.1. Bob Allen on the far left with an unknown couple between Bob and Arthur East on the right. Date taken unknown but shows the area near the smaller of the two arms at the yard and the land on to which Albert Brooke's workshop was finally built.

.2. Same area as above probably taken same time. Show's early picture of Arthur's boat "Chanterelle" moored in the arm. Arm did extend back to the building line and was full of sunken wooden boats. One can just be seen to the right of "Chanterelle". Other steel boat in picture unknown.

.3. The next three photograph's taken in Spring 1988 following a breach on the Old Main line. All the boats at the yard ended up on the mud. First photo shows yard before the large shed and paint shop built. Just the corner of a temporary plastic covered shed built on the drive area of the yard can be just seen.

Next photo: John Horton seen on a launch day about to remove the lifting cables from an unknown Allen boat that had just been launched. John is the brother of Jim. John worked with the Allens until nearly the end of the yard. Towards the end much of the heavy fabrication work on the boats was done by John who finally left he yard and know build boats himself. His boats are probably the nearest in style and shape to an Allen boat you will get today. Primarily because John built boats with the Allens for so long.

Next photo: The late Albert Brookes with his son Martin. Taken during the last few days at the yard. Working on the doctors boat that has changed colour. Making it ready so that it could leave the yard under its own steam.

Final photo in this section: John Allen standing in front of the last two boats at the yard. "Ellen" is on the left. Taken on a full working day in 1997 hence the smart appearence.

.5. Two photographs of a very spectacular day at the yard. On Saturdays all of the Hollaways lorries would come back into the firm about dinner time and park up totally surrounding the boats in the arms. One saturday all of the wagons came in and most of the drivers left. After being left for sometime one of the fully loaded wagons rolled backwards down a grass bank and the trailer of the unit landed on the front of a boat. The trailer pushed the bow of the boat into the mud lifting the stern completely out of the water. The "T" stud on the front of the boat pierced the floor of the trailer locking both together. The lorry had to be unloaded and a crane brought in to lift the trailer off the boat.

.6. Two photographs showing Arthur's boat "Chantrelle" in 1995 being craned out of the water and swung between the sheds to be placed onto sleepers next to the large shed.

.7. An undated photograph of the yard. Shows the larger of the two arms and again before the large shed/paint shop was built. The boats on the bank are again on railway sleepers and are unknown. The rest of the boats and people in this picture are unknown.The building being dismantled/or built in the back ground was a factory on the other side of the canal.

.8. The first picture shows "Ellen" the very last boat to be built at the yard being pulled and lifted out of the shed

The rest of the photographs show "Ellen" being lifted and placed onto a low loader to be taken away to be fitted out.

The last photograph shows the other boat that was lifted and launched that last day. The boat had been standing on railway sleepers just in front of the main shed. It is believed that this boat remained at the yard to be fitted out having been built by a friend of John Horton, with his help and guidance?.

The grey boat is again the last boat to be launched by the Allens, having been launched. Blue boat is "Blue Magnolia" a Charlie Cox built boat that was finished off by the Allens when Charlie ceased trading leaving her unfinished. She was later lenghtened by the Allens and is very much an honary Allen boat. Next is "Morning Glory" in her new colours.She appears in some shots in her former livery of Yellow/Brown. Blue and Grey boat is David Smiths boat "DAJO". Dave built this boat himself, it looks like an Allen as Bob and John gave Dave all the help he needed to make a true Allen replicia. Behind is "Hecla" and "Hawthorn".

.1. First photograph is of Roy Kenn with Bob and John next to Roy's boat "Placidus": taken on the last day at the yard. Roy like many of us on that day left the yard and travelled to a new marina near Penridge. We tried to stimulate our sense of community at the new place but it was not the same.Many of us left and finally found the next best thing at Hawne Basin.

.2. Arthur East with his wife, along with Arthurs son Simon and his wife (Simon's on the tiller). About to leave the yard on the last day, seen backing out of the Paint shop having just completed a complete re paint of "Chanterelle". Arthur had brought his boat to the yard for re-painting. Had moored in the early years at the yard but left for a mooring on the Staffs and Worc's canal a good number of years ago.

