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Documents held on file
GJ Gauging 11681 
pc
13.2.1911
Letter Warren/Millner re stem in tunnel 
pc
28.12.1912
Millner Telegrams and letter re passage
pc
31.7.1920
Millner letter re waste of water   
pc
4.11.1921
BCN Gauging working sheet 
pc
31.12.1926
BCN Gauging 1236
pc
31.12.1926
GJ Gauging 12165    
pc
16.8.1927
Nottingham CIJ page
pc
27.3.1928
Bill of Sale from J Pinder to J Clenshaw
pc
10.2.1972
Letter to J Clenshaw re history
pc
24.3.1972
Record of work done at Charity Dock
pc
20.6.1972 to 5th May 1974
Article Waterways World 
pc
9.1995
Remedial work necessary   from G & S Russell
email 
1.2004

Millner Letters

28.12.1912
We had another stem in with a steamer yesterday the empty boats wrong side of the steamer broken our snubber and a lot of things in the KINGs cabin
30.7.1920 T 
9.51 am “Steamers PRESIDENT, KING and butties passed Cowley noon Friday Cargoes most urgent please arrange pass Buckby Braunston to clear Warwick stoppages” Anderson FMC/Millner
31.7.1920 T
11.20 am “Your memo to hand have instructed Norton Office to pass Fellows and Co boats on Sunday morning please make any necessary arrangements with regard to Braunston and Buckby Locks.”  General Manager Waterway Estrand London (GJCC Office)/Millner
31.7.1920 
I duly received your memo accompanying Messrs Fellows & Co’s letter and have this morning telegraphed you as follows:- Your memo to hand have instructed Norton Office to pass Fellows and Co boats on Sunday morning please make any necessary arrangements with regard to Braunston and Buckby Locks.  Bliss/Millner
4.11.1921 

Re Waste of Water at Stoke Bruerne Locks.  I beg to report that last night when Messrs Fellows Morton & Clayton’s steamer KING, Captain W Griffin, was working up the Stoke locks one of the crew left the inside bottom paddle up at Lock 16 and ran the long pound empty and it took 15locks of water to bring the pound up to a working level.  Two motors and a pair of boats were delayed owing to the pound being empty.

Lock keeper Abbott was on duty from 10pm until6am this morning and he came over to me and reported that he worked up the locks from the bottom to lock 17 with the boats and them left hem and went on ahead to the top lock. At 12.30 am he passed the steamer through the top lock.  After this he admits stopping in his hut at the top lock until he left duty at 6 am, and he went home without knowing the long pound was empty.  When Lock keeper Inns came on duty at 6 am he had to run water before the traffic could work. Abbott expresses his regret for the neglect of duty.  It is such a clear and serious case that I can find no excuse for him and it appears to me the only thing to do is discharge him and fine the boatman for leaving the paddle up. Awaiting your instructions.  Millner/Yates

Latest News.....

From Graham & Sue Russell

In recent years the external white paint on the framing, and the red border, peeled badly during the winters, requiring a full strip down and repaint every year.   Also last year I noticed that two of the black sections (painter board, as used in concrete shuttering) had gone soft in the corners and split.   In addition the roof covering was well past its sell by date, with occasional small leaks, and needed a professional remedy.  The boat went into Olympus Narrowboat's dry dock at Lostok Gralam nr Northwich on May 25, they did our external & internal refit 10 years ago, for blacking, stern gear inspection and a full external investigation of the framing, painter board and roof - plus some minor internal improvements.   From the findings from a limited investigation of the "soft & split painter board", all the framing and painter board on both sides was removed, i.e. full exterior stripped back to the inner cabin woodwork.   Due to a total lack of sealant between surfaces in the 1960s the white framing boards were found to be soaking wet and several major sections of the painter board under the framing was rotten.   All the roof covering, a sort of linoleum, and the handrails were taken off.   The roof covering was found to be very thin and porous in several places - fortunately only very minor damage to the roof ply in a couple of places, i.e. where we had suffered leaks.    The handrail was in 100% condition. 

The cabin sides have been covered in birch ply, due to its hard wearing and close grain properties.   Most of the framing dried out (over four weeks for some sections), and was able to be re-used - where new sections had to be cut it was a devil's own job to find a non metric tool to cut the original style of the routing.   We took the opportunity to adjust the vertical framing at the boatman & engine cabins so that the signwriting would be on two sections, as per the 1910 photos, not the three that were painted in the 1960s.   A waterproof membrane down to the gunnels has been inserted between the birch ply and the interior woodwork and aluminium edging between the gunnels and the bottom of the ply to stop water getting behind.   All surfaces have been fully sealed to stop water penetration.

 The ply roof has been covered with fibre glass matting and four gel coats, which has produced a smooth surface, and brought out under the hand rails to ensure total waterproofing.  All roof hatches have been stripped back, reglazed, restained and their upstands have been replaced.   Four metal side door hatches have been made to replace the wooden ones at the saloon and engine room doors, constantly being replaced, and these now match the metal slide hatch at the boatman's cabin.

Olympus repainted the black, white, red on the cabin sides, raggle red on the roof. and front and rear decks etc.   Andy Russell did all the signwrting using the 1910 photo as a template.The boat was in wet & dry dock for one week less than three months and returned to Aqueduct Marina, in all its new splendour, on August 18.   The 1960s cabin exterior lasted 50 years, so with the advanced material and sealants it should now be good for at least the next 50!!   Photograph here

Current Owners:

Matt & Rebekah Parrott (from January 2015)

 

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