Thanks Matt, I will add you on facebook. I made a mistake in that Dad bought the boat in 1961 when I was 5, so I would have been around before you left for Australia. Did you live near the top end of the boatyard in the basin? You may remember "Mr Matty" he was a great craftsman, had twin sons and a little daschund "sausage dog" I seem to recall. He helped my Dad with his boat sometimes.
CUBITTS YACHT BASIN- Chiswick Lon W4 - merged thread
61 - 80 of 107 Posts
Hi Scorcher, just found your original call for memories of Cubbits. I lived next door and played there all through my childhood from 1956 to 1971 - it was the most magical place. I remember the bag pipes being played on one of the barges every Sunday morning - think it was Spike Milligan who lived there. My parents moved from there to Sydney and their house is called Strand on the Green - with a street sign that i quietly removed one dark night... So lovely to see the anecdotes but i'm sorry to say I've got no photos. Thank you for the call. Tess
Photos
Hi Kes, If you look in the gallery under pappag, there are some of my Dad's photos that might interest you.
My sisters and I moved from the basin in the late 50s but my Dad stayed on the boat ( Keewadin; which I spelled wrong in a previous communication) until the mid 60s. We used to visit the basin at weekends and spent many hours playing there.
I'm pretty sure I visited Nicky and Adrian's family with my Dad a few years after he had left the basin. I seem to remember taking a kayak and a rowing boat out into the basin with 2 young guys. It might have been them.
I'd love to see your mum's photos if you get them posted.
Pappag.
Hi Kes, If you look in the gallery under pappag, there are some of my Dad's photos that might interest you.
My sisters and I moved from the basin in the late 50s but my Dad stayed on the boat ( Keewadin; which I spelled wrong in a previous communication) until the mid 60s. We used to visit the basin at weekends and spent many hours playing there.
I'm pretty sure I visited Nicky and Adrian's family with my Dad a few years after he had left the basin. I seem to remember taking a kayak and a rowing boat out into the basin with 2 young guys. It might have been them.
I'd love to see your mum's photos if you get them posted.
Pappag.
Former resident of Cubitts Yacht Basin
Trying to locate anyone who remembers my Aunt, Joan Winifred Dodd living on a boat at Cubitts Yacht Basin around 1963. Apparently she lived there for a number of years. Would love to establish which vessel she lived on and make direct contact with anyone who can remember her, as I am currently administering her estate and am wanting to produce a family memorial booklet of her life. Please contact me directly at [email protected]. Cheers!
Trying to locate anyone who remembers my Aunt, Joan Winifred Dodd living on a boat at Cubitts Yacht Basin around 1963. Apparently she lived there for a number of years. Would love to establish which vessel she lived on and make direct contact with anyone who can remember her, as I am currently administering her estate and am wanting to produce a family memorial booklet of her life. Please contact me directly at [email protected]. Cheers!
Joined
·
3,645 Posts
hi judith hilton.3rd.september.2010.01:46 re:cubitts yacht basin.i have been reading this thread with interest especially the mention of your god mother,quote:that every usable craft was made available for dunkirk.one of my brothers was evacuated from dunkirk,i dont know what craft he was taken on.it may have been one your god mother sent.who knows?i thank her .a great post.have a nice day.ben27
Joined
·
1 Posts
I worked for Tough Bros at Teddington for a year in the 1970s. One of my duties was to fire up Amazon's heating boiler every morning during the winter so i was lucky go on it many times that year.
Joined
·
1 Posts
old film footage cubitts yacht basin
I know your post was some time ago
but I have just stumbled across some old footage
Three links below
hope it is useful
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/floating-village/query/chiswick+boat
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/girl-barge-smasher/query/kew+bridge+boat
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/showgirls-houseboat/query/chiswick+boat
I know your post was some time ago
but I have just stumbled across some old footage
Three links below
hope it is useful
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/floating-village/query/chiswick+boat
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/girl-barge-smasher/query/kew+bridge+boat
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/showgirls-houseboat/query/chiswick+boat
Thanks for those links. I was aware of them but new visitors to the thread will be most grateful I am sure.
Thanks to all who have sent comments recently.
Best Wishes.
Atlantis Air Sea Rescue Launch Cubitts Yacht Basin 56- 67
Sitting at a the breakfast table with mum, now 83 remembers Basin and Miss Pry's and Hibernian well.
I was one of the basin children along with my sister Zoe and brother Matthew, we lived on the Atlantis moored next to Captain Hill, two boats on from Amazon.
My father Roger (sadly deceased) and my mother Joan fought hard to save the basin and has a file with all the paper work in along with many photos of the basin.
We knew Nicky, Adrian his parents and grandmother on the Sea lion and many others in the yacht basin.
I remember getting home from school -Cavendish Primary school and having to ring that hand bell at the bottom of the ladder, when Atlantis was in the dry dock within the basin.
On docking day, once a month we had to use a dingy to get to the boats.
My mother remembers Coco the clown and other celebrities living in caravans along the river banks.
