Where was this taken, Thames?

Alpha22

Alpha22

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Hi,
Tracing whatever history I can find for my boat.
I have a photo that may have been taken on the upper Thames, can anyone confirm the location. I know it is a long shot! Is that a church spire or a tall conifer in the background?? The burgee is possibly Upper Thames Motor Boat Club, that could make it Sonning?????
The picture was taken in 1966 or possibly 67. Boat was renamed Silver Gem in 1968.
11ode7.jpg

The boat is a Freeman 30 and I do know that the chap at the helm is Mr Free. Anymore info gratefully received.
Cheers
Deano
 
SILVER GEM Built by Freeman in 1966 - Length 9.1 metres (29 feet 10 inches ) - Beam 3.1 metres (10 feet 2 inches ) 2 Diesel Inboard engines with a total power of 200HP. Registered with EA Thames Region number C006261 as a Non Hire Annual. Last registration recorded on 01-Apr-09

http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/index.php


Hmmm....That piccy looks like it was taken above Henley, but only a real Thames boater could guarantee where!

I'm sure one will be along soon!

Nice boat, not many big Freemans still around! I'm sure that Ivory Gem was for sale at T&K marina a couple of years ago, as I remember, it had a pair of huge old Thorneycrofts residing under the longitudinal stern single berths...
 
The name "Mr Free" tells me all and the name Ivory gem has always been on all his boats. He is long passed away but he was a major influence on the Thames in his day. He was indeed a founder member of the Upper Thames Motor Yacht Club. Their mooring was opposite my house for around 40 years or so. Both he and his wife are former Commodores of the Oxford Ditch.

His wife Margaret is still alive though very infirm and is now Mrs Weeks. She lives in Henley. She owns a Freeman 33 built for her in 1972 and was the actual boat at the 1972 or 1973 Boat Show. To infirm to use it the boat is used by her family. I have the Tender built for that boat in my Barn. Given to me many years ago and still like new.

I can give you a telephone number if you wish. Please P.M. me.

Others here such as MikeT have known Margaret Weeks (Mrs Free) for most of their lives.
 
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Surely this isn't the same boat as the current Ivory Gem? Isn't that a Freeman 30 with hard top & full width aft cabin? which would tie in with the point above about the owner changing boats but retaining the name?

I was on the way to a Kingston RNLI Rally some years ago, and waiting inside Straight Across (al-right, using the loo) at Bell Weir, and could hear somebody talking to my wife. This was John Weeks, on Ivory Gem, and the tale he was telling was about his father, my grandfather & grandmother, the shops they all had in Southall, the vans sod between them with registration numbers etc, so much information I had to write it down to pass onto my mother. He knew we had the same boat since the mid 50's and wanted to impart the info.
Good to see the same family still using Ivory Gem, we had a chat with them last summer.

IanC
 
Glad to see you are trading up in the world deano, nice boat!

Seen much of Clive since he moved up north??

Mike
(ex lakme and freeman owner...)
 
Byron, Many thanks. I don't particularly want to trouble Mrs. Weeks at this time. A previous owner has corresponded with her and I have copies of that correspondence. It is interesting to me to find out all this background information that was once part of what is now my boat, but then I'm weird like that!!
A am intrigued my your reference to Commodore of the Oxford Ditch??? Is that a local reference to the Thames???

Mike, The little toddler is now growing up fast and demanded a bigger boat!! The time was right, the price was right and the boat was right too. There aren't many big Freemans with folding windscreens around. An evil necessity on the Gt Ouse. We went over to see Clive last summer, at a balloon festival...... saw no balloons, but spent the day on his boat!! When we bought Silver Gem, he bought the boat on the next pontoon at Penton!! We both craned out the same day.... small world!! Did you know Silver Gem when she was moored at Penton Hook?

Deano
 
I think the picture shows the boat going upstream just north of Binsey, looking across Port Meadow with Tom Tower (Christ Church) in the background.
 
Others here such as MikeT have known Margaret Weeks (Mrs Free) for most of their live

As Byron has already said, Margaret and 1st husband Roger were founder members of UTMYC (founded 1946) and one of the first people that my parents met and subsequently became good friends, when they joined in the early 60's.

This boat was built for them by Freeman and must have been specified with the folding screen which is very unusual.
Their next boat was the Freeman 32 Mk2 that they still own with Margaret's daughter and son in law, a lovely family.

Whilst now less active than she once was, Margaret and her dedicated 2nd husband John, often visit UTMYC to catch up with their many friends.

Margaret, Roger and John are all part of the true character of the Thames.
UTMYC have some wonderful archive photograhs, one in particular showing Ivory Gem loaded with most of the then membership of UTMYC, shortly after the opening of the new club house. Let me know if you would like a copy.
 
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