while.






BCN
REG No
DATE GAUGED
OWNER/
OPERATOR
ADDRESS
TYPE BOAT
NAME
LENGTH
BEAM
TONS MAX
16185
29.04.1898
A E HARLEY
W’TON
CAB WOOD
MARY ANNE
76'-6"
7'-7"
50
16181
27.04.1898
A E HORLEY
W’TON
CAB WOOD
ELSIE MAY
77'-10"
7'-7 1/2"
50
19639
20.02.1905
A HORTON
W’TON
CAB WOOD
CYRIE
75'-3"
7'-6"
49
906
3.09.1924
A J BAUGH
W’TON
CAB WOOD
MAMY
79'-2"
7'-8"
49
343
28.07.1922
ALBION COAL CO
W’TON
CAB WOOD
CAMBRIA
76'-10"
7'-8 1/4"
47
23250
13.09.1920
B & H SMITH
W’TON
CAB WOOD
PEACE
78'-0"
7'-6 3/4"
44
395
25.08.1922
CHARLES INGLES
HORSELEY FIELDS
CAB WOOD
VIOLETTA
77'-3"
7'-8"
48T
17498
29.10.1900
D A WRIGHT
DEEPFIELDS
OPEN WOOD

76'-2"
7'-7 1/2"
53
445
2.10.1922
D BAKER & SONS
BRADLEY
CAB WOOD

82'-4"
7'-7 1/2"
50
1876
13.09.1935
D BAKER & SONS
W’TON
CAB WOOD

88'-10"
7'-9 1/2"
61
678
22.06.1923
D STEVENS & SON
DEEPFIELDS
CAB WOOD
JACK
80'-7"
7'-8 1/4"
51
757
5.11.1923
D STEVENS & SON
DEEPFIELDS
CAB WOOD
MAYFLOWER
82'-6"
7'-8 1/4"
51
856
12.05.1924
D STEVENS & SON
DEEPFIELDS
CAB WOOD

82'-2"
7'-8 1/2"
51
933
8.10.1924
E DYKE
LANESFIELD
CAB WOOD
HORACE
82'-4"
7'-8"
51
1713
1.02.1932
E J THOMAS
ETTINGSHALL
CAB WOOD
QUEENIE
87'-7"
7'-9"
57
1736
19.08.1932
E PROBERT & SONS LTD
MILLFIELDS
CAB WOOD
PROMPT
87'-8"
7'-10 1/2"
59
1416
20.08.1928
E PROBERT & SONS LTD
MILLFIELDS
CAB WOOD
PROSPERITY
85'-4"
7'-8 1/2"
52
1663
24.03.1931
E THOMAS
WALSALL
CAB WOOD
RAY
97'-11"
7'-9"
56
1591
26.04.1930
E W REED
DUDLEY PORT
CAB WOOD

