Marine Engineers

[Stanley]

This wooden hulled fishing boat registered at Buckie caught my eye on the Caledonian Canal in 2009. Not sure whether it was a working boat on passage or a retired boat. I once saw one of these wooden boats under construction at Girvan and was struck by the massive timbers that went into it. These were strong and seaworthy little ships!

[Stanley]

I got word back from my mate Alan Broadhurst that Norman's surname (see the pic above) was Tennant. I have a good story about him told by Alan.
Norman was a handy bloke for Murdo Grant as he was a fully qualified skipper. At one time in the late 1980s Murdo had finished refitting a large yacht for another qualified skipper and when it was finished he was going to sail it to the Med. At that time Norman Tennant had a job offer teaching down there somewhere and it made sense for him to help the yacht owner sail down there. Two skippers on board, what could possibly go wrong?
At that time Norman was living in an old showman's van in the harbour yard so he moved all his belongings into a room over Arisaig Post Office and came the day, the two skippers set sail from Arisaig. Unfortunately they hit a rock just outside the harbour and were in danger of sinking. A salvage lighter was called up from Fort William and got to them in time to lash on, start pumping and get them down to Fort William for repairs. Norman caught the train back to Arisaig and when he got there saw a cloud of smoke rising from Murdo's yard. The story I was told was that Murdo was so mad that he jumped in the JCB, demolished the van and set fire to it. Funny thing is that it was his van. I think Norman got the message that he was persona non grata at the yard!

[Stanley]

More from Alan.... the report was that as they approached the entrance the owner of the boat said "You know the harbour, better if you take her out". Funny how someone else's misfortune can be so funny. The story was the chief subject of conversation in Arisaig for weeks.
I loved Arisaig in those days and I have another story for you. Alan had a half scale naval gig made by the naval apprentices, he called it Abalone because as he said it always had five holes in it. We decided one day in Spring to take her out for a play in the harbour. When we got the rigging up Alan as skipper ordered his minion (me) to "Pull on the blue string!" I asked him if he meant the foresail halyard and got a mouthful of abuse, as far as he was concerned it was his boat and it was 'the blue string'!
There was hardly any wind but we slowly sallied out into the middle of the bay when suddenly we came to a halt. I looked over the bow and saw that we had gently lodged on a large flat submerged rock. More abuse from the skipper who of course blamed me for not warning him. We couldn't pole off, we were to firmly lodged and Alan was convinced that everyone in Arisaig had their telescopes glue to their eyes and he was never going to hear the last of it. I told him I'd stand on the rock and shove him off and he could sail round and pick me up, there was only a foot of water over the top. So I jumped off onto the rock and a combination of getting my weight off and a good shove got us off. I stood there on the rock while Alan came round and got me off.
As we sailed back slowly towards our buoy in the harbour I asked Alan how we were going to get to shore. He said no problem because while we had been playing silly buggers a mate of his was entering the harbour in his yawl, we could hail him and he would take us off in his dingy. We moored and the bloke came across to us and he was laughing fit to burst. He told us that as they were coming in his son had pulled his sleeve and pointed out that a man was walking on water in the middle of the harbour! Needless to say that story soon went round and I have no doubt that even to this day someone is still remembering the miracle of Arisaig. Happy days!

[plaques]

He told us that as they were coming in his son had pulled his sleeve and pointed out that a man was walking on water in the middle of the harbour!

Its a good job it happened a good while ago. Now it would be in a Tory flyer "Stanley Graham can't swim".

[Stanley]

You're right P! But then what do they know about me or the circumstances. It remains a treasured memory!



Abalone in the boatyard at Arisaig ready for us having a play out.

[Stanley]

The chimney at the reconstructed anchor forge at the Black Country Museum in Dudley. There was a great trade in the Black Country forging anchors, heavy mooring chain and other essential marine items.

[Invernahaille]

Looks like a Forging Hammer in front of the chimney Stanley

[Stanley]

Could be a Massey. They have a Naysmith hammer in the main shop.

[Stanley]

Three steam traction engines on the ferry to Harwich from the Hook of Holland on the Norfolk Lines ferry in 1992.

[Stanley]

We built boats in Barlick. Here is Peter Thompson with Ian and Margaret Evans' new boat at Lower Park Marina in 1998.

[Stanley]

This Star class yacht on the Havelsee in 1955 was one of the German Olympic boats from 1936. The British Berlin Yacht Club had all the old Olympic boats and Herman Goring's old boat house on the Havel. I was lucky enough to be excused duties for 4 months in 1954 after a bout of Botulism and spent all my time down there. I got my skipper's ticket on Pirates and had a whale of a time.

