I thought all you enthusiasts may be interested in the story of how my father, Colin Thresh, purchase in the 60's of the Huntsman (28, I think) used in the above Bond film. Within the last month, I've seen a reference to the same boat (which my father said was Hull number 1) in a museum on the South Coast (does anyone have the details?). Sadly, my father passed away 10 years ago but his pal and fellow restorer/boater at the time - Alan Rawnsley - is still very much alive and well in Australia and can contribute if you're interested.
Before I type on, let me know if there's interest and I'll post a topic.
Regards. Charles Thresh
From Russia with Love
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cthresh
- Able Seaman
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2005 10:46 pm
- Location: United Kingdom
-
cthresh
- Able Seaman
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2005 10:46 pm
- Location: United Kingdom
...I've just read some of the archive posts from 2001 on this topic and its brought back some memories.
Dad actually purchased the boat from a boat yard in Kingswear/Dartmouth, Devon. It was given by Billy Butlin to a troop of Sea Scouts (unbelievable but that's what Dad told me) after the making of the Bond film. They could not afford to run it - it may have been petrol at the time but I do recall Dad mentioning twin "Barracudas" - and it had been laid up for some time. Dad made them a silly offer which they accepted. He was Yorkshire-based and the boat was trailered to Goole (I think) on the Humber, where Dad and his best mate Alan Rawnsley stripped and painted her. She was renamed Patricia, after my Mum.
Dad told a couple of great stories about outrunning a police launch until it gave up with smoke belching from her innards and also breaking the speed limit on the humber and in doing so flooding a gypsy campside on the riverbank with the bow wave (I know, its not big and not clever but very funny). Alan also took some Cine film (we have it on video somewhere), bobbing about on a buoy out in the Humber estuary, while Dad blasted past at full chat - marvelous!
It was sold around 1967 before my parents moved permanently to Devon, where I was born. Someone made an offer to Dad while she was in dry dock having a propshaft bearing replaced. As he was going down to Devon and had other toys on his mind, he accepted.
I may have one or two other nuggets - I'd still like to make contact with the current owner of Hull #1 for nostalgia's sake.
Regards. Charles
Dad actually purchased the boat from a boat yard in Kingswear/Dartmouth, Devon. It was given by Billy Butlin to a troop of Sea Scouts (unbelievable but that's what Dad told me) after the making of the Bond film. They could not afford to run it - it may have been petrol at the time but I do recall Dad mentioning twin "Barracudas" - and it had been laid up for some time. Dad made them a silly offer which they accepted. He was Yorkshire-based and the boat was trailered to Goole (I think) on the Humber, where Dad and his best mate Alan Rawnsley stripped and painted her. She was renamed Patricia, after my Mum.
Dad told a couple of great stories about outrunning a police launch until it gave up with smoke belching from her innards and also breaking the speed limit on the humber and in doing so flooding a gypsy campside on the riverbank with the bow wave (I know, its not big and not clever but very funny). Alan also took some Cine film (we have it on video somewhere), bobbing about on a buoy out in the Humber estuary, while Dad blasted past at full chat - marvelous!
It was sold around 1967 before my parents moved permanently to Devon, where I was born. Someone made an offer to Dad while she was in dry dock having a propshaft bearing replaced. As he was going down to Devon and had other toys on his mind, he accepted.
I may have one or two other nuggets - I'd still like to make contact with the current owner of Hull #1 for nostalgia's sake.
Regards. Charles