83'-0"
7'-9"
50
19481
14.10.1904
EVERALL & HILL
W’TON
OPEN WOOD

77'-6"
7'-7"
50
23306
22.11.1920
EVERALL & HILL
W’TON
CAB BWOOD

77'-4"
7'-6 3/4"
47
14531
23.08.1895
EVERALL HILL
W’TON
OPEN WOOD

76'-6"
7'-5 1/2"
47
14594
7.10.1895
EVERALL HILL
W’TON
CAB WOOD

77'-3"
7'-7 1/4"
50
1537
2.12.1929
F ROBINSON
W’TON
CAB WOOD
GEORGE HARRY
79'-7"
7'-8 1/2"
52
1535
26.11.1929
F ROBINSON
W’TON
CAB WOOD
SEGRAVE
83'-1"
7'-9"
50
159
30.01.1922
FANSHAW & PINSON
W’TON
CAB WOOD
ANNIE
75'-7"
7'-6 1/2"
49
1446
29.11.1928
FANSHAW & PINSON
W’TON
CAB WOOD
BONZO
76'-5"
7'-6 1/2"
50
1758
28.04.1933
FANSHAW & PINSON
W’TON
CAB WOOD
SHEILA
85'-10"
7'-8"
55
348
31.07.1922
GEORGE & MATTHEWS
W’TON
CAB WOOD
FLORENCE
79'-4"
7'-7 1/4"
47
16216
23.05.1898
GODDARD & CO
W’TON
CAB WOOD
TAMOSHANTER
75'-6"
7'-6 1/2"
48
18079
28.02.1902
H ROBINSON
W’TON
CAB WOOD
GEORGE HENRY
83'-0"
7'-8"
53
1741
16.09.1932
H TURTON
MONMORE GREEN
CAB WOOD
ADELINE
87'-4"
7'-9 1/2"
56
16391
23.09.1898
HADLEY & KNOWLES
OLDBURY
OPEN WOOD

76'-8"
7'-6"
49
1725
27.06.1932
J & E TAYLOR
HORSELEY FIELDS
CAB WOOD

85'-5"
7'-8 1/2"
52
19441
21.09.1904
J BEDDOWS & SON
ALDRIDGE
OPEN WOOD

80'-0"
7'-8"
53
14768
3.01.1896
J BEDDOWS & SON
WALSALL
OPEN WOOD

77'-7"
7'-9"
48
1982
24.09.1937
J FOULKES
WEDNESFIELD
CAB WOOD
JOE
88'-0"
7'-9"
58
1801
25.04.1934
J FOULKES
WEDNESFIELD
CAB WOOD
RON

7'-8 1/4"
58
1801
25.04.1934
J FOULKS
WEDNESFIELD
CAB WOOD
RON
88'-0"
7'-8 1/4"
58
1772
21.08.1933
J FOULKS
WENDESFIELD
CAB WOOD
TONY
87'-6"
7'-8 1/2"
57
882
16.07.1924
J GRIFFITHS & CO
WALSALL
OPEN WOOD
JACK
75'-1"
7'-5"
46
19443
22.09.1904
J H PEARSON
NETHERTON
OPEN WOOD

75'-2"
7'-6 1/2"
46
19456
27.09.1904
J H PEARSON
NETHERTON
OPEN WOOD

77'-0"
7'-6"
46
17573
7.01.1901
J HELLS & SON
W’TON
CAB WOOD
GEORGE
79'-4"
7'-7"
52
16453
11.11.1898
J JENKS & SON
W’TON
OPEN WOOD

75'-6"
7'-4 1/2"
43
942
17.10.1924
J JONES Ltd
ETTINGSHALL
CAB WOOD
ELIZABETH
82'-8"
7'-7 3/4"
51
14487
7.08.1895
J PICKERING
W’TON
CAB WOOD
GERTRUDE
77'-7"
7'-6 1/2"
51
777
19.12.1923
J TURTON
OCKER HILL
CAB WOOD
MARJORIE
78'-8"
7'-8 1/2"
48
23270
15.10.1920
J TURTON
TIPTON
CAB WOOD
PROSPERITY
78'-10"
7'-8"
48
699
30.07.1923
J TURTON
TIPTON
CAB WOOD

