This is an earlier photo of MARQUIS when she was named SALLY and worked for Hayward's of Tipton. Any ideas who the three fellows are? In this stage of her life she also worked for Holloway's of Oldbury.

 

Here is another photo of MARQUIS as SALLY this time only one steerer but any ideas who he is? In this photo you can clearly see the upswept stern typical of FMC's steamers, this was to accommodate the 3 foot prop these boats were fitted with.

This is a photo of Steven & Keays tug JUDITH ANN, named after Kens daughter. I don't know the location of the photo but it would have been somewhere in the Black Country/ Birmingham area. I have 4mm resin cast models of this boat available to buy.

TIBER ex Thos Clayton the paintwork may be a little scuffed and in need of TLC but the brass work gleams even in a sepia photo.

By the time this photo was taken SEDDON's fleet had ceased carrying but were used as storage within the confines of the works.

BISON ex FMC in her BW days

Charlie, H and young Billy Foster photographed from Ridean Bridge Aldridge in 1966 carrying slack to GEC Witton from Anglesey basin.

Leading the train is Charlie on PRINCESS ANNE, H comes next with Billy at the rear with SAPPHIRE. 

When towing a train of joeys through a lock flight you had to be your own horse and line. Charlie Foster hauling a well laden joey into Longwood top lock, on the offside you can see the lockies veg patch.

Eight Years earlier we can see Charlie with H and his two sisters in a school holiday enjoying a day out at work with Dad and Big Brother. You can see that a boat horse would 'backa' away on its own once it had learnt the road ahead. 

 

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