your comments
Hannah Doherty from Norwich
I am the daughter of the actor Mike Doherty who was in The Flower of Gloster. I have been trying to get hold of the episodes as a present for him. Does anyone know if such a thing exists? For anyone who is interested; Mike and Liz are both university lecturers now!
Thu Jun 26 07:58:48 2008
Phil Fletcher, West Sussex
Does anyone know the title of the theme music for the Flower Of Gloster? It has always stuck in my head but never know the title or composer. Can anyone help?
Mon Jan 14 09:43:21 2008
Heather in Wiltshire
Hello, I did and I do. She was a LB Faulkener boat called Vulture built in 1904 and now sadly demised.
Thu Jan 3 09:33:53 2008
Dorothy John, Coventry
Heather in Wiltshire. You say you owned the boat used? Do you know its history? Original name, what happened to it?Thanks, Dorothy.
Wed Jan 2 10:30:25 2008
Adele Kain, from Sale
I recently visited the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct with my husband and we thought it was spectacular. I was very interested to read that the 1967 TV series "Flower of Gloster" was filmed there. I was seven years old in 1967 and this programme was the highlight of my TV week, although I didn't realise it was filmed at the aqueduct. I never missed an episode and was so impressed with the two children, Liz and Mike Doherty that I longed to be like them and dreamt of riding on a narrowboat all the way to London! My uncle, who lived in Alsager, knew a friend of the Doherty family and was able to arrange for me to meet Liz and Mike at their home in Cheshire. I remember feeling very excited at the prospect of meeting two TV stars. Unfortunately, when we were introduced, I was overwhelmed and unable to think of anything interesting to say! Liz and Mike will be about 50 and 48 now. I wonder if they remember the shy little girl who came to their house because of the TV series they made 40 years ago?
Mon Oct 8 10:56:11 2007
Heather in Wiltshire
Somewhere I have a video tape of 2 of the episodes of the programme Flower of Gloster. The TV company sent them to me (after some begging) as I used to own the boat used - The Flower of Gloster. I think it was the first children's programme filmed in colour and seemed to have no script, it was very much ad libbed.
Mon Sep 3 09:37:46 2007
Victoria Richards from Froncysyllte
I have lived in Froncysyllte all of my life and I do love it so, I live right at the very top, this doesn't seem to have been mentioned at all although I think it should have been. The views from there are absolutely spectacular, you can see basically right across the valley and if you go further up you can see Llangollen, you can also see the aqueduct, it is quite splendid, well worth it if anyone was coming to the village for the first time, a rather good walk! My father owns the local garage in the fron, you really cannot miss it, it's on the main road, the family business has been running for over a hundred years and it has been in Froncysyllte for over 30 years so my family and I have seen parts of the village change enormously and other parts not at all. Am very proud of my village but I would like to see more Welsh speakers here. If anyone would like to know anything keep posting.
Tue Jul 18 16:30:56 2006
J Ashton
I was wondering if anyone in the Fron could tell anything about the James family that lived in the Fron in the 1900s+ I know there where two lots of James (related cousins). I'm looking for the side which moved to Chirk, they included William (grandfather), Robert Thomas, son and William (grandson) he had sisters Margaret, Mary known as Florence and at least two other siblings. I think Vron Issa may have been home to either them or a relative. If any one can help I would be very grateful.
Mon Jul 17 10:45:21 2006
Bronwyn Snell from New Zealand
How nice to see pictures from my childhood, it has made me homesick. Is there anyone out there who would remember my Taid, Abel Roberts, from Sunbank, Llangollen then Acrefair?
Mon Jul 17 09:41:49 2006
Ian Hudson, Downham Market
To Anne - thank you for your reply - it's nice to know I was not the only one to be engrossed in Flower of Gloster. If it was 1967 then I too was 10 or 11 at the time and so it may have been one of those cult TV programmes for kids - somehow things are not quite the same nowadays. The excitement for me was having a relative who lived close by the aqueduct and being able to walk down to it following a trail by the River Dee during the summer holidays. As the aqueduct loomed ever larger I wondered what it must be like to be in a boat almost 'floating in the air'. The ultimate thrill was then to be able to climb the track that led up the hillside and to walk across, never daring to look down and hoping that it would not get too windy by the mid-point. The attraction and pulling power of the aqueduct is still there in me today and demands a visit at least once a year.