83'-6"
7'-8 3/4"
52
19635
15.02.1905
J W SHEPHERD & SON
W’TON
CAB WOOD

76'-8"
7'-6 1/2"
49
134
14.11.1921
J WELLINGS
MILLFIELDS
CAB WOOD
JACK
79'-10"
7'-7 1/4"
49
886
21.07.1924
J YATES
PELSALL
CAB WOOD
HORACE
81'-9"
7'-8 1/2"
50
795
16.01.1924
J YATES
PELSALL
CAB WOOD
JESSIE
82'-8"
7'-8 3/4"
53
1413
25.07.1928
J YATES
PELSALL
CAB WOOD
LITTLE BILL
84'-10"
7'-8 1/2"
52
1503
11.07.1929
J YATES
PELSALL
CAB WOOD
RUBY
84'-7"
7'-9"
50
1605
28.05.1930
JONES & COWELL
ETTINGSHALL
CAB WOOD
SANUEL
85'-7"
7'-8 1/2"
53
1420
27.08.1928
JONES & POWELL
ETTINGSHALL WHARF
CAB WOOD
BEATRICE LILY
81'-9"
7'-8"
52
1840
1.02.1935
JONES & POWELL
ETTINGSHALL
CAB WOOD
EDNA IRENE
86'-8"
7'-8 1/2"
58
1720
20.05.1932
JONES & POWELL
MILLFIELDS
CAB WOOD
IRIS MOREEN
86'-2"
7'-8 1/4"
57
1745
31.10.1932
K TURTON
HEATH TOWN
CAB WOOD

86'-8"
7'-10 3/4"
58
16541
18.01.1899
M A HARLEY
W’TON
CAB WOOD

79'-1"
7'-7 3/4"
51
19417
9.09.1904
MARY A HARLEY
W’TON
CAB WOOD

77'-0"
7'-6 1/2"
48
657
9.05.1923
N BENNETT
MILLFIELDS
CAB WOOD
DAISY
78'-7"
7'-5 3/4"
47
16268
27.06.1898
NAKER & SONS
HIGHFIELDS
CAB WOOD
DOLLY
80'-4"
7'-7 3/4"
53
23309
29.11.1920
OAKLEY & Co
W’TON
CAB WOOD
CLIFTON
77'-7"
7'-6 1/"
45
23375
23.02.1921
OAKLEY & Co
W’TON
CAB WOOD
ERIC
77'-6"
7'-7"
45
18081
28.02.1902
OAKLEY & Co
W’TON
CAB WOOD
PERSEVERANCE
77'-6"
7'-4 1/2"
49
16275
15.06.1898
P WARD LTD
PUMPHOUSE WORKS
OPEN WOOD

79'-6"
7'-3 3/4"
50
1623
27.07.1930
S EVANS & SONS
W’TON
CAB WOOD
HANNAH.  E
86'-0"
7'-8"
55
16259
17.06.1898
S JONES JNR
W’TON
CAB WOOD
WILLIAM
77'-6"
7'-5 1/2"
50
151
13.01.1922
SOUTH COALING Co
W’TON
CAB WOOD
MARIE ROBERTS
79'-2"
7'-7"
48
1778
9.10.1933
T HICKENBOTTOM & SONS
WEDNESBURY
CAB WOOD
BETTY
84'-5"
7'-10 1/4"
55
1777
29.09.1933
T HICKENBOTTOM & SONS
WEDNESBURY
CAB WOOD

84'-7"
7'-8 1/2"
53
1952
16.04.1937
T HICKENBOTTOM & SONS LTD
WEDNESBURY
CAB WOOD
THOMAS SIDNEY
80'-9"
7'-8"
49
15857
4.10.1897
T HOPE & CO
W’TON
CAB WOOD
MARY
75'-11"
7'-6 1/2"
46
19564
30.12.1904
THOS INGLES
W’TON
OPEN WOOD
QUEENIE
77'-0"
7'-7 1/2"
50
1746
25.1.1933
W ELWELL & SONS
TIPTON
CAB WOOD
IVY
88'-9"
7'-10"
58
1793
7.02.1934
W ELWELL & SONS
TIPTON
CAB WOOD
MR PERKINS
86'-4"
7'-8 1/2"
57
1770
19.07.1933
W ELWELL & SONS
TIPTON
CAB WOOD
UNCLE JIM
84'-0"
7'-8 1/4"
54
15993
31.12.1897
W H HARLEY
W’TON
CAB WOOD
JESSE
79'-3"
7'-7 1/2"
51
749
22.10.1923
W J WEBBERLEY
W’TON
CAB WOOD

