Narrowboat Dover gets a TV makeover

I'm always saying to people that I don't watch television.  Actually I do watch TV, it's just that I don't have a television at home and try not to watch away from home unless there's something very rare and special on.  It's such a timewaster otherwise.

For canal boaters there's certainly something special on next week on TV.  On Wednesday 14th September at 9pm-10pm, and for the four subsequent Wednesdays it's a programme called Narrow Boat, and it's about the salvaging, restoration and complete makeover of an old FMC GUCCC 'town-class' motor called Dover. 

The work was supervised - and the show is presented - by Alan Herd, billed on the i2i site as Restoration Man. It's on the satellite Discovery Real Time channel, so you'll need a dish or cable, and subscription.  More and more boaters have a satellite connection now. Naturally I don't, so I'll have to ask a friend to record it, and then invite me around.  Says the programme information:

Alan’s project is ‘Dover’ - a 1937 Town-Class, large (72.6 feet) Woolwich motorboat. Across ten episodes, Alan will use his skills to refit the vessel and journey around the waterways of Britain visiting fantastic examples of the boat-building craft and meeting their owners. The 68-year-old vessel will be given back its traditional rear cabin and given an authentic 1930s external look, while internally it will be completely fitted-out with state-of-the-art technology. While the work is being carried out, the series will also uncover narrowboat ‘Dover’s’ history.

I chanced on Dover at the IWA Festival, and was immediately struck by its glamour and splendour.  It has a Russell Newbery DM2 engine (new to the boat, which hasn't had an engine in it for half a century) and carries the authentic livery of FMC GUCCC, even if it's hard to know where the new begins and the original (if any) ends.  There's an old philosophical problem about that: when everything is replaced, at what point can it be still called original?   What's that conundrum called?  No doubt the programme will inform us that Dover is still largely the original Dover, otherwise it would hardly be a restoration, would it?.

The project and the show is the brainchild of Keith Duddy of i2i TV, which produces factual TV programmes.  He looked rather morose when I spoke to him at the festival, but perhaps that was just preoccupation and nerves, as he was angling to get the boat judged for some competition at the show.  I don't know if it won. 

Dover certainly looked the business under its stiff black tarpaulins, which hide a futuristic hold full of C21st residential style, from what I could see.   They weren't allowing any old rubbernecker aboard, though, and I wasn't one of the privileged.   

I asked if I could meet Alan Herd, but he wasn't there.  He was due to go on camera, so where was he?  A lady, a researcher I think, popped up to say loftily, "I'm afraid Alan's being held up by the general public".  I had a vision of him being supported by pot-bellied beardies in the festival's beer tent.

Why do this project, I asked Keith Duddy.  He said he lived on a narrowboat for about five years in the 1980s and he'd always wanted to restore a classic motor like this.  Having it as the subject of a documentary seemed almost like the realisation of a dream.  Or as he added in his unsmiling but wistful way, "I suppose it's a bit of closure for me".

The boat is Keith's own, and he hasn't decided whether to sell it after the show (perhaps to appease his bank manager - I bet those TV programmes aren't cheap to make!).  It certainly looks magnificent and would be worth a mint.  Keep your eye on ABNB - that's the sort of brokerage it would go through.  But if I were him, I'd keep it as (literally) the flagship of a whole new generation of television programmes about canals and waterways.  Just as Granny Buttons is more of a homely blog than a boat, so Dover could be more of a TV series.

When I was researching this post yesterday I called Keith.  I explained why I was asking about the programme and said I'd spoken to him at the Festival.  "You're the guy who said he doesn't watch television!" he recalled.  TV is close to a secular religion now, and that's probably the only thing memorable about me - that I don't 'go to church' so to speak.  I'll make a rare exception next Wednesday, 9pm.

Comments

[Andrew Daykin]

This TV series is now running on the Quest TV channel - at 14:00 each weekday.