Funny enough , my son rows and I have visited the basin several times when attending regattas at the rowing club next door.
Fond memories.
Tim.
Hi Scorcher
Sitting at a the breakfast table with mum, now 83 remembers Basin and Miss Pry's and Hibernian well.
I was one of the basin children along with my sister Zoe and brother Matthew, we lived on the Atlantis moored next to Captain Hill, two boats on from Amazon.
My father Roger (sadly deceased) and my mother Joan fought hard to save the basin and has a file with all the paper work in along with many photos of the basin.
We knew Nicky, Adrian his parents and grandmother on the Sea lion and many others in the yacht basin.
I remember getting home from school -Cavendish Primary school and having to ring that hand bell at the bottom of the ladder, when Atlantis was in the dry dock within the basin.
On docking day, once a month we had to use a dingy to get to the boats.
My mother remembers Coco the clown and other celebrities living in caravans along the river banks.
Funny enough , my son rows and I have visited the basin several times when attending regattas at the rowing club next door.
Fond memories.
Tim.
Hello Tim
I lived on the company estate of the Cherry Blossom factory beside the railway line to Barnes Bridge . After school I used to run to the basin and gaze in from the Chertsey Road . I also went to Cavendish Primary and played football for them before I took my 11+ exams . I left the school in 1954 .
I enjoyed watching the tugs pass to and from Brentford Docks.
I envy your childhood though I enjoyed mine living at Chiswick .
Your parents must have loved the basin and good for them fighting for it .
What can one do against property developers ? . It was an alternative abode for unconventional folk and all the better for that. Would it be possible to see scans of your mother's photos ? I plan to do a painting based on the 1950's but I need more photos really . Thanks for your reply. Very nostalgic !
I lived on the company estate of the Cherry Blossom factory beside the railway line to Barnes Bridge . After school I used to run to the basin and gaze in from the Chertsey Road . I also went to Cavendish Primary and played football for them before I took my 11+ exams . I left the school in 1954 .
I enjoyed watching the tugs pass to and from Brentford Docks.
I envy your childhood though I enjoyed mine living at Chiswick .
Your parents must have loved the basin and good for them fighting for it .
What can one do against property developers ? . It was an alternative abode for unconventional folk and all the better for that. Would it be possible to see scans of your mother's photos ? I plan to do a painting based on the 1950's but I need more photos really . Thanks for your reply. Very nostalgic !
Joined
·
1,484 Posts
Hello Graham.
Yes Chiswick Products ! (Cherry Blossom was taken over by Reckitt & Colmans)
The factory had the largest water barometer in the country attached to the chimney in my day . I left Chiswick in 1969 . I also went fishing in those locations you mentioned , all very picturesque .My father worked for the company ( Nuggets originally ) from 1920 until 1967 .He was a lorry driver for most of that time and that is how I discovered the Docks in London.
He was a firewatcher at the factory during WW2 . They were the best of times , the Thames was always full of life , from upstream to the tidal reaches below Teddington.
Yes Chiswick Products ! (Cherry Blossom was taken over by Reckitt & Colmans)
The factory had the largest water barometer in the country attached to the chimney in my day . I left Chiswick in 1969 . I also went fishing in those locations you mentioned , all very picturesque .My father worked for the company ( Nuggets originally ) from 1920 until 1967 .He was a lorry driver for most of that time and that is how I discovered the Docks in London.
He was a firewatcher at the factory during WW2 . They were the best of times , the Thames was always full of life , from upstream to the tidal reaches below Teddington.
Joined
·
1,484 Posts
I was also a fishing nut, some of the upper reaches of the Thames were fantastic. We used to spend most weekends on 'the boat' in summer and every year after Henley Regatta would meander up to Oxford. One year actually reached Lechlade, between Oxford and Lechlade the fishing was superb like virgin waters.
The lowest I fished was Richmond above the half lock, those were the days of hemp seed and the Roach there went nuts.
I wonder if the hire cruisers are still doing their summer rentals , 'Bates' ('Star' cruisers) out of Chertsey, ? out of Sunbury and all the others long forgotten. Then Salters steamers plying their daily routes between Hampton Court(?) and Oxford
They were wondeful times, my parents never had a car.
I guess that is why I went to sea.
Graham
Cubbitts Yacht Basin.
".....I wonder if the hire cruisers are still doing their summer rentals "
Graham , I hope so though I have not returned since 1969.
I had a lucky escape whilst barbel fishing with my Thames weir licence .I slipped on the deadly silkweed and hit my head on the concrete sill .I was too busy clinging to my rod and reel to worry about myself .I nearly went over , quite a scary moment.
Here is a clip from an Ian Allan ABC from 1959 which includes a photo of the ill fated MARCHIONESS ( credit to T/L)
There were all MV's at that thime though some had been SR ;
Plus I have the classic river map which starts at Lechlade and runs down to London, I envy you investigating the headwaters !.
".....I wonder if the hire cruisers are still doing their summer rentals "
Graham , I hope so though I have not returned since 1969.
