At the outset of WW2 children were evacuated from cities across Britain to rural communities unlikely to be bombed or even considered by the Germans.
"Operation Pied Piper"
On 1st September 1939, as Hitler was entering Poland, the first children to be evacuated from London were put on a train out of Paddington at 5am destination unknown. Parents had been issued with a list detailing what the children should take with them. Items included were a gas mask and case, a change of underclothes, nightwear, runners or slippers, spare socks stockings, toothbrush, comb, towel, soap, face cloth, handkerchiefs and a warm coat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evacuations_of_civilians_in_Britain_during_World_War_II
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Harborough_Mail
Sam's father Charles Springer is presumed to have come to MH in 1932 at which point Sam aged 10 is not positively known to have accompanied him. Local informants say Charles set up a tyre and battery service but this is not currently substantiated.
We have documentary evidence that Sam married Dorothy Aitkin in 1954.
In 1959 we have evidence from an ad entered in the Birmingham Daily Post for Thursday 26th Nov 1959 by Springer Engineering at Mill Hill Road Market Harborough for 'arc welding profile cutting plate fabrication constructional steel work and tank manufacture.
1961 Leicester Daily Mercury carried an ad for Welland Metal Gates from Springer Engineering Sales at 34 High Street
1962 Leicester Daily Mercury mentioned Samuel John Springer trading as Springer Engineering at Mill Hill
In 1963 Charles Springer of 44 Roman Way died (12th Nov 1963) and probate was granted on his will in August 1964
"Operation Pied Piper"
On 1st September 1939, as Hitler was entering Poland, the first children to be evacuated from London were put on a train out of Paddington at 5am destination unknown. Parents had been issued with a list detailing what the children should take with them. Items included were a gas mask and case, a change of underclothes, nightwear, runners or slippers, spare socks stockings, toothbrush, comb, towel, soap, face cloth, handkerchiefs and a warm coat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evacuations_of_civilians_in_Britain_during_World_War_II
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Harborough_Mail
Sam's father Charles Springer is presumed to have come to MH in 1932 at which point Sam aged 10 is not positively known to have accompanied him. Local informants say Charles set up a tyre and battery service but this is not currently substantiated.
We have documentary evidence that Sam married Dorothy Aitkin in 1954.
In 1959 we have evidence from an ad entered in the Birmingham Daily Post for Thursday 26th Nov 1959 by Springer Engineering at Mill Hill Road Market Harborough for 'arc welding profile cutting plate fabrication constructional steel work and tank manufacture.
1961 Leicester Daily Mercury carried an ad for Welland Metal Gates from Springer Engineering Sales at 34 High Street
1962 Leicester Daily Mercury mentioned Samuel John Springer trading as Springer Engineering at Mill Hill
In 1963 Charles Springer of 44 Roman Way died (12th Nov 1963) and probate was granted on his will in August 1964
see Operation Pied Piper
Sam was 17 at the start of the war and appears to have been volunteered for training in fabrication in the Midlands.
He appears to have been working in Corby and and to have been cycling to work at a later year.
At some stage he appears to have had an industrial accident which had taken 6mts to heal
Sam apears to have had a business at Walthamstow in the early 50s which might variously have been a breakers yard a scrap yard or a welding shop. It seems that, in or about 1957 he returned to Market Harborough to set up as a "fabricator". Initially his main line was wrought iron garden gates but he continuously expanded and diversified. Having sold the gates he would have had a ready market for oil and water tanks to the same customers. In-house water supply for sink and bathroom needed an outside water tank in those days. Central heating was taking off also in rural areas needing an oil tank and oil was delivered to individual premises by tankers and stored in steel tanks.
Sam was 17 at the start of the war and appears to have been volunteered for training in fabrication in the Midlands.
He appears to have been working in Corby and and to have been cycling to work at a later year.
At some stage he appears to have had an industrial accident which had taken 6mts to heal
Sam apears to have had a business at Walthamstow in the early 50s which might variously have been a breakers yard a scrap yard or a welding shop. It seems that, in or about 1957 he returned to Market Harborough to set up as a "fabricator". Initially his main line was wrought iron garden gates but he continuously expanded and diversified. Having sold the gates he would have had a ready market for oil and water tanks to the same customers. In-house water supply for sink and bathroom needed an outside water tank in those days. Central heating was taking off also in rural areas needing an oil tank and oil was delivered to individual premises by tankers and stored in steel tanks.
Between 1957 and 1966 Sam undertook all sorts of commissions. The company built up a formidable reputation for quality and orders and commissions flooded in from the strangest quarters.
