Having joined twitter and searched for “ship yards” this picture came up, which reflects a lot of the research I’ve been doing with people who knew the yaird at the sharp end, so I thought i would share it!

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Here’s to a publisher taking up the book this year!

Here is a clip from the programme

The programme showed the work of dedicated volunteers and canal boat enthusiasts and explored the restoration of our canal systems over the years.

There were the inevitable bits of footage of Barbara Castle doing her bit as minister through the 1968 transportation act which defined the legal status of canals and prevented funding being cut, We learn of the battles that various groups fought to reopen silted up canals left to rot in Beeching style because they were considered unnecessary as they weren’t a main commercial venture any more.

Despite that, we were shown the delightful three men (see above) who determined to continue the canals as just that and who worked the canals until operations and difficulty leaping on and off boats to negotiate locks became too much for them, and the couple currently working a coal trade from their narrow boat.

Hills and Mills at Marsden is one of the many wonderful photos on their official site.

But the part of the programme that really hit home was to find that good old British Shipbuilders stuck their oar in there too. Specifically, though not exclusively, in relation to the The Huddersfield Narrow Canal which was described as “the impossible restoration”.

http://www.huddersfieldcanal.com/canal/timeline.htm

It was considered impossible to restore, largely because of BS’s clever idea leaving it to silt up and, better still, of infilling it with quarry debris and concrete. But not just any old concrete – reinforced concrete! It took volunteers over 20 years to clear up this particular British Shipbuilders’ blunder and after restoration from 1975 to 2001 the canal was finally able to be officially opened.

Today over 200, 000 people a year holiday on the canals. There are more narrow boats on the canals today than in the early 1900s and 20, 000 live on narrow boats.

Just for good measure here’s a photo of the famous aqueduct carrying the Llangollen Canal over the River Dee in Wrexham, North East Wales.

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

And more power to all their elbows!

To see the full sized picture on ships nostalgia, click the picture.

In response to Paul’s comment I have looked up some further information on the Hesperia.

I don’t know of the fate of her crew from whom there was no response to signals on 8th February 1945 as recorded in the Empire Sandy’s log.

Hesperia, yard number 329, was originally ordered as Boisterous. [Below is an extract from the order book contents showing this.]

She was a diesel salvage tug built for the Admiralty.

She was laid down on 25.3.42, launched on 10.11.42 by Mrs CC Walcott, commissioned on 21.5.43 and sailed on 25.5.43.

Her dimensions were 190 x 38.6 x 19, her GT 1100 and speed 16 knots.

She is listed as lost on 9.2.45 when she grounded in the Mediterranean off Libya, the day after she was seen aground by the crew of the Empire Sandy who recorded this in their log entry to which the link above will lead you.

There is a great painting of her, by a gentleman called Fred, on another site (the one shown in thumbnail above to whet your appetites), here is the link.

Painting of Hesperia

Related links:

http://www.shipsnostalgia.com

http://modeltugforum.com

Copyright: Ruth Patterson 2011