I have the sad duty to report that Harold Gwyther died on the 19th Feb 2009
There is to be a memorial service at Mellor Church Church Road Mellor Stockport SK6 5LX on March 20th at 2pm Harold was responsible for introducing me to canals, at the tender age of 8 years. He was my Sunday school teacher, and on the last Sunday of the year in July he took the whole class out on the narrow boat William. We met at Sunday School early on the Sunday morning walked up to Crumpsall Green and caught the bus through to Oxford Rd station where we caught the train through to Brooklands. Here we boarded the boat and set sail. When we arrived at Lymn we had a Sunday school lesson on the green grassy bank, by the underbridge, before we set off again to Broken Cross, Northwich, where we left the boat and walked back to Northwich station and caught a steam train home. Of course this suited Harold well, as MGS of which he was an old boy, and now a leader of one of their Scout troops, broke up before the rest of the Manchester schools, so they were able to get away early, and we all loved it. Harold was still living at home at this time and was a member of the St Mathews choir, in those far off days. I can still see him in his white cassock, with his flaming red hair singing away in the choir. At this time he was working on the Electrification of the Manchester London railway line. NB William was the boat used by troop 1 Scouts of Manchester Grammar school, based at Irlam o'the Heights, Swinton. The boat was kept at Worsley Crusing club moorings at Patricroft. Harold Gwyther (Poi), John Wilson, and Alan L Jones(Taff) all ex Manchester Grammmar School boys, had bought the boat in 1962 straight from carrying, for use by the Troop, of which they were leaders. Many people were introduced to canals by this wonderful boat. Each year in November back in the late 1960's it would do a days pilgrimage up the Rochdale 9, through city centre Manchester, one of the few boats to attempt such a trip. Harold and the other leaders took the troop to Operation Ashton in 1968. Members of the troop and the Canal Society of Manchester Grammar School would be able to go on several trips or barge crawls as some called them each year. there are some wondrous stories about some of these trips like the one up the then near derelict Erewash canal, where they had a farm tractor towing the William up the canal. Harold was a troop leader up to the early 1990's and has been active on William through to his recent illness. Harold met his wife Linda through his church activities, and both went boating on 'William'. -- Ian Mac
