Friends of Raymond
Helping to Restore and Preserve the Past

 Both Raymond and Nutfield are registered on the National Historic Ships Register.

About us
The Friends of Raymond was formed in October 1996 to recover and restore Raymond, the last wooden working boat. By 2002 this was completed and then in 2003 Nutfield (which used to tow Raymond) came on the market and we managed to buy her.

The story in brief . . Please wait
Find out much more about what we have done and our plans for the future by exploring this website.

Nutfield was a great acquisition but we had to spend a lot of money on her (some borrowed) and we are actively money-raising for the next stage of her restoration as well as to keep Raymond in tip-top condition.

If you think what we are trying to do is worthwhile, why not join us – it costs just £10 per year.

New DVDs
The video "Rebuilding Raymond" is now also available as a DVD. There is also a new DVD about the Jam 'Ole Run and the early work of the charity.
Find out more.

Can you help?
It has been said that, "if you have a boat, you always have a job". We have two boats and so lots of jobs. If you can help by crewing, helping with the stand at events we visit or with maintenance work, send us an email (see below).

Contacts
Chairman   Secretary  Treasurer
Working Parties & Crewing
Webmaster or write to:
  The Friends of Raymond,
  Braunston Marina,
  Braunston,
  Daventry, NN11 7JH

Click here to read
Chairmans Report
and Plans for 2010

Change at the top
After many years of service as Chairman of the Trustees, Francis Stapleton has retired and we are glad to welcome Christopher Jones (previously Secretary). Our new secretary will be Robin Bishop (seen with Tom Jones in the picture below) who will take over duties in October. Plans are already afoot for a special effort in 2010 to raise £10k for further work on Nutfield.

Repair work
A lot of work was done on Raymond by voluntees over the w/e 16-18 October (2009). See the pictures.
Nutfield has had major repairs to the bottom under the cabin and engine room and her stern. But the rotting wooden cabin also needs serious attention fairly soon.

Ron Hough (below) has repainted the cabin sides of Raymond in the Blue Line livery.


The cabin-side of Raymond completed.
This is the livery used by Raymond in the late 1960s while being towed by Nutfield. It was felt appropriate to change from the original Barlow livery (below) so now, when seen together, the two boats will match just as they used to do.


Raymond and Nutfield together in their new (matching) livery.

Gratefully received
A picture of Raymond from the
A.N.Boult Collection


Tim Coughlan, MD of Braunston Marina, holding a cheque for £200 which he generously donated to us during the Working Boat Rally this year. Leading members of the charity are seen standing behind our stall during the event.

Raising Funds

We raised over £250 at our recent Lock Ransom weekend at Buckby Top Lock. Our volunteers operated the lock for passing boaters in return for a donation.

Jam 'Ole Runs
Nutfield towed Raymond for the last time carrying coal to the Kearley & Tonge jam factory at Southall in 1970.

Since then there have been a number of re-enactments and, since their restoration, either Raymond or Nutfield (or both) have taken part. The picture above shows Nutfield leaving Braunston at the start of the very successful 2006 re-enactment -- almost exactly 36 years to the day
after the final Jam Run proper.

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