IN CELEBRATION OF RAYMOND

摘要

Amuch-cherished tradition of the Crick Boat Show is the gathering of historic narrowboats at the quayside, with motor and butty, Nutfield & Raymond being regular attendees. This year, however, the event served as Raymond's party, as the boat, which has the distinction of being the last wooden boat built at Braunston Wharf, was within days of its 60th birthday. Commissioned by the Samuel Barlow Company and launched on 11th June 1958, it only had one other owner during its working life: Blue Line Cruisers (later Blue Line Canal Carriers), owned by Michael Streat of Braunston, which acquired the boat immediately after Barlows gave up canal-carrying in the autumn of 1961. Raymond's crew throughout its working period was Arthur and Rose Bray, together with her son Ernest Kendall. Before they took command of Raymond, they had Barlows' wooden pair Roger & Elsie. Roger was originally paired with Raymond but in 1968 was replaced by the former Grand Union Canal Carrying Company/British Waterways motor Nutfield. This was a large Northwich town-class motor built of all-steel construction by WJ. Yarwood & Sons of Northwich.