Start the engine!! - a boaty story..

[Dave_Snelson]

Back in the early seventies, I started to frequent Porthmadog with a couple of friends and a Fletcher 129 + Crescent 45. I'm still there to this day some 30 years on. One of my favourite summer recollections (Powerskipper, are you listening?) was motoring this little boat over to Portmeirion, the place where the TV series "The Prisoner" was filmed.

As you approach Portmeirion by sea (estuary actually) you can see a black and white, two masted sailing "boat" moored alongside a harbour wall. This boat is actually made of stone and concrete itself, and is set into the wall and part of it. It creates a very clever illusion. In the village of Portmeirion itself, you can walk down to the "Stone Boat" and sit in it - but I digress...

With 3 teenage lads on the boat, we would moor up along side the stone boat and two of us would get off the Fletcher and walk up into the village. It was a bit like scrumping apples really - it's not the stealing of the apples, its the thrill of the chase!

Well it wouldn't be long before some official or other would raise the shout..."Oi, you boys!! Have you paid?? Of course we hadn't bloody paid!! Two likely looking lads wandering around in wetsuits kinda gave the game away.

That was it, we were off. Running down the narrow village streets (ever tried running in a wetsuit on a summers day?) trying to evade capture or payment. As we approached the stone boat we would yell "Start the engine - Start the engine"!!. Our mate would be there furiously trying to pull start the Crescent, which actually never let us down. Then we would leap aboard and roar off (OK Crescents don't roar!) down the estuary feeling like the Prisoner escaped, or a bunch of budding James Bond characters. Mission accomplished

There's a great foot note to this story which I only found out last year, some 29 years on....The architect behind the Portmeirion village (which took 50 years to build) was a chap called Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. When he died, a sentence in his will stated that... "all visitors who arrive by sea will be made welcome and with no charge"...

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[powerskipper]

Thanks
Like that a lot.

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[burgundyben]

At about the age of 10 till about 15 I used to spend Cowes Week living on a 30's built motorboat owned by my friends father, his parents spent the week watching the racing and we spent the week messing about in their tinker tramp with 4 hp Mariner OB, at this time the J class Endevour was ashore on Calshot Spit, we wanted to see it, so in the middle of Cowes week we crossed the solent in the tinker tramp, had a wander round, took a photo f the j class and crossed back to Cowes, we told his father what we had done and got a bit of a bollocking but also a bit of a pat on the head for being adventurous. not sure anyone would let their kids do that now.

<hr width=100% size=1>Sod the Healey - I think I'll buy an E-Type.

 

[jhr]

Excellent stuff. Friends of ours used to live in Minfford (just over the hill from Portmeirion), down the lane from what was once Bertrand Russell's house. You could also sneak into Portmeirion by land though it was a bit of a slog across the fields. We never got rumbled, although muddy wellingtons should have been almost as supicious as wet suits.

We loved that part of the world and were gutted when our friends moved; we have a painting of Portmeirion and the Stone Boat by a local artist called Rob Piercy, taken from across the estuary, which reminds us of some great times.

I shall remember the clause in his will, for future reference. I'm suprised that you were chased by officials - surely it should have been a large, transparent bubble?

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[hlb]

Excelent, even if it was from one of the repressed OLD GUARDS. /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

See, were getting a result!!

I've sat in that concrete boat many times. Never managed to get there by sea though. Anchored in the little pool round the corner for Bar-b-ques though.

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[Dave_Snelson]

Nice one - the large transparent bubble (Rover) would have been our favourite chase mechanism, had it been real. We were all Prisoner fans at that time (second release ITV). I also have 3 "Rob Piercy's" hanging in the room next to my office, one of which is Portmeirion - and you're right, they are great paintings that are almost photographic in their appearance.

I know Minfordd well, as we catch the steam train from there down to the Yacht Club, when we know full well that its going to be one of those nights.

Look me up some time if you are ever back up this way. I'm nearly always around and you can PM me if you wish.

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[Dave_Snelson]

Ah yes - you're another old frequenter of Portmeirion, like jhr.

I feel a re-union coming on....

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[theguvnor]

Isn`t that the place Billy Connelly was exhalting on his tv travel prog last week?

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[lanason]

Yes it was - Billy was searching out some pillars and a fancy stone sunhouse thingy that was moved from Brighton - stone by stone.

Funny loverly day and he (Billy) was the on person to be seen - well apart from one long range shot where a woman was let out with a pushchair - either that or escaped the camera crew secuirty guards.