Quest is available on Freeview Channel 38
Quest is available on Sky Channel 154

[Andrew Denny]

Mick, 
Since I wrote that post, I've learned that the original for this is the 'Ship of Theseus'. 
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus 

[Mick]

Andrew said "There's an old philosophical problem about that: when everything is replaced, at what point can it be still called original?"

Albeit you don't watch much TV. The conundrum is best illustrated in an old episode of "Only Fools and Horses" When Trigger the road sweeper was showing a picture of himself to his pals. In the picture (taken for an award he won from the council) he is holding a broom. Trigger says "I've maintained it (the broom) for 20 years. This old broom's had 17 new heads and 14 new handles in its time." Everyone is puzzled and one of them asks "How on earth can it be the same broom if you've changed parts of it so frequently? Trigger says, "Well there's a picture of it, what more proof do you need?"

Mick

[Tony Ward]

In a somewhat belated reply to Garry Hill's question "Where is Dover now?", she was sold end 2006/early 2007 and has been moored just inside the entrance to Braunston Marina. She's coming up for sale again in the next few days; if you're interested keep an eye on www.braunstonmarina.co.uk

[GARRY HILL.]

WHERE IS DOVER NOW.

[martin dodgson]

how much does it cost to rent dover for a holliday and where nis it moored ann how much please

[Andrew Denny]

Martin, All this was so long ago now that if your question was every answered, I don't remember, sorry.  I guess Keith Duddy, the producer of the series, can tell you to the nearest penny :-)

 

Cheers

Andrew

 

[martin dodgson]

I was just wondering what the cost of such a restoration project was?

[Pete Pile]

I enjoy anything that Alan Herd is involved in, in fact I always liked watching him working with Tommy Walsh, and also on that antiques programme where he restores antique furniture, a very clever, talanted man. May he continue to do these interesting things like restoring Dover.

With best regards,
Pete Pile

[John McEwan]

1937, Town Class, large Woolwich motorboat Dover. My father is interested in building a model of this particular Harland and Wolff boat, were would we get plans of the vessel to scale down?
Thanks

[Stanley Sulley]

Hi
I was just wondering how DOVER got its name
could you please tell me Thanking You
Stan

[Brian]

hi andrew, i'm not sure if you have kept up to date with news of dover or if you want to, if you check i2i web site you will see that keith has put dover up for sale. oiro £110000, but this has been droped to £95000 last time i checked.
cheers
Brian.

[Andrew Boulter]

Hi,
We are now in 2008 so has anyone made an advance on the building/fit out of Dover. ie has the Tv company produced a DVD yet. I don't see the programme on this years programming schedule.

ned

[steve]

hi,ive tried everywhere to buy the dover series on dvd to no success,could you please point me to an outlet either online/wherever than i could obtain a few copies?

many thanks

[blow up condom]

Uniforms should be, should not be required in public schools

[Andrew Denny]

Sorry, Brian, I've no idea. You'll have to ask the TV company.

[brian gell]

hi what was the cost to restore Brian

[Andrew Denny]

Sorry, Andrew, I haven't received any email from you! Anyway, I'm nothing to do with the TV series, but I'm flattered to think you imagine I would know! I don't know when or if it is going to be on DVD. The production company who made the programme don't know either, yet. If I hear that it is, I will most certainly post the news here.

[andrew]

please i have alredy emailed you, but no reply. please tell me how can i get a copy of the series dvd the rebuild of dover. many thanks
andrew

[Andrew Denny]

Doh! Thanks Huw, yes, of course, slip of the tongue, I mean pen, I mean keyboard.

[Huw]

Don't you mean GUCCCo, not FMC?

[Andrew Denny]

No, Jo, I wasn't one of the privileged. They were busy filming the reactions of visitors, and probably I wasn't photogenic enough. Well, that's my excuse, anyway!

[Jo]

Hiya Andrew.
Whilst we were at the Preston Brook Festival we got a chance to have a look at Dover, did you?
She is quite impressive, but I am unsure about having all that glass. Vandals would have a field day LOL. Still it is nice that her transformation is going to be televised all be it on Sky.