The next section was gleaned from an interview
"Springers were once the most prolific steel boats on the canals. The company traded under various names, usually "Springer Engineering". At one stage it was "P.J.Smith trading as Springer Engineering". It was named after it's owner, (Sam Springer - I don't know who P.J.Smith was!). I'm not at all sure all were built at the same location. It was an established steel fabricator which saw an opportunity to branch out (very successfully) into canal boats in the mid late 1960s, and continued to build narrowboats into the early 1990s. They traded from Market Harborough, but whether all boats were built there, I'm not sure. "Sam" Springer's yard was almost in the centre of Market Harborough. Not far off the A427 after leaving the cross with the (old) A6 on the way towards Corby. The "Smith" company moved to a new factory further out of the town on the same road. You could wander in to the old factory and see boats being built. I was lent a book "Boatbuilders of Market Harborough" Ref: 2439 by Bob Hakewill Paperback 60 Pages Published: 14/08/2010 marketed by Waterstones isbn 978-0952369820 that tells you all you need to know about Springers. The original factory in Mill Hill made tanks for water / heating oil etc prior to branching into boats. I well remember Harborough traffic being brought to a standstill whenever a boat was squeezed from the factory and out onto the A427 St.Mary's Road. Latterly they moved to a nice new factory on the Welland Industrial Estate adjacent to Rockingham Road, but went under soon after. Edited December 10, 2011 by Quo Vadis
Another recorded interview
Dad has a 37' Springer ,Previously owned by the Late Graham Capelin who was an avid supporter of the waterways. Graham won several prizes I believe at various IWA shows in the London Area with the boat made up as a Tube Train (Unfortunately we have never managed to track down any pics of it in that guise) We do have the original London Transport poster advertising the event. We have borrowed the boat on several occasions when our cruiser was out of action. Cruising both canals & tidal rivers (Trent & Thames) we found her to behave very well in all manners. Springers are not everyone's cup of tea (We have been called a 'Floating skip' by some !) but Sam Springer brought narrowboating to the masses in the way Norman & Dawncraft delivered boating to folks in an earlier age. The slightly 'unfinished' look (Unground welds etc) now make the boats look rough around the edges compared with modern NB's at least he never stuck on false rivets! Many folks point at thin hulls - Sam apparently used what ever steel he could lay his hands on at the 'right price' to build the boats - Some have thinner hulls than others - It's a testament to his legacy to see how many Springers are still afloat. Buying one today - It may be worth a hull survey to check things are ok & check out the BMC Engine that was commonly fitted
and another
We had a late 1970s Springer 28' from about 1981 to 1986, and travelled extensively in it. Once, going down the Macc in a drought period when water levels were low, we hit an underwater obstruction south of Congleton. It split a weld somewhere underneath, and water came in. The bilge pump coped just about, till we managed to get the boat slipped out at David Piper's yard at Red Bull, Kidsgrove. You'll appreciate that they were a bit sniffy at having a Springer in their yard, so we had it taken by low loader to Middlewich dry dock, where Chris Cliff's people set about welding a bit of steel on. A low cost repair, and all then went well. We sold the boat to be a spare bedroom for some teenagers in London. Forward 23 years, and I saw it again north of Suttons Stop on the Coventry Canal two years ago! It still looked good. Springers seem to go on for ever! Edited December 10, 2011 by Hastings
Sea Wolf Posted January 23, 2021 Even in the seemingly egalitarian world of boaters, there’s a social pecking order and this is rarely more pronounced than where Springer boats are concerned. Springer was a company based in the Midlands that began mass-producing cheap and cheerful live-aboard narrowboats in the 1960s. While their affordability allowed countless people to join the boating lifestyle, the standard of their construction is sometimes, perhaps unfairly, questioned by the sniffier residents of converted working boats or higher-spec residential craft. But there’s still something hugely endearing about the Springer. These boats are solidly made and entirely without pretension. As a consequence Springer boats have provided a friendly and affordable introduction to the canal network for thousands of boaters. Sam Springer spotted the growing market for purpose-built live-aboard boats in the late 1960s when he was working as a steel fabricator making water tanks in Market Harborough, close to the Grand Union and River Welland. He decided to move into boat-building later claiming “I used to build water tanks. Building boats is the same thing but in reverse”. Although his boats were well constructed, Springer had a reputation for using whatever steel was available, meaning that his hulls weren’t always as thick as they could have been. His approach can be summarised by the popular yarn that early in his career, Springer acquired some scrap steel that had once formed an old gasometer and drove back and forwards over it with a truck to remove the bend so it was flat enough to use. Because of such shortcuts, his boats were recognised as providing great value for money and his yard was soon knocking out 400 a year, accounting for almost 50 per cent of the market and at a much lower price than any competition. Springer boats were built to all sizes but most have two distinguishing features: a raised splash board at the bow and, less visibly, a v-shaped hull underneath rather than the usual flat bottom. They were also among the first boats to be built entirely out of steel rather than with a wooden cabin. Springers do have a tendency to look a little boxy, which does nothing for their reputation among waterways connoisseurs, but they are still lovable boats with a colourful history that, as the years have passed, has lent them a certain rakish charm. Belying their reputation, Springer boats also appear to be impressively hard-wearing with thousands still in use despite the fact the company closed down in the mid-1990s. And Springer boats aren’t just confined to the English waterways – in 1990, the boatyard built the Typhoo Atlantic Challenger, a 37-foot craft shaped like a bottle that crossed the Atlantic from New York to Falmouth.
