PAINTING OF CANAL BARGES

HL Deb 08 March 1949 vol 161 cc217-21

4.55 p.m.

LORD GIFFORDhad given notice of his intention to ask His Majesty's Government whether they can state the policy of the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive in regard to the painting of canal barges. The noble Lord said: My Lords, notwithstanding the promise given by the noble Viscount, Lord Swinton, before the noble and learned Viscount the Lord Chancellor went on leave the other day, that noble Lords on these Benches would be of good behaviour, I give your Lordships fair warning that I intended to indulge in a "barging match this afternoon. My interest in small craft dates back to the time when I was first put in charge of a naval picket boat, at the age of seventeen. What did I do? I promptly spent most of my 1s. 9d. a day pay in making the boat what the Navy calls "tiddley"—that is to say, I spent it on special enamel and varnish and generally on making the craft what I thought to be absolutely first class. The Navy has always smiled on the nautical habit of making boats and fittings generally "tiddley," but apparently the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive take the opposite view.

As many noble Lords are doubtless aware, this point has been emphasised in recent correspondence in the Press. The distinctive bright colouring of canal boats and the system of decorating them in accordance with what are really very lovely colour schemes—particularly what one knows as the "Rose and Castle" scheme of painting—has continued from the earliest days of canals. And I am told—though I do not vouch for this—that it is really the only surviving genuine folk art, and that the painting is now done by a very small number of craftsmen. Under the Transport Act, the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive have become the owners of a very large num ber of canal boats. And what have they done? They have rapidly and universally painted these boats in a standard pattern of blue and yellow. I think, personally, that this livery is dreary and hideous, whereas the former colouring was always the gayest to be found anywhere.

On the question of utility, I would point out that blue is one of the most perishable of colours. It is very easily affected by the elements, as anyone who has tried to paint blue the outside of any buildings well knows. But, above all, the crews of these canal boats loathe the very sight of this new colour scheme. I am sure I should be called to order if I repeated some of the language with which they have condemned it. These people are not just crews. The barges are their homes, in which they live year in and year out. They take a pride in them just as much as a cottager takes a pride in his garden. One canal boatman used these rather poetic words to a friend of mine, "We have never had gardens but we still have our roses."

Subsequent to this correspondence in the Press, there was a statement from the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive. I hope the noble Lord when he replies will not give the same answer as was given in that statement, because I regard it as completely unsatisfactory. It was entirely negative. It merely said that the Executive had no intention of suppressing the art but showed quite clearly that they had no intention of encouraging it. What a golden opportunity—perhaps I should have said, rosy opportunity—they have missed! Surely the State should be a model employer and a trustee for such a unique tradition of beauty. I think they should give encouragement to what looks like becoming a lost art. They should also assist the training of new craftsmen to carry it on. We on these Benches do not like these nationalised industries. We say they tend to become soulless, and in this particular instance, how right we are! I beg to ask the Question standing in my name.

5.2 p.m.

LORD AMMON

My Lords, I am sure the House was interested in the way in which the noble Lord put his Question. I am not quite sure whether he got "tiddley," or whether it was the barges, but he has been quite lively this after noon! I think possibly he will find he is a little mistaken, and has been exaggerating a little in saying that this art has disappeared altogether. I think he will find that the Government are trying to encourage it.

The policy of the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive on this matter has been the subject of a Press notice issued by the British Transport Commission, and of a public statement by the Chairman of the Commission, copies of which I am sending to the noble Lord. These make it clear that the Executive have no intention of suppressing the decorative painting of the small proportion of long-distance canal boats which they own. There is no question of substituting numbers for the names borne by the craft, as has been alleged. Sir Cyril Hurcomb, Chairman of the British Transport Commission, speaking at the annual luncheon of the Dock and Harbour Authorities' Association in London on Wednesday, March 2, said: I would like to take this opportunity of making it absolutely clear that the British Transport Commission, and their Docks and Inland Waterways Executive, have no intention whatsoever of discouraging or vandalising in any way this pleasing art for the sake of imposing a standard livery. Indeed, it is perfectly possible to have the two things—the gay decoration of cabin doors, buckets and similar equipment, together with our 'house colours' of blue and yellow along the sides of the boats and where the name of the boat and that of the owners are painted. The general effect of the 'house colours' is, I think, bright and attractive. When our boats come in for repairs and repainting, the traditional 'fancy work' on cabin doors, water-cans and so on will be preserved. It is a pity but it is true that the practice of decorating narrow boats in these traditional designs has been declining for many years and the number of painters skilled in this art are very few. Although we only own about 10 per cent. of the narrow boats, and a great many of these are not decorated in the old style, we shall take the greatest care of them, bearing in mind that they are also the homes of our employees.

5.5 p.m.

LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE

My Lords, arising out of the noble Lord's reply, I should like to add a sentence or two. I think the noble Lord's reply is unsatisfactory. He said that the British Transport Commission were not going to discourage this art. I think it is up to the Government and the British Transport Commission to go a great deal further than "not discouraging." They should positively encourage. Some time ago it was suggested in a certain organ of the Press that we should have a Ministry of Pleasure. I think it would be a very good thing if we had such a Ministry to encourage gaiety and colour and frolic, and to supervise such depressing activities as those upon which the Canal and Inland Waterways Executive are apparently embarking. They are going to allow the buckets and the doors to be painted as individual taste pleases, but as for the rest it must have these "house colours" of blue and yellow—

LORD SHEPHERD

Blue and gold.

LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE

Well then, gold; but gold usually fades into yellow, and then we have the good Tory colours going up and down the canals of Britain. We are not complaining, but we think there may be some question about the temptation in this new form of "old school tie." I think the Government should definitely encourage individualism in every possible direction—individual enterprise, individual forms of gaiety and amusement. Here is something which is only small, but it is symptomatic of this dull, dreary uniformity which seems to be descending upon the country at the present time. The noble Lord has spoken about wishing to have a brighter Britain. The Festival of Britain will take place in 1951, and I think he has lost a chance of making it a jolly good show. Instead, it will be uniform and drab, with everybody doing exactly what he is told by the Socialist Government—or perhaps there will be a Tory Government in 1951, in which case we shall do very much better. We have had a depressing reply from the noble Lord, because he has allowed himself to be subjected to that miserable uniformity which is the curse of to-day.

5.9 p.m.

LORD AMMON

My Lords, I do not think I should allow the noble Lord's remarks to pass unanswered. My reply indicated that we were trying to rescue this art from oblivion and to arrest what has been going on for a long time—the disappearance of this art. I think that the painting of canal boats in the Tory colours is undesirable—perhaps there is no difficulty between us on that point!—and I only hope that the encouragement which the Government are giving to this art will relieve us by the sight of more artistic efforts. I think we have successfully risen to the occasion.