Geoff Laycock has quite a unique hobby. When he is not working on his crane repair business you will find him pulling his whistle on the canal at junction 9 in Burnley. Geoff has built a steam powered Narrow boat and called it, quite appropriately, “Whistle Down The Wind.” After the 1960’s film which was filmed in the area. It is one of only half a dozen in the country, and a real blast from the past. He has the same passion for steam as the late, but more famous Fred Dibnah, and decided to build his steam engine after realising a Gardner diesel engine was going to cost about £12,000.
It has proved to be quite a chal lenge, pushing his engineering skills to the limit, as there is no manual or book of instructions. There is little information on the internet, and most knowledge of this once dominant form of power has died with the generations who knew about steam. However, Geoff has persisted and can now boast one of the fastest narrow boats in the country, although with a 4 MPH limit on the canal he has to wait for the annual Rally in Northwich to open her up. There is one small drawback to this engine, he uses Welsh steam coal and travels all the way to Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales to get it. Apparently, this special coal burns at the right temperature
without clogging up his pipes and is the only type of coal that Queen Victoria would allow in the house. The vessel actually has two steam whistles which possibly came from a steam powered factory. Geoff gave us a demonstration and we are sure they could be heard all over Burnley. They certainly clear the wax out of your ears. By the way Geoff has another, more conventional narrow boat, which is the blue one pictured, and it’s for sale at around £37,000. If you want more information you can contact him on:
07971 204594. Incidentally, we made the mistake of asking him how his crane business was doing ? Always the joker, Geoff replied. Oh it’s up and down.”
Buy & Sell Pay & Go Mobiles
• Batteries • Chargers
PHONES UK
Sim Cards • Blue Tooth Headsets
• Memory Cards • Unlocking & repairs
Everything for your mobile come and see the experts
In car chargers £4
Tel: 01200 444577 Mob: 07734 762694 Mains chargers £5
Mon to Sat 9 - 5pm Wed 9 - 4pm
10a MOOR LANE CLITHEROE
Check out our website
www.phonesukclitheroe.co.uk
Alan Leslie ( Fluff ) Freeman.
“Greetings Pop Pickers.” “Not Arf.”
His Pick of the Pops
program achieved big audiences and the BBC
paid "needle time" to the artists.
From Previous Page.
When Fluff Freeman introduced Pick of the Pops in 1962, these were the classics he would be playing on Sunday nights, as the best selling singles of the year. 1 2 3
Booker T. & The MGs Green Onions / Behave Yourself Sam Cooke Bring It On Home to Me / Having a Party Dick Dale Miserlou / Eight Till Midnight
4 The Tornados Telstar / Jungle Fever 5 Nina Simone My Baby Just Cares for Me / He Needs Me 6 The Contours Do You Love Me / Move Mr. Man 7 The Crystals He's a Rebel / I Love You, Eddie 8 The Chantays Pipeline / Move It 9 Smokey Robinson and The Miracles You've Really Got a Hold on Me / Happy Landing 10 John Lee Hooker Boom Boom / Drug Store Woman 11 Patsy Cline She's Got You / Strange 12 Sam Cooke Twistin' the Night Away / One More Time 13 Little Eva The Loco-Motion / He Is the Boy 14 James Brown Night Train / Why Does Everything Happen to Me 15
Dionne Warwick Don't Make Me Over / I Smiled Yesterday
16 Elvis Presley Return to Sender / Where Do You Come From 17 The Cascades Rhythm of the Rain / Let Me Be 18 The Four Seasons Sherry / I've Cried Before 19 Ketty Lester Love Letters / I'm a Fool to Want You 20 The Beatles Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You
A lot has been said about politics; some of it complimentary, but most of it accurate. Eric Idle
22.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36