One hundred years of one house in Chorlton ....... part 151 ….. building the boat

The continuing story of the house Joe and Mary Ann Scott lived in for over 50 years and the families that have lived here since.*

Bare frame, 1977

I doubt that many in Chorlton can claim to have had a boat built in the back garden of their house.

But that was exactly what happened in Joe and Mary Ann's property.

And despite being a builder and building many of the more modest houses in Chorlton, it was not Joe who was responsible.

It was in fact John  who on death of Mary Ann bought the house, and after a year of "renovating" the place, set off n the grand plan of building a bout from scratch.

Just when he started is now unclear but by the time I washed up in the house in 1976 the hull had been constructed and the vessel turned upright.

That "turning" the vessel had involved all of us and as you do on completion turned into a party.

Jack & John, 1977

I think that would have been in the summer of '75 and project was finished in the Easter of 1978.

Jack, 1978

And of course building it was one thing, getting it out was another, which in turn led to the demolition of the side wall which was never rebuilt for another 30 years.

I remember the early stages had been done in the cellar with the bending of the ribs completed in the dining room.

Along the way John attracted the interest of Jack Harker, who being retired quickly found a new a role, as assistant, often completing  while we were all at work.

The boat was moored in North Wales, John sold up in 1979  only for me to move back a few years later.

Out and ready, 1978

In the interim John's two companions from the  house moved in with me and in turn helped me return.

To this day we still turn up the odd bit of glass fibre and blue resin in the garden which compliment the stains in the cellar.

And that is it.

Jack Harker, 1983

Location; Beech Road

Pictures; building a boat circa 1976 from the collection of Lois Elsden and Jack Harker, 1983 from the collection of Andrew Simpson

Location; Beech Road

*The Story of a House, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2023/11/one-hundred-years-of-one-house-in.html