Jam Ole 2008

In October 1970 three motor boats set off to Atherstone to load with coal to take to Kearley and Tonge's Jam Factory at Southall. This had been a long running contract since before the first world war and every week three pairs of boats would set up and take the black stuff to make jam. Earlier in the year, they were told as they arrived there would be no more need for coal as they were moving factory. One last run to top up the pile was needed, and that brought to the end one of the last long distance narrowboat traffics. Other shorter haul traffic existed, but that was dying out too, so it really was the death of the smaller canals to commercial traffic. As an honour to the boatmen and women that worked long and hard, and to raise the profile of carrying on the canal a recreation run was started. This is one of them.