'Coot Club' and 'The Big Six'

[ExMemberBobdog]

How many of you Broads fans loved the Arthur Ransome books 'Coot Club' and 'The Big Six'?  And how many of you watched the 1980s TV series version of the stories?  Out for a paddle in the kayak near Belaugh today and saw this; the 'Death and Glory', the actual boat used in the TV series!

[Brian J.]

I've read all of them!!! And more than once, even as an adult. Great reading and certainly portray the essence of the Broads from a childs perspective in a bygone era.

 

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[jillR]

she was moored in Norwich for quite a few years.

 

greenpeace barry lived aboard her and his wife gave birth in a water birth

 

aboard her, the midwife took it in her stride.

 

she had different topsides then.

 

she was called death and glory in the books but the actual

 

boat that was used for the film was called catchalot.

[ExMemberBobdog]

JIll you need to re-read the books!  The Death and Glory was the converted ship's lifeboat sailed by the children, Bill, Pete and Joe.  The Cachalot was the motor cruiser, captained by the stranger who asked Pete to catch him some small fish as bait for the pike fishing expedition he was going on, and who later towed the Death and Glory from Horning to up above Potter Heigham.  In the book the boys then actually caught a Pike that was later displayed in the 'Roaring Donkey' pub.  Both boats appeared in the books and the film.  Your picture is of a different boat than my picture, the Death and Glory is only about 16 foot long.

[Guest]

Bobdog is absolutely right.

 

Two different boats, both from the same book and film adaptation.

 

In actual fact, the Cachalot in the film also looks to have been a conversion from a Ship's lifeboat. With the topsides "built up" from the original double ended clinker hull, about 20ft long.

 

 

Arthur Ransome wrote the Death and Glory as having originated as a lifeboat, but it was in fact far too small in the film, made from an old clinker hull about 15 feet long.

Such a shame to see Cachalot in such a state, from her superb condition in the film, made only about 40 years ago.

It shows just how bio-degradable wooden boats can be, if not regularly maintained.

 

 

 

[ExMemberBobdog]

Yup, here's another picture of Cachalot, with the topsides gone.

 

http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki/index.php5?title=Boat_Details&BoatId=10393&BoatHistory=16711

 

... and here's the Death and Glory.

 

http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki/index.php5?title=Boat_Details&BoatId=623

[jillR]

hi Stephen

 

thanks for the update

 

I wondered how catchalot was getting on since her change of hands.

 

when barry had her the hull was sound and she dident take on much

 

rain water.

 

I think the hull is teak if I remember right.

 

I remember when he sold her on that the new owner had great plans to

 

restore her.

 

I never did get around to reading the books and may do yet, I was

 

a hornblower groupie.

[Guest]

The BBC weren't very good at casting Cachalot when they made the film.

 

Someone must have thought an ex-lifeboat was more appropriate to a thirties motor cruiser, and never bothered reading the book.

[ExMemberBobdog]

They did a better job with the sailing boats.  'Lullaby' from the Hunter Fleet starred as Teasel.  Teasel's false transom is still in the shed at Hunter's Yard on Womack Water, as is Titmouse, Tom Dudgeon's dinghy.

[mbird]

 I wondered if that boat was still around. A few years ago it was in Horning for a while then seemed to vanish. 

 

Another good place for Arthur Ransome fans is the Walton Backwaters. Its the area that Secret Water was based in, and even the causeway in the book actually exists.

[Ebbtide]

 I wondered if that boat was still around. A few years ago it was in Horning for a while then seemed to vanish. 

 

Another good place for Arthur Ransome fans is the Walton Backwaters. Its the area that Secret Water was based in, and even the causeway in the book actually exists.

 

I remember seeing her moored in the dyke at Stalham. Would have been the early 80s I think, so shortly after the TV series was made. I often wondered what became of her.

 

Maurice

[jillR]

shes listed on the 'boats on the Norfolk broads' group

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81463841@N00/2952026122/

[C.Ricko]

in the series the twins Port and Starbord lived in my mums house!

also there was some kind of 'trial' which took part in one of the rooms in her house..

there was also a white rat or something which was in a cage outside my room which had something to do with it.. 

[Guest]

....also there was some kind of 'trial' which took part in one of the rooms in her house.....

 

That sounds like where the Big Six gave their evidence in Mr Farland's Study.

[LizG]

Water Rail had two very minor starring roles in the TV series but JANCA was the star as the Margoletta

[ExMemberBobdog]

The Margoletta.
 

http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki/index.php5?title=Boat_Details&BoatId=2785

[C.Ricko]

That sounds like where the Big Six gave their evidence in Mr Farland's Study.

That's it! I have not seen the series since it was on telly as my cousin taped 'manimal' over it!

the door handle to the study is on upside down, !

[ExMemberBobdog]

I've got it on DVD!

[Guest]

That's it! I have not seen the series since it was on telly as my cousin taped 'manimal' over it!

the door handle to the study is on upside down, !

 

Did they use the Dining Room as well Clive ?  It seems the same period decor, (lovely House).

[Palmtree]

There is strong evidence Teasel the sailing cruiser was based on the Fairways class of boats from Jack Powles that AR hired a number of times on the Broads in the 1930's. One photo still existing shows AR towing a Fairways through Potter bridge by rowing boat. There are still a number of Fairways boats in private hands (we owned one for a number of years) and if you look at the drawings in the Coot club they are a very close match. The teasel layout drawing is also very close with the exception of an extra bunk added to mirror the forward bunk on the Port side.

 

I also think in the book at some point the Teasel had electric light and the accumilator (battery) had to be taken to Wroxham to be re-charged. Again the Fairways boats were some of the first to have electric lights in the 1930's and were quite modern for their time.

In a Blakes brochure for 1934 it suggests hiring a tender with an outboard to help when the wind drops.

 

So despite what some people think for a true Coot club experience you need a sailing boat with electric light, possibly an out board.....

[C.Ricko]

Did they use the Dining Room as well Clive ?  It seems the same period decor, (lovely House).

 

Yes! that is the room next to the 'study'  I never realised that room was filmed.

 

I think the panelling came from two different houses, it is a bit drafty!

[Guest]

The outside of the Farland house looked very much in keeping with those interior shots.

 

Did the BBC by any chance use the outside of your Mum's house too ?

 

(You could open it up to the Public and sell tickets to Arthur Ransome fans !)  

 

http://www.arthur-ransome.org.uk/?page_id=52

[ExMemberBobdog]

There's some other interesting places involved.  The railway station where Dick and Dot arrive to take their holiday on the Broads, labelled Wroxham in the film, is actually Weybourne, between Holt and Sheringham on the North Norfolk railway.  There are quite a few exterior shots purporting to be Horning but actually of Heydon, which is a small Norfolk village near Aylsham that has changed very little over the last 100 years or so, and which has been used in quite a few film and TV 'period' pieces.

[C.Ricko]

The outside of the Farland house looked very much in keeping with those interior shots.

 

Did the BBC by any chance use the outside of your Mum's house too ?

 

(You could open it up to the Public and sell tickets to Arthur Ransome fans !)  

 

http://www.arthur-ransome.org.uk/?page_id=52

Hi, Yes, that is mums house, it was blue but they painted it black for the filming, it is still black.

I think the twins lived there...

[Boaters]

We were on holiday on the broads when they filmed both films.Clive we have the series which was in half hour episodes on a Sunday on VHS still, but have the DVD if you would like to borrow it? The scene at "Yarmouth " after the rescue was actually Stalham Staithe.Roy