A perfect pair

A new acquisition for Montgomery

December 2013

I paid a visit to Montgomery last weekend, viewing its gradual transformation from two big chunks of scrap to a quirky and eye catching butty. Progress has been slow in recent weeks but there has been activity with the lamination beneath the rubbing strakes cleaned out, new steel blocks added and the strakes all fixed up.

All this progress its leading inexorably towards an ultimate launch and with it the plans for the interior are starting to emerge.

Fortunately, the core of the back cabin is already in place and its restoration will involve more a clean up and titivate than major reconstruction, but we are still going to have to fit a new boatman's stove and kit it out with period nick knacks. Which brings me to Christmas.

Back in the summer we bought a little authentic Buckby can from Todmordon and its need for a companion led me to e-bay, a treasure trove of obscurity. After some searching I came across a small milk pail, genuinely old but clearly repainted very recently - the perfect gift for Helen.

In the flesh is is a good counterpoint to the Buckby can in both size and age, both bearing the dents of age and the rust holes of use. Neither will ever see active service again but between them they will make an interesting feature in the back cabin.