The story of Raymond's Livery

Raymond was rebuilt with great care including consultaion with the original builder (Aubrey Berriman) and made as near as was possible to the original 1958 design. She was delivered to Braunston in 2000, in primer, for the finishing touches to be done. This included painting the cabin sides which was done by Ron Hough who probably did not do the original paint work (since he was doing his National Service at the time) but had done much similar work for Barlows.

People who remembered seeing Raymond prior to her leaving Braunston in 1993 commented that the cratch was far too high. It was, in fact, correct for 1958 but had been subsequently lowered and it was decided to lower he new cratch to make Raymond look like the boat they remembered.

During the 1960ies it had been necessary to lower the cratch because as the canals silted up it was no longer possible to carry a full load. With the smaller loads the boat was higher in the water and so the original cratch would not go under the bridges. By this time the Samuel Barlow Company had been taken over by Blue Line and Raymond would have been repainted in their livery. So the rebuilt Raymond had been a bit of a mixture - the lower cratch, associated with Blue Line, but in the Barlow colours!

In 1968 (ish) the motor boat Roger, which had been towing Raymond from 1958, was taken out of service and replaced by Nutfield. For the first three years, the Friends of Raymond had no motor boat to tow Raymond and had to beg tows from others whenever they wants to attend a show. So when in June 2003 Nutfield came on the market they raised the money to purchase her. For the next three years Nutfield, in Blue Line livery, towed Raymond, in Barlow livery.

By 2007 it was time for a thorough overhaul of Raymond, including major repairs to the leaking wooden cabin. This meant a new paint-job and it was decided that it was now time to see Raymond in Blue Line livery once more.

So again Ron Hough came to apply his art-work and sign-writing skills to Raymond's cabin sides with the usual stunning results.

At the Braunston Working Boat Rally in 2007 Nutfield tows Raymond, both in Blue Line colours, as they prepare to wind at Braunston Junction . . .
	Side by side and matching . . . Pictures by Peter Andrews        Comments to Webmaster