Starbrite Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Just read that Langford has died I met the gentleman in the 80s when he gave my family a guided tour of alphacraft at Brundall found him a true gent who will be sadly missed Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelsea14Ian Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Never met him,but used Alphacraft a few times and got to know the sons well.A sad time when Alphacraft went out of business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnb Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Never met the gentleman but it's always sad when someone passes on. Apart from the loss to his family and friends, I always feel with no disrespect intended that we all lose a bit of broads history, knowledge and wisdom. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatingman Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 A sad day for his family and the broads family in general Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelsea14Ian Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 50 minutes ago, johnb said: Never met the gentleman but it's always sad when someone passes on. Apart from the loss to his family and friends, I always feel with no disrespect intended that we all lose a bit of broads history, knowledge and wisdom. Very true indeed a sad loss to boat building and the broads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boycee Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Really sad news the broads has lost a true Broadsman and a great boat builder.He gave me lots of useful information and help over the many times we chatted. Sadly Alphacraft went into decline after he handed over the reins but he still talked of future developments which will not now come to fruition. Our condolences to his family and my thanks for designing my Alpha 35 centre cockpit a great boat in my opinion RIP old friend Boycee & Mags 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starbrite Posted September 5, 2018 Author Share Posted September 5, 2018 I read about his passing on the Nya Facebook page brought back some happy memories Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorfolkNog Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Yes, I had heard Langford senior had passed away. Very sad, I agree with Boycee, one of my favourite marques, I just wish I could have bought Swan Royale, still my favourite hire boat, spent many happy weeks aboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham47 Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Very sad news indeed. I hired from Langford Snr for 4weeks a year for almost 20 years until he retired. He had a real passion for his for his business, adding new boats of various designs to his fleet almost every year. He also had a passion for restoring Jaguar cars. Some people that only met him once or twice thought he might seem a bit arrogant, but if you knew him like I and many others did you would get to know the real Langford. A true gentleman whose boatbulding for both private customers, and hire boats across the various hire boat yards was his life. Always busy working in the yard, hands on, or in the office planning new addittion to the fleet, which were all wooden boats when he took the business over from his father. He soon realised that wooden boats were too expensive to maintain and went down the route of replacing the fleet with a new fleet of fibre glass boats of his own making. He was indeed a true Broadsman and Boat builder and in my opinion has been a loss to boatbuilding and the hire fleet since his retirement. RIP. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VetChugger Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 I totally agree with Boycee and Graham. We had at least one and often two holidays every year with Langford Senior from 1973 and went through his whole fleet. At the time the zenith for us was a fortnight out on "Samarkand" (later "Jaguar") Langford and John Cressey spent almost two days working in the engine room at Yarmouth Yacht Station replacing a damper drive. I last saw him at the London Boat Show and he was really fed up and frustrated at being kept away from the actual boat building. "I simply want to build boats" he told me and I swear there were tears in his eyes. I really liked the bloke! Rest in peace. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 Did the purchase by NYA of the Alphacaft site and renaming to Langford Harbour go through? Also there was talk of boat building resuming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldgregg Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 54 minutes ago, ChrisB said: Did the purchase by NYA of the Alphacaft site and renaming to Langford Harbour go through? Also there was talk of boat building resuming. Yes, NYA have the site and are leasing the workshops to Vogue Marine which is the boatbuilding arm of the Broads Boating Company. https://www.nya.co.uk/vogue-marine-move-brundall/ The boats will be new designs based on Funnell hulls, as most of the Alpha mould tools were sold to Brinks. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colino Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 RIP and thank you for designing my alpha 35 one of the last moulds made fitted out by greenways in 1996 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldgregg Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 1 hour ago, colino said: RIP and thank you for designing my alpha 35 one of the last moulds made fitted out by greenways in 1996 Is that the one which recently came back from the Thames? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broads01 Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 I chatted to a Broads Boating Company guy at Acle this week and he excitedly mentioned the new builds going on at Brundall, with two boats in construction. I asked him if they'd be ready for next season and he said "we hope so". Was Langford Jillings the man behind all Alpha designs? His influence was undoubtedly huge when I think of the number of Alphas that are around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starbrite Posted September 6, 2018 Author Share Posted September 6, 2018 I chatted to a Broads Boating Company guy at Acle this week and he excitedly mentioned the new builds going on at Brundall, with two boats in construction. I asked him if they'd be ready for next season and he said "we hope so". Was Langford Jillings the man behind all Alpha designs? His influence was undoubtedly huge when I think of the number of Alphas that are around. You can read his story on nya Facebook page and yes he did design a lot of boats over 1000 made Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gancanny Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 53 minutes ago, Starbrite said: Was Langford Jillings the man behind all Alpha designs? most of the hulls on alphacraft boats came from a design by f b wilds of horning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldgregg Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 3 minutes ago, gancanny said: most of the hulls on alphacraft boats came from a design by f b wilds of horning John Moxham was the architect they used for the more recent stuff, and I guess perhaps the 80's boats too? The Bermuda hull was the basis for them all, though, just with the length altered and the gunwales built up a bit. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colino Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 21 hours ago, oldgregg said: Is that the one which recently came back from the Thames? yes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldgregg Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 Just now, colino said: yes Nice boat. I heard a rumour that Jonathan Greenway actually borrowed the Alpha mould tools and laid their boats up himself. I have no idea how true that is, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colino Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 Have to check that out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilB Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 23 hours ago, colino said: RIP and thank you for designing my alpha 35 one of the last moulds made fitted out by greenways in 1996 I never met him but worked on a few of his boats, quite a character from what I've heard. I actually worked on your boat when it was at Kris Cruisers. I can remember turning the battery master switch's off and the radio kept on going. Turns out there were 2 power supplies, one to each side of the domestic master switch ! ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVIDH Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 Was this design entirely down to Alphacraft? If so I guess it could be considered as the one which dragged the Broads cruiser into the 21st century. When out and about you very rarely see them sitting unused in their home boatyard. Sort of the E Type Jag of the Broads? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VetChugger Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 David, you are right about that design of boat and this was actually the second such example at least of this innovation. Langford Sr also produced the Alphacraft CC class of which an example is shown below courtesy of Craigs website. This boat then appeared in fleets all over the country including the Thames and there were also some over on the continent. Yes, He has certanly left behind a legacy of design and boat building that many have tried to follow. Can you tell I am a fan? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boycee Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 David the boat in your picture was indeed designed & built by Langford and Alphacraft and that boat Mustang was Langford's own private craft and was never used on the hire fleet Boycee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.