Abstract | Converted from 16mm film, dating approx 1948 to 1956 and mostly at Tollesbury, on houseboats MERRYMAID and HEARTSEASE, or on the yacht SUSAN.
For the background to these films, see Blott Family Films
The DVD lasts 2 hours. It has been edited and this version just includes Tollesbury, the life on houseboats on the saltings, sailing in local waters.
There is no sound.
Times below are the time in edited version, with the original DVD below it.
00m (1:01:27) | 1. Blott Family on board SUSAN. Charles Spooner 'swinging the lead'.
Paddling in the creek. Tollesbury saltings at high tide. Skipper Brand [George Brand from Tollesbury] at helm of dinghy, followed by shots of the SUSAN MN29 and MERRYMAID.
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03m 20s (1:24:53) | 2. Fishing. HEARTSEASE at anchor. It is thought John Blott bought HEARTSEASE late 1951 or early 1952, and these shots must date from then, before she was put in her mud berth. |
04m 57s (1:30:39) | 3. SUSAN, HEARTSEASE at anchor. |
05m 39s (1:34:22) | 4. SUSAN MN29. She was launched 1948 and registered as a fishing boat. Named after
Susan Blott who was born that year. The builder is unknown - it would be good to find the answer. |
05m 51s (1:36:33) | 5. HEARSEASE under way - she had an engine when John Blott bought her, but James cannot remember the engine so it must have been removed soon after she was put on her mud berth. Sailing barge. |
08m 20s (1:47:52) | 6. Dinghy in Tollesbury Creek, followed by shot of Heartsease on her final mud berth
in Tollesbury.
Presumably this section dates from 1951, as she was shortly afterwards painted cream. Dinghys sailing on Blackwater.
Shots of magnificent 60 foot ketch ARMINEL (ex LINTH) belonging to George Odey; Bill Blott worked for him in the 1960s.
ARMINEL was designed by F Shepherd and built, as was HEARTSEASE, by Fay & Co in Southampton; (HEARTSEASE in 1903 and ARMINEL in 1910).
Followed by shots of dinghy racing.
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15m 00s (1:57:04) | 7.
Charles Spooner and Skipper Brand in waders sorting out lines at high tide, followed by shots of the hull of HEARTSEASE giving a good idea of her scale, also emphasising the care that had been lavished on her by this stage.
Comments were made at various times that it was a tragedy that her masts and keel
were removed, but these shots show that she was lovingly cared for as a houseboat and would certainly not have survived otherwise. She was 109 feet in length (131 LOA) and was designed by WC Storey. In her early years, she raced against the old royal yacht 'Britannia' and others, as part of what was known as 'The Big Class' (before the J Class).
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15m 19s (1:58:57) | 8. A day trawling on SUSAN including views of skate etc being gutted and John Blott at helm of Susan |
16m 18s (1:59:50) | 9. SUSAN |
16m 25s | The End |
Comments by John Blott with minor additions by Tony Millatt
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