Waterway People

[bangorreg]

In the mid -1800's English Waterways and Canals started to fall into disuse , as the steam-train took over. Many families started living on the abandoned boats and barges on these canals.
This photo taken around 1910 shows a tipical waterways family.
The owner of this photo is unknown, apart from it was taken in England, maybe north England?
Reg.

[captain kong]

Some very atractive young ladies there Reg. brings back memories.

Cant afford a boat on the canals now, a cheapo would cost around ?80,000 or $A150,000.

[Waterways]

Cant afford a boat on the canals now, a cheapo would cost around ?80,000 or $A150,000.

There are a lot cheaper than that going. ?25-30K.

Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones was from a canal family. He was the first not to be born on water.

[pablo42]

Some very atractive young ladies there Reg. brings back memories.

Cant afford a boat on the canals now, a cheapo would cost around ?80,000 or $A150,000.

Captain, have you not seen any young ladies for a long time perchance.

[lindylou]

There are a lot cheaper than that going. ?25-30K.

Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones was from a canal family. He was the first not to be born on water.

oh, that's interesting .. I didn't know that.

[Waterways]

oh, that's interesting .. I didn't know that.

Well he looks like a Pikey.

From wiki:

Wood was born into a family of English "water gypsies" (river/canal barge operators, sometimes also called "bargees") and says that his generation was the first in the family to be born on dry land. He grew up in Yiewsley and attended St Stephen's Primary School and St Martin's Church of England Secondary School, West Drayton.

There is canal basin at West Drayton/Yiewsley. That is probably why he lived there.

[lindylou]

Thanks for info WW

[bangorreg]

Acknowledgement to "The London Canal Museum " for this Article.
Canal Families
The first working narrow boats were drawn by a horse walking on the canal towpath led by a crew member, often a child. Narrow boats were chiefly designed for carrying cargo, though there were some packet boats, carrying passengers, letters, and parcels.

Boatmen's families originally lived ashore, but in the 1830s as canals started to feel competition from the new railways, the families took up home afloat - partly because they could no longer afford rents, partly to provide extra hands to work the boats harder, faster and further, and partly to keep families together.

The rear portion of the boat became the "boatman's cabin", famous for its space-saving ingenuity and for its interior made attractive by a warm stove, a steaming kettle, gleaming brass, fancy lace, painted houswares, and decorated plates. Although such descriptions rarely consider the actual comfort of a large family working an extremely hard and long day, and sleeping in the one tiny cabin, it is no doubt true that at the time there were many workers in harder, indoor, trades with less healthy conditions and worse accommodation where the family were separated for long hours rather than being together all day. Nonetheless it was impossible for such mobile families to send their children to school, and most boat people remained illiterate and ostracised by those living 'on the bank'.

Cargo-carrying by narrow boat was almost extinguished as a way of life between 1945 and 1965. A few people are doing their best to keep the tradition alive, mostly by "one-off" deliveries rather than regular runs, or by selling goods such as coal to other boaters.

By the latter part of the 19th century it was common practice to paint roses and castles on both narrow boats themselves and their fixtures and fittings. The origin of the roses and castles found on canal boats is unclear. The first written reference to them appears to be in an 1858 edition of the magazine Household Words in one of a series of articles titled "On the Canal" but while this shows that the art form must have existed by this date it doesn't provide us with an origin.. Until further evidence comes to light, the origin of the paintings remains uncertain. While the practice did decline with the canals it has seen something of a revival in recent times and paintings with roses and castle themes are a common sight on today's canals.
Reg.

[Ron Ham]

There were schools & churches located at certain points on the canals for the children etc. . The term narrow boats was a reference to the beam of the barges because the locks on many canals were indeed narow & vessels exceeding 7' 3'' could not use them (hence narrow boats ) . Most of the larger canals had broader locks ,i.e. Leeds & Liverpool & could take beamier & larger capacity boats . I witnessed the last horse drawn bargee on the L& L canal in the 1950s , it was more economical & as rapid as any motor job , with only 1 man & horse working as a team , every time it pulled into a lock the horse automatically veered to the nearest crop of grass to top up ! The bargee just steered keeping the bargees compass (the horses backside ) 2 points on the port bow ! . Ron

[bangorreg]

Hi Ron.
Leeds-Liverpool canal on U-Tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe-ynyBywEU

Reg

[naked lilac]

Interesting thread.. Love canal boats..

Thanks for the info on Ronnie Woods of the RollingStones.. Never knew that either.. Goes to show people, that if you have some talent and passion, to pursue it no matter where you come from..and maybe you will be a legend too..

Those woman looked happy even though their existance must of been tough at times.. They do look well dressed up warmly..,

The gypsies ~bargees seems to be the artistic type person..I would like to live on a canal boat (like in Amsterdam).. I find them very artsy and tranquil..I visited one that was a home for abandoned cats about Amsterdam.. It was a floating animal sanctuary type place.. Very cool..

I see you have a rose Waterways as an addy...anything to do with the Canal boats?

My interpretation to why they paint the Castles and roses
is :
ONE day ,your ship will come to take you to your Castle in the Sky.. and all peace and love (roses), will be your destiny.. They found their destinys on their canal boats..