.3. Photograph of yard a few weeks from the end. "Ellen" can be seen in the large shed. The small dog seen sitting on the top of a boat belonged to John Stone who was the owner of the boat "Gloucester John". John left the yard and went to a mooring at Middlewich and has since sold the boat on.

.4. The next two photographs are again of the yard showing the sheds. The equipment is being sold off but the metal saw is still outside the first shed.

Inside the famous Tea room. John Allen seated alongside Colin Cartwright former owner of "Pasadena", both enjoying a chat and a cup of tea. Just between the tray of cups and the Teapot (Now resident as a flower pot in Barry Johnsons garden) can be seen the remains of a plate of scones. Each weekend Joan Kenn would bring a tray of home made scones to the yard. The scones would be devoured by all, very few being left by the end of the weekend.

Bob and John practised a democracy concerning the seating arrangements in the shed at break times ie first come got a seat. But if you tried to sit in the corner seat when John Horton came in or sit in the seat next to the tea ern when Albert and his dog Tiny came into the shed.( In the shot the ern is out of position, its in the place Alberts seat usually was. The ern would be just out of shot nearer the door) If Albert or John did not move you Tiny would soon shift you. Tiny was true boaters dog, a sheep dog by breed and upbringing, she had no tail losing it in the exposed flywheel of a boat engine when a pup, or so the tail goes.There was no running water on the yard the only tap being in the workshop of Hollaway's Transport. This was where the ern was filled a job that got delegated to the newest owner on the yard.

The Old shed made out of the old bottoms and sides of wooden working boats was a throw back to the very beginnings of the yard when the area was owned by Thomas and Samual Elements. The brothers along with thier father Les once worked for Elements who ran and maintianed a fleet of wooden working boats.

Inside the shed hung all kinds of hand tools used in the building of wooden boats long since redundant. The few machines at the yard other than Alberts lathe etc where housed in the shed. A pillar drill machine and a circular saw for cutting wood were the only machines here. The rest of the floor and roof space was crammed full of all the bits and pieces left over from the building of hundreds of boats. Any left over space was used to store any item that could'nt be left outside.

John Allen standing on the stern of "Albatross" Dave Dent & Anne Tilmans boat.The boat behind moored to the bank is Jim Hortons boat: On the very outside just in view is B.W boat "Atlas" with Mike Freemans former boat "Gower" alongside a red undercoated boat that has not to date been identified. "Morning Glory" in her original colours is alongside "albatross".

Same view as above but with different boats. This shows that no one had a particular mooring the boats being moved around as and when people left or arrived or on launch day. The boat moored is "Glenfield" with "Gower" outside her and alongside Gower an unknown boat to date. The boat in the fore ground is a boat that is seen on many photographs. Sometimes painted grey at other times green. It was built by the Allens for a Doctor from Manchester. It was never finished at the yard finally in 1997 being made ready to move under its own steam in 1997 when the yard closed. It is believed to be in the Manchester area.

Numerous boats in the small arm again showing a boat on sleepers next to the larger shed. At the very back on the outside is Ray Shelleys tug that was sold and is know called "Albion". All of the other boats are unknown except for that boat "Placidus" again in the fore ground.

John Allen seen chatting with Barry Johnson. I bet this is a Saturday and the pair are listening to the radio, Barry waiting for the Albion score and John for the Villa result. John is standing on " Pasadena" and Barry on his boat "White Locks". The brickwork on the far side of the cut behind the lads shows very clearly where the one entrance to the Oldbury Loop once was. The canal then ran throught the centre of Oldbury returning to the Old Main Line well the other side of High Bridge.

In the fore ground Dave Smith on "Dajo" a boat built to Allen specs by Dave himself. In paint shop "Pasadena" next to "Glenfield" all of these boats have now pasted to new owners. Inside of "Dajo" is "Blue Magnolia". This photo shows the general move around required either on a launch day or sand blasting day or just when a boat at the very front wanted to get out.