Fri Jul 14 11:53:48 2006
Anne from Lancashire
The Granada TV programme, The Flower of Gloster. Review (as found on google): the plot involved Richard Doherty (Richard O'Callaghan), eldest son of Jim (Jim Doherty), a boatyard owner from Wales who is unable to deliver a new barge to London when he breaks his leg in an accident. So Richard takes the helm and is accompanied by his sister Elizabeth (Elizabeth Doherty) and they are soon joined by their young brother Mike (Mike Doherty) and their friend Annette (Annette Roberston), and for 13 weeks they traverse the waterways of west England passing towns, cities and villages.
Tue Apr 18 09:11:50 2006
Anne from Lancashire
In answer to Ian Hudson. I remember the Granada TV series The Flower of Gloster. It was produced by Bill Grundy and ran for 13 episodes in 1967. It starred Richard O'Callaghan, Liz Robertson, Elizabeth and Michael Doherty. I was only about 10 years old and ran home from school in time to watch it.
Mon Mar 27 00:22:24 2006
Alun Salisbury Cefn Mawr & Cardiff
My great Taid, Edwin Bartley, tripped and fell into the canal whilst crossing the aqueduct and drowned. See comments below. He is buried at Froncysyllte Church Cemetery but I have been unable to trace his grave or that of the children of his son, my Taid Bartley who died at birth and are also buried here. Does anyone know of a person with records of the graves who might be able to help? I have seen the records held by Mr Edward Wyles and Son, Funeral Directors but unfortunately it did not include the information I am seeking.
Thu Mar 23 14:14:08 2006
Ian Hudson
There was a television series years ago, back in the 1960s I think, where a canal boat left the boatyard at Llangollen, crossed the aqueduct and headed for London to be sold - 'Flower of Gloster' I think it was and written by Bill Grundy (Granada TV?). Does anyone recall this series?
Thu Mar 23 12:12:15 2006
bill, Fron
Having walked across the Aqueduct since about 1938, i was recently asked what use the iron grids on the towpath were for. Sadly I had never thought about it. I emailed British Waterways the question. below is their answer.
Because most of the people who I have told this info find it difficult to believe. I have asked if there is any written historical evidence to back up this claim. So far i have not received an answer.
Reply from British Waterways:
The grids are just a relief valve, if the water level reached the under side of the towpath,
Without the grids in place the water pressure under the towpath may start to lift the towpath structure.
The water level would need to raise a long way before the grids come in to action.
I have never seen the water more than 3 or 4 inches higher then normal
Sun Mar 19 02:01:16 2006
Ian Hudson
There was a television series years ago, back in the 1960s I think, where a canal boat left the boatyard at Llangollen, crossed the aqueduct and headed for London to be sold - 'Flower of Gloster' I think it was and written by Bill Grundy (Granada TV?). Does anyone recall this series?
Thu Mar 9 14:45:54 2006
Mags from Halesowen
In answer to Mark Riley from Wrexham: 'Does anyone remember the 80s TV series 'Travelling Man' (etc). Yes it was during 1984 & 85 that the series, Travelling Man was on TV. Lomax (Leigh Lawson) was framed by his rogue colleague. I used to love watching Travelling Man & now I watch the Waterways programme on Thursdays. Our friend lives on a Narrowboat:)
Tue Feb 14 15:11:33 2006
Bill Evans, Fron
I have noticed that most of the comments on the Aqueduct have come from visitors who mainly see it as a very picturesque structure on which to get their photo taken. In order to complete the picture I think you should have a “Froner’s” point of view.
While people from across the border used it for leisure, we in Froncysyllte regarded it as our bridge. It was our lifeline to civilization ,and from the age of eight or nine onwards the aqueduct was an essential part of our lives. In our youth it was one of our play areas and importantly it provided us with a daily pathway to the “pictures”. We crossed it as a group to see, usually, two films a week at the Palace and the George Edwards Hall, Cefn Mawr.
