Wigan Album

That must be one of the first pleasure boats on the canal.

That's a home(amateur) converted clinker built lifeboat

Well, not quite. The first official Licence for a pleasure boat on the Leeds & Liverpool was issued in 1839. Post-WW2, however, saw a growth of interest in the canals, and the easiest boat for people in our area to get hold of and convert was, as seen here, a surplus ship's lifeboat, given the proximity of LIverpool. The broad locks of the L&L, with the addition of the lock-free Bridgewater Canal, gave them quite a large cruising range, and lines of them can be seen in photographs of the post-war canals. They were getting old by the 1970s, and began to be replaced with newer fibreglass boats, or newly-built narrow boats, which could cruise the whole canal system.

Thats the old Sancro welding shop in the background. The van was used for Mobile welding. I believe the boat was owned by a Dr. It was moored their for months. Just further down out of site of your picture some students had bought one of the Old barges and were turning it into a house boat.

Great old pic Barry.

Barges did not make as good a conversion as the narrow boats from other parts of the sytem - their size limited them to either the southern system around London, or the northern system around here - there is no waterway link between. Their size made them good houseboats, however, and a few more survived than would have done otherwise because enthusiasts managed to get hold of them in time. Dozens, especially the wooden ones which had no scrap value, were simply left to rot along the canals. I've put up a pic of one survivor which was used by Tetleys Ales in an advertisement.

Where would we be without the Dear reverend ? Wallowing in ingorant bliss I should think. How do you build a boat out of clinker ?

The comments made about Rev Long were uncalled for! If you are content in your ignorance I can only suggest you nether read or comment!

Clinker building is of course a boat building method were planks are overlapping planks - seems there are a few lanks on this thread! :)

Does anyone know who owned/ran Sancro Welding and the mobile van at all? Bit of a longshot to ask I know, but wondered if anyone could tell me. Thanks in advance.

My Dad, Eric Sandelands, owned Sancro until 1967 when it was then sold to the Connolly Brothers. I remember visiting the site and being warned not to look at the welding lights! May I ask why you are interested, Kathryn?

can anyone tell me who owned this company 1975/ 76
brian baxter was the foreman from scholes only a small company made rolling ladders pipe work etc. one of the characters was a guy called john spellman and a guy who drove a little blue van used to try n teach ballroom dancing in the lunch break think his name was bert.

also secretary was a good looking girl called jane woodcock
from ashton i think wonder what became of her bert also tried too teach her to dance

I worked at Sancro welding as an apprentice when the Connoly brother had it. After I was made homeless I lived in the Post Office warehouse which was next door for a while.