Category: River boats

Films online from the East Anglian Film Archive

East Anglian Film Archive

There’s some great film at the East Anglian Film Archive 

Inteboatshed.net readers Paul Mullings and John Button have been in touch to tell me about material they’ve found on the East Anglian Film Archive – and in doing so, they’ve opened a Pandora’s box.

There’s some wonderful stuff here. Typing the word ‘wherry‘ into the search box reveals a selection of videos about the craft and the trade they used to ply, including reminiscences from old wherryman Nat Bircham and a cracking sequence in which the Albion breaks her mast on-camera.

Punch in the word ‘barge‘ and you’re immediately rewarded with Venture On The Wind, an eleven-minute film made in 1970  and described as ‘an impressionistic study of an outing of cine film enthusiasts on a Thames sailing barge on the River Orwell‘. The barge sails from Pin Mill.

There’s a useful film about the history and tradition of maritime East Anglia, but my own personal favourite has to be Here’s A Health To The Barley Mow, filmed at the legendary Blaxhall Ship Inn some time in the fifties. The Ship is a wonderful put that I’m glad to say is still a singing pub today – in fact, they’ll be singing this lunchtime as they always do on a Monday. There should be more pubs like the Ship, and more singers too.

There’s a job to be done in searching the other film archives around the country for similar material – for someone who has the time. Meanwhile – thanks Paul and John!

Lines and construction drawings of old fashioned steam launches wanted

Keith Johnston’s been in touch to ask whether anyone has construction drawings of an old-fashioned steam similar to SL Wisp on the Thames that he could work from in building a new boat? If so, please contact me at gmatkin@gmail.com, and I’ll put you in touch with him.

SL Wisp is currently up for sale according to the Peter Freebody website – click on the link for photos and details.

Spider T sails from Keadby Lock on Humber to Arbroath – the full story

Spider T returns to the Humber following the Arbroath Sea Fest

Mal Nicholson and the Spider T crew will have more to chew on than most when they consider their summer’s adventures, having sailed a 1920s Humber sloop from Keadby to Arbroath and back.

The purpose of the boat’s trip was to attend Arbroath Sea Fest, and join in the marking of the 200th anniversary of the building of the Bell Rock Lighthouse, by Robert Stephenson. (I’m pleased to note a connection here – in building the Bell Rock Light, Stephenson was assisted by John Rennie, whose son Sir John Rennie was responsible for the New River Ancholme Drainage Scheme, which created the river that provides Spider T’s home berth.)

As you’d expect, their trip was marked by a series of minor mishaps and fascinating encounters, unforgettable landfalls, great thundering dawns and glorious sunsets. A series of posts here at intheboatshed.net recorded the northward trip, but you can read about the whole thing on a special page on the Humber Keel and Sloop Preservation Society’s website.

A series of local newspapers covered the story of the Spider T’s visits to ports along the way, including this one recording the moment when the boat and crew called in at Hartlepool.

PS – Dig the great photo on the HKSPS homepage showing a keel skipper working his boat out of harbour using a sweep, with his rudder hard over and a tender in tow. Now there’s a challenge, yotties!