Jack Monk
Mike Clarke
>How many "real" boaters are left? Would it be worthwhile (I don't mean
>financially) to set up a project to collect their reminiscences on tape
>and publish them? I have the equipment and inclination - what do others
>think?
It's something the Inland Waterway Heritage Network is currently looking
into. The recording of social history, such as personal reminiscences, is
something which cannot be left. The National Waterways Museum recently
arranged for videoing of the cranes in Broad Street warehouse being used
for transshipment before the warehouse became a night club. I am trying to
set up the recording on video of several boatmen talking about their work
as the take a short boat through a flight of locks, probably in Blackburn.
The only problem is time!!! (Mind you, a bit of money would help)
Regards
Mike Clarke
Milepost Research
41 Fountain St, Accrington, UK, BB5 0QR
+44 (0)1254-395848
http://www.zen.co.uk/home/page/mike.clarke/home.htm
or canal museums page:
http://www.zen.co.uk/home/page/mike.clarke/iwhn.html
Dave Green
Jeff Dennison mentioned Jack Monk in a recent posting. Jane and I met
Jack about 10 years ago when he was working for Ken Roseblade at
Leicester and living in a hut on site. Jack had retired from running
camping boats and was helping out generally in the yard.
We lost our prop in the lock above the Roseblade yard (Leicester Marina)
and Ken ferried us around other yards to get a replacement. Jack operated
the crane barge to lift our back end out of the water and also hand made
a new key to fit the propshaft keyway. Whilst we were waiting for the
replacement prop we helped Jack move a large work punt up river and
spent a magical evening yarning with Jack. It was the most enjoyable
breakdown we have ever had. As Jeff said, Jack had a wealth of waterways
stories - a terrific character and a great loss. I was so fascinated by
his stories that I arranged to go back a few months later to record some
of them - I still have the tape somewhere.
Which generates a thought. Are there other extant recordings of boatman
and boatwomen? I know Stoke-on-Trent radio produced a series and
published a set of tapes of the programmes (a set of which I have). These
will be their copyright but I wonder what else is available.
How many "real" boaters are left? Would it be worthwhile (I don't mean
financially) to set up a project to collect their reminiscences on tape
and publish them? I have the equipment and inclination - what do others
think?
--
**********************************
* Dave Green (G4OTV) *
* nb Willy No-Name *
* dave....@dial.pipex.com *
**********************************
Dave Green
Mike Clarke wrote:
> It's something the Inland Waterway Heritage Network is currently looking
> into. The recording of social history, such as personal reminiscences, is
> something which cannot be left. The National Waterways Museum recently
> arranged for videoing of the cranes in Broad Street warehouse being used
> for transshipment before the warehouse became a night club. I am trying to
> set up the recording on video of several boatmen talking about their work
> as the take a short boat through a flight of locks, probably in Blackburn.
> The only problem is time!!! (Mind you, a bit of money would help)
>
That's good news Mike - thanks for the info. When approaching people for
interview it is obviously important, as Jeff has pointed out in a private
mail, to take fully into account the feelings of the potential
interviewee. It can be a sensitive matter. With this in mind, could I
make the following suggestion and offer:
If anyone knows and is a friend of an ex working boater and thinks it
appropriate to do so, could they sound him/her out about whether they
would be prepared to yarn about their reminisences on tape. I will be
prepared to travel anywhere in the country (subject to finding suitable
dates) to rcord them on digital audio tape and eventually to put the
tapes into the public domain. Could I suggest that any responses to this
are made by private e-mail. Thanks.
Francis William Oldroyd
In article <33540452...@news.globalnet.co.uk>,
nevi...@globalnet.co.ukx (Neville Young) wrote:
> Very interesting thought. I wonder if the National Sound Archive
Well you could try contacting the Curator of Oral History, Rob Perks,
email to NSA-...@bl.uk
Further information about the NSA can be obtained from the British Library
web service http://portico.bl.uk/
Bill
--
oldie...@argonet.co.uk, Dan,Rob,Bill,Celia - using Acorn StrongARM RiscPC.
from Tadcaster, UK. a place with more than it's fair share of good breweries.
Bob Conduct
At 16:26 15/04/97 +0000, Dave Green wrote:
>................
>Which generates a thought. Are there other extant recordings of boatman
>and boatwomen? I know Stoke-on-Trent radio produced a series and
>published a set of tapes of the programmes (a set of which I have). These
>will be their copyright but I wonder what else is available.
There was a commercial LP produced many years ago by Desmond Briscoe, then
head of the Beeb's Radiophonic Workshop and a keen canal boater. I can't
remember the title but I know from notes I made at the time that it
contained vox pop recordings of: Joe Green, Alf Best, Jack James, Sam Lomas,
Jack Moody, John Walley, Charlie Atkins, Harry Bannister, George Bate, Jack
Venables, Leslie Moreton, Joe & Rose Skinner, Ernie Thomas, Herbert Tooley,
Sister Mary Ward etc etc. Time for someone to track it down and reissue it
as a CD????
>How many "real" boaters are left? Would it be worthwhile (I don't mean
>financially) to set up a project to collect their reminiscences on tape
>and publish them? I have the equipment and inclination - what do others
>think?
It would certainly be interesting to create a Volume 2. There are still a
lot of "Old Boatmen" around and they're all adequately garrulous! It
wouldn't make the top 40 though :-)
Bob Conduct
NB Tantalus GU
P Lea
At 04:26 PM 4/15/97 Dave Green wrote:
SNIP
>
>How many "real" boaters are left? Would it be worthwhile (I don't mean
>financially) to set up a project to collect their reminiscences on tape
>and publish them? I have the equipment and inclination - what do others
>think?
>
DEFINITELY YES!!!!
*===================================*
| pl...@dnincent.u-net.com |
| NABO for navigation
===================================*
Mike Clarke
Dear All
They Yorkshire meeting to look into the formation of the Leeds & Liverpool
Canal Society will take place on Sunday 1st June at 7-30pm on board 'Water
Prince' at Shipley Wharf, courtesy of Apollo Canal Cruises. Volunteers to
join the steering committee most welcome! Similar format to last time,
though David can't attend , so I'll have to chair the meeting (groan).