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[powerskipper]

Re: nay nay

Having worked with horses for years in my youth thought you mite finds some tails from back then amusing,

The stables we ran had a long ¾ mile track to it. We had 25 horses and ponies in residence, some school horses, some livery.
Being a sentimental lot we had what my mother called our mascot. A small Shetland pony, called Janiee. She was quite old, very cantankerous and took a nip out of any part of your body she could reach. She had a common complaint that ponies can get which meant she had to be on a diet most of the time.[ Like most of us!] this for her meant roaming around the stables and eating the grass at the side of the track down to the stables. [She never went up to the road she was to lazy]
To the story;
It was dustbin day, 4 burly Scotsmen in there dustcart came bumping down the track [who needs speed bumps] to collect the bins as usual BUT today Janiee was standing in the middle of the track enjoying a mid morning snooze [this was her main occupation]
Up rolls the van. It stops; expecting Janiee to move.
No! That did not happen. So a large burly bin man gets out and goes SHOO.
No! That doe’s not work either.
So he try’s pulling on her main.
He gets a nip on the thigh in return.
Back to van.
2 bin men now approach Janiee, who has now opened 1 eye to watch them,
They decide to try and give her a little push,
No, did not work.
So they give her a bigger push,
Janiee just pushes back.
Well next minute there are 4 large bin men trying to push her out the way and she just pushes back. Until she is actually sitting down.

So my mother who was in the kitchen having a cup of coffee hears a knock at the door. There is 1 of the bin men very red in the face and puffing. He says “Can you please move that their mule out of the way of the van, please”
My mother how know we don’t have any mules says she will try and help. She looks round the corner of the barn and there is Janiee still standing in the middle of the track.
“AH AH” she says, “Give me a mo” she fetches a bucket threw some pony nuts in it and walked towards Janiee.
Rattle Rattle goes the bucket and Janiee looking like butter would not melt in her mouth ambles of the track to investigate the bucket.
The bin man to the lorry it sped down the track to the farm turned around and speeds off down the track again. [They did pick the bins up to]
Just a change of story matter.

Julie


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[whisper]

About 20 years ago I stayed at Portmeirion - in one of the houses on the main path down that had an archway in it. Whole weekend was quite fascinating. Do they still let out the properties I wonder. Been on the railway a few times since then - I think it's the best narrow gauge line in the UK though that will probably be shouted down by other anoraks. The buffet cars used to be one of the only places in the county you could get a drink,as a non resident, on Sundays back then.

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[hlb]

Drink on a Sunday scoff. Bloody Wales init!!

Long time ago. We hired a caravan and towed it down to Wales. Stopped in a layby first night, no beer. Arrived Abersock Sunday. Could we find a caravan site, no, all full. It was pissing down and maybe tea time. Getting dark, before some one directed us to this site. The facilities comprised of a tap, tied to a telegraph pole in the middle of the field. Think there was only us there. Anyway we got all changed and spruced up and off to the pub. It was shut, however it was fairly early so thought as there were folk stood outside, maybe it would open soon. Next thing. All the crowd started jumping in cars and hairing off. So I thinks. This lot know sumate. So jumps in car and follows. Power boat club. Queque outside for a bit. Then next everyones back in cars and going like hell, back up the mountain. Caravan Club. Big queque outside 100yds long. Joins queque. Again cars set off, going like hell, back over hill. Back to the pub we set off at. Its OPEN. Toddles in. " Would you mind going in the bar for a while,we're a bit full for food at the moment, said the waitress. Eerr, no I dont mind says me, thinking, what was all the fuss about and casually ordering the beer. " Oh, we dont serve BEER. It's Sunday". So we went home next day and did not go back for many many years.../forums/images/icons/frown.gif

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[jfm]

Great story.

And a nostalgia easter egg in there too - Crescent outboards... haven't heard them mentioned for years. They transmogrified into Volvos, right?

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[Dave_Snelson]

Yes you are right. There was a range of motors from 25HP to 55HP and they were all 3 cylinder two-strokes with chromium lined bores. They came under different guises - Crescent / Archemedes Penta / Volvo Penta.

Years later, I bought another one, the 55HP 3 carb Archemedes. It went like a rocket!!

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[jfm]

Oh yes that's right, after Crescent they were called Archimedes Penta for a while. It was only in the last few years before they stopped making them that they were called Volvo Penta. I seem to remeber they also had a 70hp just in the year or two before they stopped making them altogether

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