We also used it to get to work at the major employer in the area Monsanto ,and it cost us five shillings a year for the privilege of cycling along the canal towpath.
The aqueduct was such a regular feature of our lives that we felt hard done by when British waterways closed it every “New Year’s Day” to show that we could only use it because of their generosity and that they could close it at will.
The bridge was built to meet the transport needs of our area in 1800, with the advent of the railway and the motorised road transport system the bridge became redundant.
Apart from a few working boats during the 1939-1945 war nobody took any interest in the bridge and from 1945 it was the people of Fron who fought to keep the bridge open. At one point they just shutdown the footpath for well over 6 months and told us it was too expensive to repair. When the English authorities decided to use the canal as a source of drinking water they were not interested in the footpath. The people of Fron rose up in protest and led by county councillor Watkin Williams we persisted until the authorities relented.
Of course now it is a major tourist attraction they forget the battles we fought to keep it open.
To Froners of my age it is not possible to think of the aqueduct and the canal without recalling our skirmishes with “Bill the Cut” and “Jack the Bont. Who both preserved the bridge from any deterioration and vandalism.
Rather than the Poncysyllte Aqueduct, We regard it as the Froncysyllte Aqueduct.
Fri Feb 3 23:38:29 2006
Sue Kelly from Marford
We attended the 200th anniversary celebrations and had a fantastic time. Well done to all who worked so hard to put the day together, and here's hoping the World Heritage status bid is successful. It will be wonderful for the aqueduct, the local community and for our area of Wales, if this is achieved.
Fri Dec 2 10:39:55 2005
peter jones
in response to doris newsome,there is now wheelcchair accsess from the new carpark which is situated behind the 'telford inn'.A beautiful walk around the canal has been created,including a huge carpark,public and disabled toilets,(v clean too!).all along the new walkway are new seeting areas.and of course to finish the day,excellent meals provided by the lovely greg and dee at the 'Telford Inn',the sunday roast highly reccommended!
Fri Dec 2 10:34:55 2005
PETER JONES (TREVOR & LONDON)
i have taken many friends from all over the world to the Aqueduct,all very impressed.
SO PROUD OF WALES!
Sun Nov 27 14:30:07 2005
D B Newsome from Lancashire
I am Welsh by birth and proud of it too,is ther any wheelchair access to the Aqueduct.
It is many years since i was taken there by my late parents,of coursei was able bodied then.
Doris
Sat Nov 26 22:38:13 2005
R. Roberts, Llangollen
We attended the Bicentenary celebrations today - what a fantastic celebration. Well doen to all those who organised today. The Aqueduct had a 200th Birthday Party fitting for a masterpiece and hopefully future World Heriatge Site!
Sat Nov 26 21:06:20 2005
Ian Waters Broxbourne
Around 1972 an old pal David Nixon (now sadly passed away)and myself canoed across the aqueduct. Being so low down gave a feeling of gliding through the sky! Now many, many years older I shudder to think of what might have happened if a narrowboat was coming the other way.I have since crossed it also by boat several times and consider it THE wonder of the waterways.
Sat Nov 26 19:32:10 2005
Joan Roberts - Acrefair
Does anybody remember the Hewett family of Burton Terrace who used to paddle in the River Dee beneath the Aqueduct in the 1930s? Also Margaret Roberts of the same address and Margaret and John Turton of Cefn Mawr? John used to walk across and beneath the Aqueduct daily up until the 1990s.
Thu Aug 4 15:23:07 2005
Alun Salisbury, Cardiff & Cefn Mawr
The Aqueduct brings back childhood memories of a fishing expedition in the late 1940s that almost went tragically wrong. The plan had been to fish the canal at Trevor basin but, being wintertime, we found it frozen. Undaunted we decided to fish the Dee. Short of equipment, I spotted a cork frozen in the canal ice and only 3ft from the towpath. If recovered, it could be used as a float. On attempting to recover the cork, I overbalanced and fell through the ice. Fortunately, the canal was shallow at that point with water reaching my waist. I was pulled free and, with friends, I squelched my way down to the river's edge below the Aqueduct where I removed my soaking wet clothes and dried them in front of a stick fire we made. As I recall, the only thing I caught that day was a cold.
