 100
Year Old Gloucester Boat Still Sailing
The 44 feet long
cutter Carlotta, originally named Solway, was built
by W H Halford & Co on the east bank of the canal below Hempsted
Bridge in 1900. She is currently owned by Stephen Mohan and sails
off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Recent research has established
that she was built for fishery protection duties off the coast of
Cumberland, and work is continuing to find out more about William
Halford and other boats he built. (Photo: Stephen Mohan)
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Cow Caused Chaos
In February
1883, the Gloucester Journal reported that a cow being driven
up Northgate St towards Gloucester station ran away from its keepers.
The animal proceded down Southgate St, made its way towards the
docks and jumped into the Main Basin. It was pulled out on the west
side by means of a crane belonging to Mr Priday and was confined
in Messrs S H Fox & Co's [Alexandra] warehouse. Somehow it managed
to escape from durance vile, and this time it jumped into the River
Severn. Having been hauled out by ropes, it was then put into a
truck at the Great Western yard [Llanthony Quay], thence to proceed
to Lydney, its original destination. During its mad career, it knocked
over several people, only one of whom, however, sustained any serious
injury, having a piece taken out of his cheek just below the eye.
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 Hazel's
Curious Later Role
Information about a later role of the
former canal steam tug Hazel has been provided by Richard
Clammer who is researching boats at Weymouth. He was interested
in a boat named Zippa which had come from the Gloucester
& Sharpness Canal and had a hull like that of a tug. It was
known in Weymouth that she had previously been called Lindy Lou,
and memories in Gloucestershire recognised that this was the name
given to the Hazel by the Stourport owner who bought her
from British Waterways in the 1950s. At Weymouth in the 1960s, she
was the home of a Mr Jack Hughes and had quite modernistic steamlined
white upperworks, which did not suit her venerable origins. The
living spaces were wallpapered, which was the source of much amusement
for the quayside observeres of the time, and she was fitted with
a domestic toilet and bath, which might have been satisfactory on
a river or canal but caused all sorts of interesting problems when
she put to sea! She probably left Weymouth in the late 1960s or
early 1970s. Any further information would be welcome. (Photo: R
Clammer)
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Link with Slimbridge, Australia
Joanne Farrugia from Australia is seeking information about a sailor/boatman
named Thomas Simmonds/Symonds/Simmons, who was born in Slimbridge
in 1830 and later established a property in central New South Wales
that he called Slimbridge. Any details about his life in England
before he emigrated would be most welcome. |