[Atlantis]

Hi Tim,
I have just mentioned your thread to my mum and she remembers Roger and Joan Pennington, could they be your parents?
Pappag.

Hi Pappag

Joan and Roger are my parents and we moved out of the basin in 1967/68 to Sussex, unfortunately not by the sea. We have lots of happy memories of the basin. My mum says I learnt to swim at an early age , because I was always falling in.

I wonder wether they found lots of toys In the basin, because I was always posting them through the portholes, including dad's lead soldiers!!

Who are your parents and which boat did you live on?

Look forwrd to hearing more. Have asked my brother to dig out photos.

All the best

Tim & mum(Joan)

 

[chadburn]

When you were living in that area did you ever come across two vessels owned by the RAF Officers Club (London). One was an ex Fairmile B and the other a former 60ft GSP. Due to the bombing in London they may have been used as annexes for the Club or for trips abroad. Thank You.

 

[pappag]

Hi Pappag

Joan and Roger are my parents and we moved out of the basin in 1967/68 to Sussex, unfortunately not by the sea. We have lots of happy memories of the basin. My mum says I learnt to swim at an early age , because I was always falling in.

I wonder wether they found lots of toys In the basin, because I was always posting them through the portholes, including dad's lead soldiers!!

Who are your parents and which boat did you live on?

Look forwrd to hearing more. Have asked my brother to dig out photos.

All the best

Tim & mum(Joan)

Hi Tim and Joan,
I have not visited the site for a long time and have just read your message, sorry it's been so long.
We are the Norquoy family and lived on Keewadin, a Fairmile B that was moored in the middle of the basin. My parents split up in the mid 50s but my dad stayed at the basin til the mid 60s and we would visit at weekends. My dad Alan died a couple of years ago and they are his photos in the gallery. My mother is Wynne and now lives in Hungary and she remembers lots of characters that lived in the basin.
I showed her your message and she told me one of my sisters threw her silver christening mug out of a porthole.
We moved to Falmouth in the mid 60s and she thinks it might have been your dad that came to do a film ( Poison Island?) in Falmouth and called in to see us but unfortunately my mother and I were out.
Both my sisters Barbara, Caroline and myself nearly drowned on a few occasions; that was long before Health & Safety!
I remember my dad telling us that Coco the clown was working on his boat so off we went very excited to have a look for ourselves. We were most disappointed to find he was not dressed as a clown!

It was good to hear from you, regards to you mum and take care. Geoff.

 

[Leocadia]

Cubitts Yacht Basin Chiswick

Hello All,
My first post! I came across this site when having nostalgic thoughts about Cubitts. I live in Queensland Australia however when visiting U.K in 1959 I became the owner of a 27' Yacht (Leocadia) which I bought in Maldon and ended up at Cubitts where we spent about 18 months working and living at times on the boat. Contrary to some reports we found Cubitts to be a friendly and interesting place, there were several ex naval craft MTBs and or Fairmiles as well as Hybernia and Wolesly (2 Barges) also Lydia, Nerene ( Falmouth Quay Punt having a total refasten)
Red Setter a beautiful motor sailor owner by one of the Boosey and Hawkes family. Larapinta a 38' Aussie Yacht built in Sydney and owned by Peter and Leslie Mounsey who were the first husband and wife team to do a cir***navigation. Many more of course including some remains of concrete barges which I think were to carry ammunition or explosives across the Chanel in WW1.
I do have a few pics of the yard circa 1959/60 which I may be able to produce if any one is interested.

 

[chadburn]

Certainly are Leo.(Thumb)

 

[scorcher]

Welcome Loecadia to the site.
I am trying to locate any photos of the vessels that berthed there so if you can post any at all they would be most welcome for member chadburn andmyself .Looking forward to them !
Best Wishes .

 

[Pompeyfan]

On behalf of the 'SN Moderating Team', welcome aboard Leo.

I have moved your thread to Cubitts Yacht basin where you are more likely to receive replies. Good luck (Thumb)

 

[magnet_hand]

Cubitts Yacht Basin

Ahoy there!

I stumbled across this site by accident whilst doing some family tree research and I'm wondering if anyone knows what happened to the DY Magnet after my great aunt and her husband, Alice and William Melmore (although I knew them as Sis and Billy) sold her when the basin was redeveloped?

