Heritage Afloat
Council Members
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Background: Bernard is heavily involved with the inland waterways and, with a group of friends, purchased the tug Enterprise no. 1 in the late 1950s. After much necessary restoration, Enterprise retains the internal machinery and external appearance from the period following World War II when she was the most powerful tug in the fleet of Ernest Thomas (Walsall) Ltd. The exception is a 9ft. extension of the cabin added in 1974.
Bernard and partners acquired a wrought iron BCN day-boat in 1993 (built circa 1910) and named it BHP No.2, making it possible to perpetuate the tradition of tugs and towing. This aspiration has been realised on the occasion of the Boat Gatherings at the Black Country Living museum, and particularly in September 1999 when the tug was filmed for archive purposes pulling a train of 3 day boats loaded with coal from the surviving chutes at Anglesey Basin, Chasewater, to the Museum at Tipton. Another day-boat, BHP N0.3, (a double ended 'joey') was added to the fleet in August 2001.
Enterprise travels many hundreds of miles each year (over 900 miles in 2000) and, with her 3 feet draught over the entire length, makes a major contribution by locating submerged obstacles and keeping the channel clear for others.
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