84'-6"
7'-8 3/4"
51
1672
13.05.1931
W J WEBBERLEY
W’TON
CAB WOOD

86'-2"
7'-9"
56
1804
16.05.1934
W J WEBBERLEY
W’TON
CAB WOOD

88'-0"
7'-8 1/2"
57
19696
3.03.1905
W J WEBBERLEY
W’TON
OPEN WOOD

80'-0"
7'-8"
51
567
31.01.1923
W T WEBBERLEY
W’TON
OPEN WOOD

80'-6"
7'-9 1/2"
51
1804
16.05.1934
W T WEBBERLEY
W’TON
CAB WOOD

88'-0"
7'-8 1/2"
57
17586
23.01.1901
W WEBBERLEY
W’TON
CAB WOOD

81'-2"
7'-7 3/4"
53
986
29.12.1924
WULFRUNA COAL CO
W’TON
CAB WOOD
AMY
82'-11"
7'-8"
50
782
28.12.1923
WULFRUNA COAL CO
W’TON
CAB WOOD
ARGO
76'-4"
7'-6 1/4"
44
1751
24.02.1933
WULFRUNA COAL CO
W’TON
CAB WOOD
IRIS MOREEN
88'-0"
7'-9 1/2"
58
781
28.12.1923
WULFRUNA COAL CO
W’TON
CAB WOOD

77'-1"
7'-6 1/2"
44
1696
18.09.1931
E THOMAS
WALSALL
CAB WOOD
MARGE
88'-0"
7'-10"
59
16249
13.06.1898
ALBION COAL CO
W’TON
CAB WOOD
COLUMBIA
77'-8"
7'-7 1/2"
50


In all, from about 1898 to 1956, there were probably about 32,000 boats registered and gauged at one of the two weigh stations either at Smethwick or Tipton, these were all plying their trade around or through the BCN.  Apart from long distance boats owned by such companies as Fellows Morton & Clayton limited, Severn & canal carrying company, Chester & Liverpool Lighterage Company Limited, Shropshire Union  etc,  the rest were a combination of cabined and open iron day boats, open and cabined ‘Joey’ boats and a collection of ‘other’ craft.  I know sometimes I am accused of banging on and being a little anal but I like things right.  Too many people these days call all BCN day boats ‘Joey’s’ which is wrong.  Joeys are wooden and are named after a well known BCN boat builder who had several yards around the BCN, Joe Worsey. Any other open boats on the BCN are ‘day boats’.
 Joey boat Queen Mary



An un named Day boat
 These were mainly averaging about 71’-0” long and an average of 7’1 ½” wide with a gauged capacity of 40tons with less than an inch free board, in fact very, very few were actually 70’ by 7’, the accepted ‘standard for narrow boats, however things were different for the coal loading facilities and factories that were situated on the 473’ W’TON level of close on 50 miles of lock free canal.  As a result of this a special breed of boat was developed to work this canal.  As the only restrictions were the width of bridge ‘oles and stops and the width/length of the junctions that had to be negotiated then a much longer and wider boat was built by the boat builders on this canal known as ‘Ampton Wharf Boats.  These averaged about 85 ‘-0” by 7’-9”and could carry 50+tons.  Due to their size, these boats could only be gauged at Tipton gauging station. Here I have included some of the details of these craft which I have recorded so far..

One particular Ampton boat owned by E W Reed of Dudley Port, was sold to some enthusiasts who did not understand the boats design.  It was duly pumped up and towed to take it to its new home.  Unfortunately when they got it to the top of the 21 at Wolverhampton, they discovered it did not fit and so I believe it was then scrapped and cut up and burned, which in itself was a great pity as at the time it was in quite good condition and in more understanding hands would probably still been with us as the only remaining example of this unique craft as there are no viable survivors.
  The only survivors I am aware of are the sunken remains in the arm alongside Wulfruna coal company’s wharf in Wolverhampton
 and at the Black country museum alongside the lime kilns, all well past their preservation dates. (Sunken on the left in this photo)


So there you have it, Ampton wharf boats.
So till next time,
‘don’t bang ‘em about’


Blossom