| Abstract | Converted from 16mm film, dating from 1950s, saiing on the Blott family's SUSAN, and pictures of the HEARTSEASE which they had
bought to be used a houseboat at Tollesbury. The shots here are before she came to Tollesbury.
For the background to these films, see Blott Family Films
The original reel lasted 13m23s and has been edited to a version that just contains sailing and local scenes. There is no sound.
Times below are the time in edited version, with the original reel time below it.
00m
(0:00:06) | 1. The SUSAN out fishing. |
01m 27s
(0:01:30) | 2.
Shots of 'Heartsease' at anchor, painted wartime grey and giving an idea of her condition at the time John Blott bought her in1951.
James Blott is not sure where she was when bought, but it seems likely that she was taken to Heybridge Basin for her masts, rigging
and keel to be removed, before finally taking her mud berth in Tollesbury (the masts were still in Heybridge Basin until destroyed by
fire in the 1970s). She had been dismasted at this stage; no photos survive in the Blott family of the 1951 appearance before her
masts and rigging were removed.
|
01m 48s
(0:04:09) | 3.
'Skipper' George Brand, John Blott's 'Captain' at helm of fishing smack SUSAN MN29 launched in 1948; we are not sure about the
setting - the beach huts in the background might provide a clue. The gentleman in green jacket and woman in yellow cardigan are
Wing Commander Bob Stanford-Tuck, famous WW2 fighter ace, and his wife Joyce - friends and neighbours of Bill and Che Blott in
Blackmore, Essex in the early 1950s. Sailing barge loaded with timber.
Shots of Bill Blott holding Susan Blott, after whom the SUSAN smack was named.
|
02m 51s
(0:05:34) | 4.
Deck of HEARTSEASE - again showing her state at this stage in her history. Note entire planks missing both port and starboard
(we are not sure why) and huge Admiralty pattern anchor on her port side. Not sure of the location ??? SUSAN was used as part of the
operation of recovering HEARTSEASE, albeit she is occasionally towed behind HEARTSEASE, which must have been under her own power at
this stage.
Susan Blott was also present as a very small girl; James Blott would have been a small baby.
|
03m 31s
(0:08:59) | 5.
SUSAN MN29 in her in original grey at sea, being towed by HEARTSEASE.
|
03m 43s
(0:11:01) | 6.
Unfortunately rather murky initial pictures of HEARTSEASE from a distance - followed by shots of HEARTSEASE from different angles -
evidently under her "own steam", towing a dinghy. These are presumably shots of her under way to her new mud berth in Tollesbury
creek in 1951. Shots of a heavily laden barge, then more shots of SUSAN towed by HEARTSEASE.
It is worth mentioning that the 'water line' of HEARTSEASE is very high in all these photos, mainly as a result of the removal of the
70 tons of lead keel.
|
06m 06s
(0:13:20) | The End
|
Comments by James Blott with minor additions by Tony Millatt
|
