Roses & Castles

This is Alan, he is a painter of Roses and Castles. This is the traditional decoration of the working boats.  This small cabin “Boatsman’s Cabin” would have been the home of the family who lived aboard the boat as it travelled the canals delivering goods.

Alan’s father and his grandfather before him were professional boat painters.  They paint in the northern “Knobsticks” style.  There are very few craftsmen and women keeping this tradition alive.  Most use the southern “Braunson” style.  Alan is one of the last doing Knobsticks. 

As he works for Middlewich Narrowboats at his own pace without complaining about the arthritis in his hands and struggling with developing cataracts, he works in the heat of the coal burning stove to restore the boatman’s cabin of Middlewich Narrowboat Holly to its former glory. 

Holly is an old fashioned boat with few of the modern conveniences found in the rest of the fleet.  She is enormously popular for day hire but there are a few traditionalists who insist on Holly for their holiday too!

Allan lives locally on his boat “Big AL”, we can’t thank him enough!