Tag: Catherine De Bont

A Celebration of Life

January 9, 2013 / / 0 Comments

CDB Order of Service, Picture of leaflet by Matt Care

Thank you very much, Boss of Volunteers, Basil who posts me a copy of the ‘Order of Service’ for the recent Celebration of Life for Catherine De Bont. This contains some lovely pictures of Catherine and looks like it was a fine and dignified, appropriate service. It featured my favourite hymn, “Eternal Father, strong to save”. I am a Hastings lad, and we grew up knowing the sounds of the lifeboat launch maroons. If ever they had been heard and the lifeboat launched we would sing this hymn in School Assembly. Ah well. Well done to all those involved in the service and the Celebration of Life. She was a wonderful lady and will be much missed.

Readers may not be so aware that Catherine was a good Friend of Cambria going back years; certainly to well before I became involved in 2007. She was an expert journalist and wrote regularly for the magazine “Traditional Boats and Tall Ships” and it was in one of these pieces, also posted to me by Basil, that she covered the forced move of Cambria, in her lighter, from the Dolphin Yard in Sittingbourne, to the Sheerness Docks (“Cambria on the Move” by Catherine De Bont, Trad Boats and Tall Ships, March 2006).

Cambria in lighter on tow from Traditional Boats and Tall Ships, March 2006, Article by Catherine De Bont

It’s a lovely piece again with plenty of nice pictures which I am guessing are also by Catherine – she was certainly handy with a camera. One of my few person to person memories of Catherine actually involves a camera – we were at a lecture in Rochester by Jim Lawrence and she spotted that I was nipping about with my reasonably priced Canon EOS digital camera. She passed me her own top-of-the-range camera and asked me to take a few for her from the back while I was moving about. She was already a ‘celeb’ to me – beginner barge-fan that I was, so I was a bit star-struck, but I hope I got some nice pics for her. I never did find out.

Ah well. Rest in Peace, Catherine. Fiddler’s Green?

2 Nice Videos

December 21, 2012 /

Mark Boyle Sign-writing from Feb 2011, Picture by Matt Care

Just a quick couple of bits of video which might be of interest to you. First an 8 minute sequence which includes an interview with Catherine De Bont in which she describes early life growing up among boats and learning barging skills, plus lots of lovely footage from the decks of Cambria as she sails under the Dartford Bridge and up through Tower Bridge. In the latter, Richard Tichener suffers “boom droop”, Stretch races about all over the gaff and the Pihamas manage to look very cold huddled by the wheelhouse.

It’s Facebook URL is below, and I cannot find a normal ‘You-tube style one, so you may have to be on FB to be able to get at it. It was posted to FB by Simon North – Thank You Simon.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151144609602032&set=p.10151144609602032&type=2&theater

Also on Facebook there’s a nice intro to the new Video for sale through the Edith May website, covering the Medway Match. It’s on

http://youtu.be/s-4iQoAVSfM

That one has a few quick interviews to start including a classic bit of strategy from Tim Goldsack “We’ll use the same tactic we always use which is to get in front and stay there!” I can see how that would work, Tim! It then has some glorious footage of barges speeding about in a stiff breeze – Edith May herself, of course, but also Decima, Repertor, Lady of the Lea and more. Both worth a look.

My picture today is some of that lovely sign-writing by our friend Mark (Nozz) Boyle.

Mark (Nozz) Boyle, RIP

December 20, 2012 /

Mark Nozz Boyle who passed away Weds 19th Dec 2012 (on the left here with Basil Brambleby) , Picture by Matt Care (Feb 2011).

I am sorry, once again, to be the bearer of sad news. Too soon after the tragic loss of Catherine De Bont, we hear that Cambria Shipwright, fine brush-work painter, caulker, volunteer and rigging expert, Mark (“Nozz”) Boyle sadly passed away yesterday, Weds 19th. We will miss him. He was often down at the Cambria helping out through the renovation, even when he was not being paid as a Shipwright, doing his deck caulking with the molten pitch or what ever task. He’d be down there as a volunteer helping us out. He was the skilled painter who did all our fine sign-writing, the “three dimensional” lettering on the transom, the gold scroll work and names at the bow and the gold streak along each rail. He was always there when any rigging or de-rigging would take place and you only had to listen to him chatting away to be in awe of his knowledge of all the halyards, down-hauls, stays and vangs.

The name ‘Nozz’ apparently comes from a black 30’s Jazz singer who was nicknamed “Nozmo King” (=No Smoking) although I was never quite clear on how Mark came to be so named. He used to be a font of such stories – I remember he once told me that “Frog” (another famous current barge-man) got his nickname because he “first came up Faversham Creek in a boat named Frog. He may have been teasing me!

He’ll be missed, for sure. All of us associated with the Cambria extend our sympathies to Mark’s family and friends. We are thinking of you at this sad time.

SB Decima

September 12, 2012 /

SB Decima; Photograph (and copyright) by Catherine De Bont. Published with permission.