I remember my first visit which must have been around 1950 (I was 7 or 8 at the time) when Billy was rebuilding what was left of MY Magnet after it had been hit by a bomb in the basin. Family lore has it that the original Magnet was commandeered for Dunkirk (I have the original Order from the Admiralty), made several trips and afterwards returned to Cubitts only to be blown to bits when she got home!

My uncle actually sailed her to Dunkirk having refused to accept the naval crew as being 'in charge'. He was an engineer by profession and I was told he pretty much re-built her himself but with a diesel engine. He was also a member of the Inner Magic Circle and amazed me with his slight of hand tricks right under my nose.

I have photos of my late mother on deck around 1938 and then later some which were taken in the 50's and used for knitting pattern
covers! Sis worked for Patent & Baldwin's the knitting yarn people.

Would love to hear if anyone can throw any light on her fate.

 

[boat.nick]

Hi Kerry its nick send me an email [email protected]

 

[boat.nick]

wow memories
The magnet in 1960 it was owned by capt tim and my grandmother live on it with him my brother adrian used to bail out his dinghy.
Hello kes and Zoe(Thumb)
We used to go hang out at the boat house I think her name was angela where the boat race finished.
The Williams' of pendragon fame are some where in Twickenham
The crazy thing is if you didn't have any one to back you up up with the same memories those who never lived there would think you where crazy. I remember going to tea with my grandmother on the big Oxford houseboat and watching the water come in on each end of the hogged boat on dicking days. Then there was Sandra on the Moët and roger Pennington who had a big Barry with my dad about an anchor, nit for nothing who the hell needed an anchor anyway, oh yes we did when we had to leave the basin and one engine did not hack it as we turned up river to hammertons, pla to the rescue.
Fun watching coco the clown try new make up
Fun in crazy docking day watching my mom move live electric cables around the basin in the dinghy

 

[scorcher]

Hello boat.nick
Thanks for the photo , can you give her full name please ? " Sea ? "
Fascinating details as well .

 

[cueball44]

Hello boat.nick
Thanks for the photo , can you give her full name please ? " Sea ? "
Fascinating details as well .

It's the "Sea Lion". It is in the gallery, You have left a comment there.

 

[scorcher]

Yes you are correct cueball44 . it has been a time since I read that.

 

[chadburn]

Ex Navy Pinnace I suspect, my Uncle had one for years called the 'Princess Margaret', he fitted two shaft logs to her and fitted two marinised Bedford ex Army Truck engines from my Fathers Yard. We always went in convoy together every year to Scarborough. She is still around under another name, when I saw her in Hull Marina a few years ago she was called 'John Vincent'. Well built boats.

 

[Sue Murcer]

I am trying to locate any photos of Cubitts Yacht Basin
situated near Chiswick Bridge, where the boat race ends.
I lived in Chiswick when I was young and dreamed of living
in an house boat there when I grew up.They redeveloped
it and all trace was lost. It was a magical retreat from the
hurly-burly of London.Plane trees surrounded it and a motley
collection of vessels were nestled in the rectangular basin.
I remember a Victorian steam yacht with clipper bow and
yellow funnel bedecked with geraniums, several MTB"s
converted to houseboats and several other craft.
It was an artist"s paradise and several actors/actresses
and writers lived there I believe.

I have been googling until goggle eyed but have traced
nothing of note.I would like photos to base a painting on.
This would be 1940-1950"s.
A pretty obscure request I know
but worth trying I hope?. Thanks for reading this.

I lived on Lethe in Cubits moved in 9-9-60 and lived there as a baby. Most photos are of our houseboat but a couple show views up and down from there if that’s any use....I know this post is old ?

 

[Caroline French]

Cubitts yacht basin



Thank you for your reply Judith.I was beginning to think I had dreamed it ? I would like to hear of any memories you have of it though.Should you come across anyone who knew your godmother or who lived there and may have photos could you let me know?
Could the vessel have been HIBERNIA and not HIBERNA ? Was it wooden hulled or steel do you know?
Many thanks in anticipation. Best Wishes. Alan.

 

[Caroline French]

Cubitts Yacht Basin

Ahoy there!

