Category: Barges and wherries

Barges and wherries and other working boats originally for carrying cargoes

My parents’ photos of the Norfolk Broads in 1956

  The Broads in 1956 31

 The Broads in 1956 38 

  The Broads in 1956 7

  

These old Ilford transparencies found in a box belonging to my father Brian Atkin show the Norfolk Broads in 1956.

It was a time when my parents were young, both sailing cruisers and motor cruisers were made from timber, the boat hire companies had quaint old sheds, everywhere – including Wroxham Bridge – was much more peaceful, and I was a little boy still in his cot.

I haven’t included it in this post because of its quality, but one of the shots shows a sprit-rigged Thames barge on the Broads. Nowadays, that sounds pretty unusual, but I’m prepared to bet it was a frequent occurrence years ago.

The Faversham Creek Trust reports excellent progress

 

The Purifier Building - home to the new Maritime Heritage Apprentice Training Centre

The Purifier Building – before all the work began

The Faversham Creek Trust weblog has put up a very positive report following the trust’s annual general meeting held last week – it’s all great news.

Some 100 members attended and total membership now stands at over 500.

The organisation has raised and spent £60,000, mostly on restoring the roof and windows of the Purifier Building and installing power. More than 40 tons of rubbish and scrap have been removed by hand.

An outstanding issue remains the requirement for a new opening bridge to enable he upper part of the creek to be used, and to allow vessels coming up the creek to access the purifier building.

Kent County Council would like to see a fixed bridge put in place but happily are prepared to put their estimated cost of a fixed bridge, £400,000, towards the cost of an opening bridge, and the trust will shortly publish its conclusions following a survey of the different designs available.

The trust believes comparisons with Maldon in Essex shows the potential of opening up the Creek and increasing the amount of boat maintenance and building work: a comparison with another popular barge centre of similar size, Maldon, shows that town’s tourism is about double the current level of tourism to Faversham.

The trust concludes as follows: ‘We are on track to meet our vision to see the whole Creek energised as an active maritime centre using the basin as a home port for barges and traditional craft, and with repair and maintenance facilities for them right here in the town centre; the Purifier will then become a true community resource at the centre.’

Spider T calendar now on sale!

I hear demand for the first ever Spider T calendar has far outstripped expectations – but happily it is now again available after skipper Mal Nicholson had it reprinted.

The calendar, which will make a fine Christmas present for many people, is made up of photographs from the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in London this summer – watched from the banks by 1.2 million people, it was the largest collection of historic vessels ever assembled on the river. Each participating boat was provided with a specially designed Diamond Jubilee ensign as a lasting souvenir.

Mal tells me that copies of the calendar have gone to the USA and Germany, among other countries, and UK visitors have been buying them four and six at a time.

The calendars are priced at £10.00 each plus postage and packaging, and all proceeds go towards the upkeep of Humber sloop Spider T herself. To buy one, contact Mal through the Spider T website – you will be able to make your payment through the site’s donations button.

On the subject of the Spider T and Humber sloops, here’s a nice story in the local paper and another from the BBC, and  how about this cracking photo of a Humber sloop being loaded with horses.