Saturday 27 October 2012

Daffodil our steamboat kept on the River Thames

Alastair Fothergill researching his first film for the BBC NHU on the River Thames

One of the characters in 'Funnily Enough' is Daffodil, my father's steamboat. She was built in 1901, a 24' river launch with a cabin long enough to sleep in and an unusual deck that extened out over her stern. For as long as I can remember her hull rested under a sycamore tree in our garden, draped in tarpulines, looking out over our lake. She had to wait for my father to find an engine that would suit her and the time to put her right.

Martin Nveille

Suddenly things started to move. Daffodil was decked with gaboon and teak, a boiler was found and clad, a funnel added. She was even fitted with a steam kettle. I helped a sweet old plumber with the pipe-work that connected boiler to engine, lagging pipes that we knew would become hot. The was to make her accelerate was simply to open up the steam valve - turn on the tap. She did have a gear that would throw her into reverse.

Steamboat engine

Once everthing was fitted, painted and shining we towed her down to Bossom's Boatyard at Port Meadow on the Thames. She was launched - and promptly started leaking. I leaped abraad to take out all our carefully stowed gear and provisions tucked into the cabin lockers. The boat yard calmly hoisted a cradle around her so she wouldn't sink. Her old timbers had been out of the water for too long. She was left for her timbers to swell but my father ended up having to have her clad in a fibreglass coat.

Steamboat on the River Thames

We had many happy weekends on Daffodil. It was wonderful to have aboat with a fire on board. It took about 45 minutes to get up steam but this never seemed a chore. On the whole we burnt steam coal which didn't produce much smoke. We did use wood but this menat that sparks could fly out of the chimney. They burrnt small holes in the canvas canopy, which was made to cover the cockpit. One got me in the eye when I was stading on the roof in a lock. It left me very sore for a day or too but I recovered.


Martin Nveille in his Steamboat on the River Thames

Daffodil's engine made a wonderful sound and the smell of the high grade steam oil somehow mixed well with summer days on the Thames. With steam up she could go at quite a pace but was so well designed she never left any wake. One always had to take care no to run low on steam incase extra power was needed at a weir. She was terribly fragile. We had to take great care when going through locks and did not dare take her off the river, but people came to her and she is lovingly remembered.

Martin Nveille's steamboat on the River Thames


If you would like to read more about my father, Martin Neville and his boats, please go to

Monday 15 October 2012

How to get a Free Kindle app ~




'Ride the Wings of Morning' is the story of my travels in Southern Africa, available as a paperback or on Kindle - where many of the illustrations are in full colour.


click on either


‘But I don’t have a Kindle!’

Don’t worry. You can easily add a free Kindle reading app to your PC, laptop, Android or Apple device and see the illustrations in colour:

‘How?’

If you are in the UK



If you live in Africa, you want to download the Kindle app direct from Amazon.com

And choose which device you want to download the app to.

All the Kindle reading apps are free.


Tuesday 9 October 2012

Now with colour illustrations on Amazon Kindle Worldwide ~


''Funnily Enough' by Sophie Neville available on Amazon Kindle or in paperback



Funnily Enough, the e-Book is now available with colour illustrations
click below for the book's Kindle page, on either
“I am LOVING this book! A great read!!!! Funny as promised, interesting and encouraging. Well written and I love the illustrations. Very enjoyable. ” Jenny Nash


''Funnily Enough' by Sophie Neville available on Amazon Kindle or in paperback



I love the Kindle app on my iPhone, and know I always have a book to read if I find myself waiting endlessly at the hospital or stuck at the airport for hours. Rebecca was stationary on the highway for 8 hours not long ago.

''Funnily Enough' by Sophie Neville available on Amazon Kindle or in paperback