Narrow Boats
Originally a BBC lp recording issued in 1969 (REB 56 M).
It was re-issued in 1975 on Argo ZTR 142.
This record contains the recorded recollections of narrowboaters from the time when they were still carrying cargoes. A few
songs and song snippets are interspersed and though they are not listed on the record sleeve they are believed to be those listed
below. The album was arranged and produced by Desmond Briscoe with most of the music being sung and played by David
Blagrove. The record was released to tie in with a BBC documentary 'The Narrow Boat Men'.
David Blagrove has provided the following additonal information : Much of the original 'Narrow Boat' recording was done in our
sitting room at home by the late Desmond Briscoe, who in those days was both head of BBC Radio Enterprises and the Chairman
of the London & Home Counties Branch of the Inland Waterways Association. The Bolinder sounds came from NB 'William' (ex
GUCCC Royalty Class) tied up outside our window.
Hard Working Boater
David Blagrove
Working Boatman's Way
David Blagrove
Poor Old Horse
Single Bolinder
Keep Yer 'Ands Off
Willow Wren Bride
Boatman Cut Down in his Prime
Sleeve Notes :
This record is an attempt to capture, in words, sound and music, something of the fast disappearing world of the
'narrowboat' and the people whose lives were inextricably bound to the boats and the canals on which they worked
and travelled.
Many articles associated with the boats and the boatman's way of life are preserved in private collections or
waterways museums. Many of their stories, traditions and way of life have been captured in print. The unique and
colourful decoration of their boats have been photographed and copied. Yet it is a fact that as these remarkable men
and women leave the canals their world will die with them.
Many of the words of the narrow boat people have never been written down and the pronunciation varies as one
travels. Almost impossible to write, they can however be captured precisely by the microphone and recording
machine. The recent and increasing interest in the canals has come almost too late; already the owners of some of the
voices on this record have gone, nevertheless it has been possible to use material from the BBC Sound Archives,
together with more recent radio and television recordings, to weave this tapestry of sound.
Nostalgia is inevitable. For those who have known the canal some little time, there are familiar references, sounds and
voices - for those who have just discovered our inland waterways, this is an opportunity to make the acquaintance of
the people whose whole life was involved with narrow boats.
Birth, learning, courting, marriage, living, working, dying - and laughing, loading, locking, tying up - waiting; this was
life on the narrow canals as described by the voices of boatmen, lock-keepers, lengthmen, tollkeepers and those who
managed and looked after them.
Charlie Atkins
Leslie Moreton
Harry Banister
John Roberts
George Bate
Joe Skinner
Alf Best
Rose Skinner
Harold Garner
Ernie Thomas
Joe Green
Herbert Tooley
Tom Hickson
Jock Venables
Jack James
Sister Mary Wood
Sam Lomas
John Wooley
Jock Moody
and others, whose voices it has not been possible to identify.
Some images from the reverse of the original lp cover are shown below:
Around the same time as the long-playing record was released there was a programme on BBC2 in the Yesterday’s
Witness series entitled ‘The Narrow Boat Men’ which featured many of boatmen captured on the recording.
Yesterday's Witness: The Narrow Boat Men
Mon 14th Apr 1969, 21:20 on BBC Two England
A series which explores living memory
"There's no doubt about it - they were fighters. They used to fight sometimes over a lock, sometimes over a
bridge, and sometimes they'd have a fight just to see which was the best man."
"...I was drunk for two days after that, and the only way I got sober was to drink seven pints. It was really a
good Christmas that was!"
The pains and pleasures of trading on Britain's narrow canals recalled in tonight's film by: Chocolate Charlie
Atkins, Joe Green, Jack James, Sam Lomas, Leslie Morton, Jack Roberts, Joe and Rosie Skinner
The editor of the Grand Union Canal Society was moved to write the following piece :
In a thread on the Canal World Discussion Forum a member Alan W made the following observations about some of the
boatmen on this record :
Seeing this post again brought back memories
"Chocolate" Charlie Atkins - worked with him for Anderton CCC in the 1960's
Joe Green - boatman don't know his number of wives but he was reputed to have 21 children
(This turns out to be correct - 7 with his first wife and 14 with his second.)
Jack James - at the time I was boating he lived in cottages by Stoke Bruerne top lock - an excellent fender maker
Sam Lomas - At the time I knew him he held court at the office at Autherley JCN
Lionel[sic] Morton - At the time I knew him he was involved with Willow Wren CCC
Jack? Roberts - only met him once he was horse boating on the "Shroppie"with a hostel type holiday boat
Joe & Rose Skinner - #1 with Friendship always mule drawn, towed him to a couple of rallies when Bert Dunkley was
unavailable
I treasure the fact I was able to know them in the flesh, the gentle "prods" by Charlie A on how to do things was priceless to me
More about Leslie Morton, David Blagrove and others can be read in an article from Towpath Talk newspaper,
published 2 June 2015.