[Stanley]

RMS Majestic. White Star liner. There's a Barlick connection because when it was scrapped Matt Hartley bought interior furnishings off it and used them in his new Majestic Cinema.

[Stanley]

Slim Seaton in charge of the RAF 'rescue' lunch on the Havelsee in Berlin in 1955. I doubt if it was ever used to rescue anyone but was a good excuse for the RAF from Gatow to get out on the water and have a jolly whilst ostensibly checking the lunch for seaworthiness.

[Stanley]

Strome Ferry in 1991. I never really understood why this cluster of tugs was here. Mind you, it was November in Northern waters!

[Invernahaille]

Interesting.
The interior of the Lustania was used to decorate the interior of Nont Sarahs on Saddlewoth moor near Huddersfield.

[plaques]

I think you mean the Mauretania. The Lusitania was sunk by a U-boat in 1915. Parts from the Olympic, the sister ship to the Titanic are in the dining room of the White Swan Hotel in Alnwick, Northumberland.

[PanBiker]

From the Majestic the Pursers cabin was used for the booking office for the cinema. I think the balustrades in the ballroom and panelling came from the ship as well. Probably the handrails used at the sides and centre of the entrance steps. One side for the ballroom and the other for the cinema. From memory they were quite sturdy and had brass studs in the top of the rail

[Stanley]

Matt Hartley used panelling etc in a house he owned on Ellis Street where Teresa Hartley lived and also in the bungalows he built on Greenberfield Lane. Boris Hartley lived in the end one when I interviewed him about the cinema. This stained glass came from the ship.

[Stanley]

Cutty Sark rigging in 1976. More like knitting than marine engineering!

[Thomo]

Fair comment Stanley, and little to do with engineering. Physics is nearer to the mark, and in particular the physical effort required to make it all work well. Having studied how it all worked was a truly fascinating experience which gave me a great deal of respect for the men who made it all function effectively. I have never seen the Cutty Sark but have spent much time on board HMS Victory, to anyone who has never been to see this ship I would recommend a visit, its all there, the feel, the smells and the sense of something special. My Great Grandfather and his Father were seamen on such ships, how I would have loved to have met them.

[Stanley]

Just as much engineering as building the hull! Manufacturing masts and spars, the blocks, dead eyes and rigging screws. Read the history of automatic block making and wonder at the ingenuity of the engineers. (LINK)

[Thomo]

I find the much vaunted history far more appealing when it is "hands on" and one can actually see it and touch it, and feel it. Much of the Naval past is still present in Portsmouth Dockyard, the rope walk and all of is associated workshops are still there. Another workshop is devoted to making parts to service HMS Victory and other historic vessels. As a Naval Engineer and shipwright, I had the privilege and pleasure of working in this environment, and as such I have a fair understanding of Naval architecture, each to his own I imagine.

[Stanley]

And I've seen and touched the Maudslay models of the block making machinery when they were in the Science museum. (LINK) They are definitely engineering. As is the rope walk still in use at Chatham. If you distrust written accounts of history why are you writing a history book?

[Thomo]

"Why am I writing a history book" that is a question I have asked myself many times, I am not even certain that it comes under the heading of history book, it is more a catalogue of events that affected people in Barnoldswick, a record of those Men an Women who's names are on the War Memorial written in a way that details who they and their families were, and what happened to them. They will no longer be just a name on a piece of stone. A brief account of how the Town changed during their time is included in an endeavour to give the book a story, rather than it being simply a list of tragic events. Two and a half years ago when the research for the Memorial project began, a person present suggested that a book would be a good idea and could be produced in tandem with the project itself. The idea was an updated, localised and enhanced version of the book "Cravens Part in the Great War". So why me? no one else volunteered and I already had access to the information required, I decided it was a good idea to get on with it or it may never happen. I am not an historian or an intellectual, my life has revolved around practical skills and so I am trying to do the best I can with what I have. My knowledge of the Town and many of its families was a bonus that pointed me in the right direction when seeking information, I have tried to get it right and it has been a challenge, this I enjoyed as my life has been full of challenges.
If I appear to be sceptical of what makes up something that could be considered historical, it is because even a simple mistake can change a great deal. For instance the 62' narrowboat "Red Admiral" was built for Mister Winston Westhead of Feniscowles near Blackburn, The boat built for Mister and Missus Evans was "Tom" Who could forget Winston!

[Stanley]

Ah well, memory fails at times. He was the bloke who didn't know that Gardners always started on full fuel wasn't he.... I made him a nice little speed wheel and he rejected it in the end.... How about this for Margaret and Ian's boat....