Canal boatman Arthur dies

The last in a line of Black Country boatmen, Arthur Shaw, has died - closing the lock gates on a colourful era of waterways history.

Arthur was born on his father's boat, the Idris, in 1925 in Kidderminster and was 82 when he died.

Arthur, who died in New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, had worked on canals throughout the country and belonged to the days when travel was slow and it could often take a week to get to London and back by water. He is remembered as one of the country's fastest boatmen.

He worked on mainly horse-drawn boats but also on motorboats and some of the craft have since become legends to enthusiasts including the Saturn and the Symbol.

Arthur was born into a family used to the waterways and followed in the wake of his grandfather Job Shaw, who used a fast fly boat, the modern transport of the day.

His cousin Job Clarke, aged 73, of Eddy Road, Kidderminster, remembers going on the canal with Arthur as a boy.

He said: "He was just a bundle of springs. He could jump across the lock gates with amazing speed and those were the days when they raced each other to get to the locks first.

"Getting there first meant you had less work to do. The second person would have to wait for the lock to re-empty before continuing on their journey. Arthur was like lightning on those locks."

He married Selina Moore, from Leeds, who he met through the canals, and they had six children George, Mick, Diane, Brian, Joy and Thomas.

Mick, aged 55, of Castlebridge Road, in Wednesfield, remembers how his father used to deliver big chunks of what was called "chocolate rock" to Cadburys at Bournville and used to thrill them by taking some home.

Work on the canals virtually ended in the 60s and Arthur went to work at Wolverhampton Metal and also at Frost's at Rough Hills but retired in the 80s.

His funeral service will take place at St Thomas' Church, Wednesfield at 1pm on Friday followed by burial at Bushbury Crematorium at Wolverhampton.

By Sue Smith