Narrow Boats
Originally a BBC lp recording issued in 1969 (REB 56 M).
It was re-issued in 1975 on Argo ZTR 142.
This record contains the recorded recollections of narrowboaters from the
time when they were still carrying cargoes. A few songs and song snippets
are interspersed and though they are not listed on the record sleeve they
are believed to be those listed below. The album was arranged and
produced by Desmond Briscoe with most of the music being sung and
played by David Blagrove. The record was released to tie in with a BBC
documentary 'The Narrow Boat Men'.
David Blagrove has provided the following additonal information : Much of
the original 'Narrow Boat' recording was done in our sitting room at home
by the late Desmond Briscoe, who in those days was both head of BBC
Radio Enterprises and the Chairman of the London & Home Counties
Branch of the Inland Waterways Association. The Bolinder sounds came
from NB 'William' (ex GUCCC Royalty Class) tied up outside our window.
Hard Working Boater
David Blagrove
Working Boatman's Way
David Blagrove
Poor Old Horse
Single Bolinder
Keep Yer 'Ands Off
Willow Wren Bride
Boatman Cut Down in his Prime
Sleeve Notes :
This record is an attempt to capture, in words, sound and music,
something of the fast disappearing world of the 'narrowboat' and the
people whose lives were inextricably bound to the boats and the
canals on which they worked and travelled.
Many articles associated with the boats and the boatman's way of life
are preserved in private collections or waterways museums. Many of
their stories, traditions and way of life have been captured in print.
The unique and colourful decoration of their boats have been
photographed and copied. Yet it is a fact that as these remarkable
men and women leave the canals their world will die with them.
Many of the words of the narrow boat people have never been
written down and the pronunciation varies as one travels. Almost
impossible to write, they can however be captured precisely by the
microphone and recording machine. The recent and increasing
interest in the canals has come almost too late; already the owners
of some of the voices on this record have gone, nevertheless it has
been possible to use material from the BBC Sound Archives, together
with more recent radio and television recordings, to weave this
tapestry of sound.
Nostalgia is inevitable. For those who have known the canal some
little time, there are familiar references, sounds and voices - for
those who have just discovered our inland waterways, this is an
opportunity to make the acquaintance of the people whose whole
life was involved with narrow boats.
Birth, learning, courting, marriage, living, working, dying - and
laughing, loading, locking, tying up - waiting; this was life on the
narrow canals as described by the voices of boatmen, lock-keepers,
lengthmen, tollkeepers and those who managed and looked after
them.
Charlie Atkins
Leslie Moreton
Harry Banister
John Roberts
George Bate
Joe Skinner
Alf Best
Rose Skinner
Harold Garner
Ernie Thomas
Joe Green
Herbert Tooley
Tom Hickson
Jock Venables
Jack James
Sister Mary Wood
Sam Lomas
John Wooley
Jock Moody
and others, whose voices it has not been possible to identify.
Some images from the reverse of the original lp cover are shown
below:
Around the same time as the long-playing record was released there
was a programme on BBC2 in the Yesterday’s Witness series entitled
‘The Narrow Boat Men’ which featured many of boatmen captured
on the recording.
Yesterday's Witness: The Narrow Boat Men
Mon 14th Apr 1969, 21:20 on BBC Two England
A series which explores living memory
"There's no doubt about it - they were fighters. They used to
fight sometimes over a lock, sometimes over a bridge, and
sometimes they'd have a fight just to see which was the best
man."
"...I was drunk for two days after that, and the only way I got
sober was to drink seven pints. It was really a good Christmas
that was!"
The pains and pleasures of trading on Britain's narrow canals
recalled in tonight's film by: Chocolate Charlie Atkins, Joe
Green, Jack James, Sam Lomas, Leslie Morton, Jack Roberts,
Joe and Rosie Skinner
The editor of the Grand Union Canal Society was moved to write the
following piece :
In a thread on the Canal World Discussion Forum a member Alan W
made the following observations about some of the boatmen on this
record :
Seeing this post again brought back memories
"Chocolate" Charlie Atkins - worked with him for Anderton CCC in the
1960's
Joe Green - boatman don't know his number of wives but he was
reputed to have 21 children
(This turns out to be correct - 7 with his first wife and 14 with his
second.)
Jack James - at the time I was boating he lived in cottages by Stoke
Bruerne top lock - an excellent fender maker
Sam Lomas - At the time I knew him he held court at the office at
Autherley JCN
Lionel[sic] Morton - At the time I knew him he was involved with
Willow Wren CCC
Jack? Roberts - only met him once he was horse boating on the
"Shroppie"with a hostel type holiday boat
Joe & Rose Skinner - #1 with Friendship always mule drawn, towed
him to a couple of rallies when Bert Dunkley was unavailable
I treasure the fact I was able to know them in the flesh, the gentle
"prods" by Charlie A on how to do things was priceless to me
More about Leslie Morton, David Blagrove and others can be read in
an article from Towpath Talk newspaper, published 2 June 2015.