Today’s picture is a superb one of Tim Goldsack’s ‘iron pot’ barge SB Decima taken by Catherine De Bont. Tim, Catherine and Decima all have long and deep associations with Faversham and with Cambria. Tim, of course is our Master Shipwright who managed, and personally did much of, the rebuild of the barge. He has also skippered her in racing, notably when all we volunteers were allowed ‘out to play’ last year. Tim owns the Decima, a ‘tin pot’. I was always curious as to why a shipwright so skilled at working in wood, would own a metal hulled barge but he tells me with a wry grin that it’s all down to the costs of maintenance. Decima has long been associated with Faversham, being previously owned by Faversham resident (and something of a local celebrity), ‘Beefy’ Wildish, still remembered by many of the locals now of ‘more mature years’. Bit of a character, by all accounts. The trophy for the Stays’l Class in the Swale match is named after him (real name Percy Wildish) and, to quote Tricia Gurnett in her Barge Blog (http://sailingbarges.wordpress.com/tag/percy-wildish-cup/) “In the Staysail Class Niagara and Repertor were neck and neck at the finish, with Repertor one second ahead. After a protest on the matter of something earlier in the match, Repertor was given a 5 minute time penalty, giving Niagara the victory. Decima was 3^rd, getting the Percy Wildish Cup which was fittingly presented by “Beefy” Wildish’s son.”

Catherine herself has, of course, a huge association with Cambria and barges (and sailing craft generally of course) not only from her “Barge and Smack News” and other articles in the glossy mag “Traditional Boats and Tall Ships” (http://tallship.typepad.com/my_weblog/wild_news/). She was on board as they brought the old Cambria into Faversham on Hop Festival Day 2007 and it is she who slings the mooring rope ashore in all the videos of this event, including the clip used by Mike Maloney in the “Red Sails” film (http://www.cwideprods.co.uk/red-sails/). She is a major contributor of barge related news and snippets and photographs on the Facebook networking site. Thanks for the photo, Catherine and may your lens never get smeared with salty water.

Up the Creek

July 24, 2012 / / 0 Comments

As promised, a report from Boss of Volunteers, Basil on our involvement in the Faversham Nautical Festival last weekend.

Faversham Nautical Festival, Pic by Dave Brooks. Cambria Stand is green tent above bowsprit.

Says Basil, “This weekend just gone, we were at the Faversham Basin Festival of Sail, where Faversham
Creek Trust were the main fundraisers – There were a couple of visitors to Cambria
corner who were remembering (Mr Volunteer Views) fondly, and regretting your move to Ireland,
but very delighted when they knew that you sort out the website from afar (didn’t know them, and too slow to get names). The musical accompaniment to
proceedings was fantastic and much enjoyed by all comers. SB Lady of the Lea
was visited by a constant stream of people in all age groups, the Creek
Trust appeared to collect many new members which must have made their
efforts all worthwhile. Bangers and burgers were available along with a flow
of beers. We were there to sort of join up the Apprenticeship scheme since
it started via Cambria, and should continue in the Purifier Building,
hopefully. We were very cordially treated. Dave Walsh and
Catherine de Bont were around. She had brought her boat up to join many
others in the Creek.
It was mentioned to me by several people how Medway Ports has become
involved with the Lock Gate, and I pointed out to them that it was project
manager William Collard who initiated this action.”

Basil reminds us that “next week we’re on the pontoon at Gravesend.”

Thanks for that, Basil and thanks to the people who remembered me. The picture is by Dave Brooks. The Cambria stand is the green gazebo behind the bowsprit.

Pennant received by Cambria for taking part in the River Pageant

Arrival At Faversham (Video)

June 27, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Mike Maloney, friend of Cambria maker of the “Red Sails” and “Sideways Launch” films has now posted on You-tube, a sequence of Cambria’s first arrival at Faversham back in 2007 just prior to the start of restoration. Posted under the banner “Cambria Arrives at Faversham” it’s made by the same team at Countrywide Productions. It shows the final tugging and shoving by the tugboat Jester, features Project Manager William Collard wandering about on deck looking like he knows what he’s doing (!) as well as plenty of other well know faces from the barging world including Catherine De Bont, Boss of Volunteers, Basil and Colin Frake. Soaring majestic music too! It’s on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmTi57esdZE&feature=youtu.be

if you fancy taking a look.

Pennant received by Cambria for taking part in the River Pageant

Today’s pic is another Dave Brooks one, this time of the pennant we received to mark the fact that we took part in the Avenue of Sail at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant. Nice one Dave.

Dublin Tall Ships?

June 17, 2012 /

Catherine De Bont pic from Thames adventure

Today, another nice picture from the Catherine De Bont Facebook spread. This one is also taken on the up-River adventure the guys went on to get the barge up to London for the QDJP. As Catherine says, “a few familiar faces”; Hi Steve, Cathy, Mark and Frank and (the only one doing any work!), Richard T at the wheel. I was not sure about the Mark C baseball cap on backwards, dude look, for a bargeman, but Cathy says “yes he likes to think he’s a cool dude, bless him!! I look freezing and I was, but it was an amazing day spent with great people and we both wish we could do it all again”.

Meanwhile I was smiling at the fact that in Ireland, where I now am, Dublin is having its own tall ships festival (see website http://www.dublintallships.ie/volunteers/ ) and they have been calling for volunteers to help with the day. Realistically this is serious stuff and the site says “Up to 1,000 volunteers are required for The Tall Ships Races 2012 – Dublin to give visitors the warmest of welcomes, help create a great atmosphere and an experience they will never forget. Offer your experience, volunteer your skills, learn something new and have fun doing it! There is a huge variety of voluntary roles including Production, Hospitality, Ship Liaison, Media and Marketing, Event Coordination, Stewarding and Volunteer Management.”

I just wondered whether if a gang of Cambria volunteers armed with paint rollers and tins of Rosy Glow showed up in a mini-bus, we might be put to work. Cambria Volunteers on Tour!

Catherine De Bont picture Tower Bridge on the QDJP adventure

Catherine De Bont Pictures

June 16, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Catherine De Bont picture Tower Bridge on the QDJP adventure