Thu Jul 28 15:40:47 2005
Sanfra Wheeler
I believe that my grandfather - Frederick Jones' and his family came from the area but have never been able to substantiate that. Can anyone help.
Wed Jul 6 08:18:42 2005
Mark Riley from Wrexham
Does anyone remember the 80s TV series "Travelling Man", starring Leigh Lawson as an ex-detective wrongly accused of a man's death (I think!), and travelling the canals of Britain on his barge trying to clear his name? In one episode, our hero is attacked by a crop spraying helicopter whilst crossing the aqueduct, and jumps into the water to escape! I remember seeing the helicopter in question but never realised it was used for filming until I saw this episode! I think that this was around 1984.
Wed Apr 20 00:53:13 2005
Len Salisbury, Cefn Mawr & Camberley, Surrey
The television series 'Two Fat Ladies' of sidecarring fame also crossed the aqueduct on one of the boats on their sidecar. Why did I submit this posting? Well, I too, enjoy sidecarring and my current combination/outfit is a BMW K1100LTSE with a Gemini sidecar, a wooden one made in the mid seventies and I travel on the continent as far away as the Czech Republic. Going again this year 2005.
Thu Feb 17 11:51:37 2005
Alun Salisbury, Cefn Mawr and Cardiff
The incident my brother, Len Salisbury, refers to concerned our great Taid, Edwin Bartley. It would appear that he had delivered a quantity of straw to Pen y Bont Brick Works from his home town of Llanwrst and was staying with his son, my Taid and Nain Bartley at Froncysyllte. Seeing the bright lights of Cefn Mawr beckoning he apparantley crossed the Aqueduct and spent the evening at the Railway Inn public house, Crane Street. On his return journey across the Aqueduct he apparantly tripped and fell into the canal and drowned. He is buried at Froncysyllte Church Cemetery. I am uncertain of the year but it would be about 1900. On a different note I have 'fond' memeories of when I used to work for Wales Gas at Cefn Mawr (mid 1960s) and occasionally, if the works van wasn't available, having to cycle across the Aqueduct to 'Fron to attend gas repairs (generally gas lights and cookers) and empty penny meters which were full. Transporting a heavy bag of copper coins on the handlebar was always a tricky task, even more so when you were actually on the Aqueduct.
Incidentally, I have a gas, street lamp lighters torch which is run off Acetylene gas and water. The torch was used by the late Reg Hayes who, with his brother, used it for many years to light the gas lamps of Cefn Mawr and district. Somewhere in my files I have a coloured photograph of 'Reg lighting a gas light at the Chairman's garden in Wrexham. NOTE TO ALUN FROM WEB TEAM: Perhaps sometime you'd be able to submit a copy of the photo. Email: wales.northeast@bbc.co.uk
Wed Feb 16 11:05:24 2005
Len Salisbury, Cefn Mawr & Camberley Surrey
My great grandfather was drowned in the Aqueduct many years ago.
Sat Jan 22 07:52:45 2005
Brian Bennett from Buckley
I well remember my grandmother telling me a tale about her brother who lived with in Cefn Mawr [circa 1900}. He liked a drink, and his local pub was the Aqueduct Arms in Fron which is over the a/duct. Well, the only way the family would allow him out to have a drink there, was on condition that on his return journey across the a/duct he was not to use the towpath but to walk in the centre of the lead lined channel which he duly did after every visit. I sure hope he enjoyed his pint.
Wed Apr 7 22:29:23 2004
Ole Constantine from Flint
Nice photos. The aqueduct was featured on the cover of a GB stamp booklet (90p) issued on 3 May 1978. Also, part of the Industrial Archaeology set of stamps released on 4 July 1989 - 35p stamp.
Fri Feb 13 13:31:11 2004
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