Early June – it must be Beale, no keen homeboatbuilder can afford to ignore this show. I had three glorious days on the showground, this year as a paying punter, having tried the Watercraft boatbuilding competition two years running I thought it was time to see the show from the other side of the fence again.
Once again the weather gods were extremely kind and the forecast showers stayed away, a change from the last two years was a decent amount of breeze on all three days allowing some decent action on the pond.
I started out with good intentions – Friday was to be the Photographic marathon, Saturday would be an impromptu HBBR group debate in the Beer tent and Sunday filled with retail therapy, the plans of mice & men….
Snapping started well, then I bumped into Jon Dyke, last years third prize winner in the boatbuilding competition, who had brought his Wolstenholme Swallow ‘Curlew’ to the show as part of the Old Gaffers display. Started chatting, as one does, and before I realised had been invited out on the water with him. Gratefully accepted with a degree of trepidation (completely unjustified) and after a glass or two of Dutch Courage ventured forth. Very pleasant it was too, Curlew behaves just as well as she looks, which is very good indeed. The first time I have been able to get snaps from out on the water instead of having to rely on the extreme zoom which all too often leads to a disappointing result. This set the pattern for the whole weekend, constantly bumping in to old friends and being diverted from my intended course. In the end the only people to suffer were the trade stands as I never did find time to spend the carefully saved up pile of notes. Come to that I didn’t get to see the whole show either. It was very much like coming home to a large family reunion. Not something I have experienced at any other show.
The selection below gives a small taste of what caught my eye over the three days.
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- Alec Jordan enjoying an end of show outing on the pond in the end result of one of his kits
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- Surprise, Laurent Giles Sandpiper, 1st in the WCABB Comp.
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- Dottie, a Steve Killing Endeavour 17, 3rd in WCABB Comp.
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- Puma, Colin Cummings entry in the WCABB Comp.
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- A pair of Swallows making the summer
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- View of the show from Curlew’s perspective
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- Wolstenholmes Swallow & Coot designs in close company
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- Jon Dykes Wolstenholme Swallow ‘Curlew’
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- Last years 3rd prize winner, Jon Dykes build of Andrew Wolstenholmes Swallow design ‘Curlew’
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- Oughtred Tammie Norrie ‘Christopher’
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- Last years 3rd prize winner, Jon Dykes build of Andrew Wolstenholmes Swallow design ‘Curlew’
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- Last years 3rd prize winner, Jon Dykes build of Andrew Wolstenholmes Swallow design ‘Curlew’
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- Last years 3rd prize winner, Jon Dykes build of Andrew Wolstenholmes Swallow design ‘Curlew’
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- Nat Wilson of Lowestoft IBTC showing how to
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- The DCA pontoon – always worth a lurk
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- The DCA from the other side of the pond
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- a couple of DCA/HBBR reprobates on the pond
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- ‘Little Jim’ being sculled
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- Colin Cummings innovative and rather interesting ‘Puma’ design
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- ‘Tit Willow’ – plain gorgeous
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- Arty snap of Chris Waite’s Tit Willow
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- Francis Raynes’ entry to the WCABB competition – 2nd
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- HBBR members on a collision course
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- Andrew Wolstenholme’s very own ‘Coot’
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- Matt Newland (Swallow Boats) trying out Andrew Wolstenholmes ‘Coot’
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- Thames Traditional Boat Society out in force
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- Traditional Clinker canoe ‘Luing’ in sailing mode
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- ‘Luing’ sailed by her builder, John Greenford – mouthwatering
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- Enjoyment writ large, Rowing for Pleasure?
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- The National Maritime Museum’s Hudson Folding Boat out on Beale pond
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- Ms Wolstenholme showing off Coot