I stumbled across this site by accident whilst doing some family tree research and I'm wondering if anyone knows what happened to the DY Magnet after my great aunt and her husband, Alice and William Melmore (although I knew them as Sis and Billy) sold her when the basin was redeveloped?

I remember my first visit which must have been around 1950 (I was 7 or 8 at the time) when Billy was rebuilding what was left of MY Magnet after it had been hit by a bomb in the basin. Family lore has it that the original Magnet was commandeered for Dunkirk (I have the original Order from the Admiralty), made several trips and afterwards returned to Cubitts only to be blown to bits when she got home!

My uncle actually sailed her to Dunkirk having refused to accept the naval crew as being 'in charge'. He was an engineer by profession and I was told he pretty much re-built her himself but with a diesel engine. He was also a member of the Inner Magic Circle and amazed me with his slight of hand tricks right under my nose.

I have photos of my late mother on deck around 1938 and then later some which were taken in the 50's and used for knitting pattern
covers! Sis worked for Patent & Baldwin's the knitting yarn people.

Would love to hear if anyone can throw any light on her fate.

Hello……as a toddler, I lived on board Aerial(I believe that’s correct. My father’s name was Henry Gardner, a commander in the Royal Navy, We left in 1948 and immigrated to Canada. I still have several memories of the place. I remember the name of Miss Pryss. she kept in touch with us for years and sent copies of the Illustrated London News, which I loved.

 

[Caroline French]

Hello……as a toddler, I lived on board Aerial(I believe that’s correct. My father’s name was Henry Gardner, a commander in the Royal Navy, We left in 1948 and immigrated to Canada. I still have several memories of the place. I remember the name of Miss Pryss. she kept in touch with us for years and sent copies of the Illustrated London News, which I loved.

Caroline Gardner.

 

[ChristyW]

I am trying to locate any photos of Cubitts Yacht Basin
situated near Chiswick Bridge, where the boat race ends.
I lived in Chiswick when I was young and dreamed of living
in an house boat there when I grew up.They redeveloped
it and all trace was lost. It was a magical retreat from the
hurly-burly of London.Plane trees surrounded it and a motley
collection of vessels were nestled in the rectangular basin.
I remember a Victorian steam yacht with clipper bow and
yellow funnel bedecked with geraniums, several MTB"s
converted to houseboats and several other craft.
It was an artist"s paradise and several actors/actresses
and writers lived there I believe.

I have been googling until goggle eyed but have traced
nothing of note.I would like photos to base a painting on.
This would be 1940-1950"s.
A pretty obscure request I know
but worth trying I hope?. Thanks for reading this.

I am trying to locate any photos of Cubitts Yacht Basin
situated near Chiswick Bridge, where the boat race ends.
I lived in Chiswick when I was young and dreamed of living
in an house boat there when I grew up.They redeveloped
it and all trace was lost. It was a magical retreat from the
hurly-burly of London.Plane trees surrounded it and a motley
collection of vessels were nestled in the rectangular basin.
I remember a Victorian steam yacht with clipper bow and
yellow funnel bedecked with geraniums, several MTB"s
converted to houseboats and several other craft.
It was an artist"s paradise and several actors/actresses
and writers lived there I believe.

I have been googling until goggle eyed but have traced
nothing of note.I would like photos to base a painting on.
This would be 1940-1950"s.
A pretty obscure request I know
but worth trying I hope?. Thanks for reading this.

Don’t have any photos, sorry, but my mother, my 2 sisters and I lived in Chiswick from 1959-1963. Our first school was Sutton Court, where my teacher was Mrs. Boydell, who lived in Cubitt’s. Her daughter Felicity “Flis” was one of my classmates.

 

[BosunsMate]

Hello……as a toddler, I lived on board Aerial(I believe that’s correct. My father’s name was Henry Gardner, a commander in the Royal Navy, We left in 1948 and immigrated to Canada. I still have several memories of the place. I remember the name of Miss Pryss. she kept in touch with us for years and sent copies of the Illustrated London News, which I loved.

Caroline - Commander Gardner sold the Ariel to a Mr Farnsworth. My father purchased the vessel from Mr Farnsworth in November 1948 and remained owner until 1953.