Former ‘Ovaltine’ Ricky “George"
Built in 1927 by W H Walker & Brothers Ltd at Rickmansworth, the 'George' worked in the 'Ovaltine' fleet as a full length (72ft) coal carrier for twenty years or so before being fully converted.
She may then have served in one of the early hire fleets, possibly back with Walkers of Rickmansworth, before being sold into private ownership.
Renamed 'Flower of Gloster', she took the title role in Granada Television's adventure series for children, which was aired in 1967. The story describes her journey, crewed by children, from Trevor to London following a refit for hire boat use.
During 1967, she cruised around the system from one photo opportunity to another steered by 'Chocolate Charlie' and she was naturally the main attraction at that year's IWA Rally at Leicester.
With a life expectancy of 50 years, by the mid eighties she had deteriorated very badly and indeed had sunk at several Grand Union moorings. An enterprising owner (?) took drastic action in 1986 and scrapped the forward end, which presumably was beyond repair. She was shortened by some 23ft and fitted with a very basic (unfinished) steel bow, bolted to the remaining timberwork. She was in a rather sorry state!
My ownership started in 1987, at which time her original boatman's cabin, clad in aluminium sheet, and steel engine room were still intact, though in need of restoration. Forward of the engine room, accommodation was ramshackle at best and open at the fore end.
The original Bolinder engine was long gone, even before the TV appearance, and a hand-start Petter PH2W on a 3:1 reduction box was driving a huge propeller. This arrangement was performing both powerfully and economically.
Much of the below waterline timbers were still in serviceable condition but the stern counter was in serious need of renovation as it leaked badly while under way. The loss of the fore end weight, only partly compensated for by ballast, had resulted in a bow high trim that probably exacerbated the problem.
I decided to take her to the IWA Festival at Hawkesbury Junction and what I recall of the festival is the great many people who reported having seen her on the bottom at various Grand Union locations and a few who said how great it was to see her afloat again and in use.
En route to Hawkesbury, I called in at Stowe Hill Marine, where they built very fine narrowboats in those days. I arranged to do some fabrication work on the steel bow on my way home. They were extremely accommodating and I had the use of their 'wet dock' with access to mains power and to the outside scrap bin over the weekend. I had my own welding and cutting equipment of course but it’s not the kind of arrangement that would be acceptable these days.
Although I was extremely proud of my fabrication work, I sadly lost whatever photos I took long ago. The only one I have of the bow shows my dad and I sat on the new gunwales, almost completely obscuring the new steelwork.
Although I originally had ambitions to restore her, I found it difficult to get to her mooring at Cosgrove frequently enough to keep her pumped out and afloat. I arrived on one occasion to find her just settling on the bottom, air bubbles still rising to the surface. She was pumped out, cleaned up and the waterlogged engine sorted out but with a demanding full time job in Essex it wasn't a very practical project so she was sold on, probably around autumn 1988?
More photos, mainly of the major surgery done before my ownership, can be viewed HERE.
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