I had a lucky escape whilst barbel fishing with my Thames weir licence .I slipped on the deadly silkweed and hit my head on the concrete sill .I was too busy clinging to my rod and reel to worry about myself .I nearly went over , quite a scary moment.
Here is a clip from an Ian Allan ABC from 1959 which includes a photo of the ill fated MARCHIONESS ( credit to T/L)
There were all MV's at that thime though some had been SR ;
Plus I have the classic river map which starts at Lechlade and runs down to London, I envy you investigating the headwaters !.
Joined
·
1,484 Posts
Scorcher ,I think these might interest you.
1) A very worn Stanford's map of the river Thames, well used and stuck together with masking tape ( sellotape?) circa 1954. This the same as yours?
2)Thames Conservancy, "Hints for guidance of persons in charge of launches", circa 1954, bet that would go over well in 2013!
3) The front of an extremely batterd Salter's guide to the Thames. Some great old photos and folded map sections. Water damage and what else, lovingly used!
4)A page from 1954 'Association of Thames Motor boat clubs'. There some very snooty boat clubs there, this page is of the Converted Cruiser club burgee which our old boats fitted in quite well. Not quite a Viking boat but the same attitude to BS.
5) Table from same book as #4 but for table of distances.
Damn that brought back some memories!
Graham
1) A very worn Stanford's map of the river Thames, well used and stuck together with masking tape ( sellotape?) circa 1954. This the same as yours?
2)Thames Conservancy, "Hints for guidance of persons in charge of launches", circa 1954, bet that would go over well in 2013!
3) The front of an extremely batterd Salter's guide to the Thames. Some great old photos and folded map sections. Water damage and what else, lovingly used!
4)A page from 1954 'Association of Thames Motor boat clubs'. There some very snooty boat clubs there, this page is of the Converted Cruiser club burgee which our old boats fitted in quite well. Not quite a Viking boat but the same attitude to BS.
5) Table from same book as #4 but for table of distances.
Damn that brought back some memories!
Graham
Attachments
Joined
·
1,484 Posts
Thamesider,
Does this bring back memories, circa 1954 so a little before your time but still relevant I guess. Unfortunately not the best of prints.
Graham
Attachments
Joined
·
1,484 Posts
Scorcher,
Fishing for Barbel in the weirstreams were a bit above me at that time , but I did enjoy playing with our old dingy in the Sunbury weirstream waters. I still have my old wooden reels and floats tucked away somewhere.
I found a section on Salter's steamers in Google , guess around late 40's early 50's. One was an old 30 min film of a 2 day trip fom Kingston to Oxford with overnight at Windsor. It must have been old as few cars on the roads in the adjacent villages and what were looked ancient. Plus a few great shot of steam trains from West hammering into London ( Reading area)
The Steamer I think I remember now was the 'Mapledurham' , I was about 14/15 and came down alone from Henley to Windsor, she was certainly steam recip (My god I have a UK Second Class MOT Steam Cert (1962), how the world turns!)
Graham
Graham Yes I have the Stanfords even with cover! Mine is around 59.
I was a member of a fishing club circa 58-9 and was on the bank at the crack of dawn in the mist .Once I cast out on ledger and sat there drinking tea and when the sun rose I saw my bait dangling one foot above the surface as I had snagged a branch !
I had a couple of 2lb roach at Richmond one freezing November day, never again. My favourite time was " trotting " under the willows at Sunbury from a punt on balmy summer evenings , that was paradise ! Hired from the local hotel .
I had to chuckle at your reference to " snooty boat clubs" being a " pleb" myself.
Another good spot was in the warmer water at Kingston power station . My first photo I took ever was of a Tough & Henderson tug at Barnes Bridge (the HAM) this was 1960 when she was still a steamer . She is preserved now I believe .
Yes I remember the "Kings" and " Castles" storming through Reading . Once I went to reading shed (Southern) and stood right beside the line as King George V ( with bell) went flashing by .The track shuddered and so did I .Talk about an adrenaline rush . As you say, exciting times, with no railway police in sight.
I was a member of a fishing club circa 58-9 and was on the bank at the crack of dawn in the mist .Once I cast out on ledger and sat there drinking tea and when the sun rose I saw my bait dangling one foot above the surface as I had snagged a branch !
I had a couple of 2lb roach at Richmond one freezing November day, never again. My favourite time was " trotting " under the willows at Sunbury from a punt on balmy summer evenings , that was paradise ! Hired from the local hotel .
I had to chuckle at your reference to " snooty boat clubs" being a " pleb" myself.
Another good spot was in the warmer water at Kingston power station . My first photo I took ever was of a Tough & Henderson tug at Barnes Bridge (the HAM) this was 1960 when she was still a steamer . She is preserved now I believe .
Yes I remember the "Kings" and " Castles" storming through Reading . Once I went to reading shed (Southern) and stood right beside the line as King George V ( with bell) went flashing by .The track shuddered and so did I .Talk about an adrenaline rush . As you say, exciting times, with no railway police in sight.
61 - 80 of 107 Posts