Not bad for a company whose first boats were [supposed to have been] made from a scrapped gasometer.
My first narrowboat was a 30' Springer. My partner and I bought a shell from Sam and fitted it out [ourselves] as we wanted to try the canals. Took us about 3 months spare time, cruised a lage part of the system as it was then. If I remember correctly total price including fit-out materials was 3500. We sold it after 18 months for £6ooo and used the money to buy a bare shell from Steven Sagar. Sam was a great guy. My partner and I were at the London boat show the year he exhibited the big steel Guinness bottle which I think had a BMC 1.5. Someone was going to motor it across the Atlantic. I remember as it came into view David said "I bet Sam built that!" He was correct. You could tell by the rippled plating. He got many people into boat ownership at a price they could afford. His boats are still around and Sam will be fondly remembered by many.
The next section was gleaned from an interview
"Springers were once the most prolific steel boats on the canals. The company traded under various names, usually "Springer Engineering". At one stage it was "P.J.Smith trading as Springer Engineering". It was named after it's owner, (Sam Springer - I don't know who P.J.Smith was!). I'm not at all sure all were built at the same location. It was an established steel fabricator which saw an opportunity to branch out (very successfully) into canal boats in the mid late 1960s, and continued to build narrowboats into the early 1990s. They traded from Market Harborough, but whether all boats were built there, I'm not sure. "Sam" Springer's yard was almost in the centre of Market Harborough. Not far off the A427 after leaving the cross with the (old) A6 on the way towards Corby. The "Smith" company moved to a new factory further out of the town on the same road. You could wander in to the old factory and see boats being built. I was lent a book "Boatbuilders of Market Harborough" Ref: 2439 by Bob Hakewill Paperback 60 Pages Published: 14/08/2010 marketed by Waterstones isbn 978-0952369820 that tells you all you need to know about Springers. The original factory in Mill Hill made tanks for water / heating oil etc prior to branching into boats. I well remember Harborough traffic being brought to a standstill whenever a boat was squeezed from the factory and out onto the A427 St.Mary's Road. Latterly they moved to a nice new factory on the Welland Industrial Estate adjacent to Rockingham Road, but went under soon after. Edited December 10, 2011 by Quo Vadis
Another recorded interview
Dad has a 37' Springer ,Previously owned by the Late Graham Capelin who was an avid supporter of the waterways. Graham won several prizes I believe at various IWA shows in the London Area with the boat made up as a Tube Train (Unfortunately we have never managed to track down any pics of it in that guise) We do have the original London Transport poster advertising the event. We have borrowed the boat on several occasions when our cruiser was out of action. Cruising both canals & tidal rivers (Trent & Thames) we found her to behave very well in all manners. Springers are not everyone's cup of tea (We have been called a 'Floating skip' by some !) but Sam Springer brought narrowboating to the masses in the way Norman & Dawncraft delivered boating to folks in an earlier age. The slightly 'unfinished' look (Unground welds etc) now make the boats look rough around the edges compared with modern NB's at least he never stuck on false rivets! Many folks point at thin hulls - Sam apparently used what ever steel he could lay his hands on at the 'right price' to build the boats - Some have thinner hulls than others - It's a testament to his legacy to see how many Springers are still afloat. Buying one today - It may be worth a hull survey to check things are ok & check out the BMC Engine that was commonly fitted
and another
We had a late 1970s Springer 28' from about 1981 to 1986, and travelled extensively in it. Once, going down the Macc in a drought period when water levels were low, we hit an underwater obstruction south of Congleton. It split a weld somewhere underneath, and water came in. The bilge pump coped just about, till we managed to get the boat slipped out at David Piper's yard at Red Bull, Kidsgrove. You'll appreciate that they were a bit sniffy at having a Springer in their yard, so we had it taken by low loader to Middlewich dry dock, where Chris Cliff's people set about welding a bit of steel on. A low cost repair, and all then went well. We sold the boat to be a spare bedroom for some teenagers in London. Forward 23 years, and I saw it again north of Suttons Stop on the Coventry Canal two years ago! It still looked good. Springers seem to go on for ever! Edited December 10, 2011 by Hastings
Sea Wolf Posted January 23, 2021 Even in the seemingly egalitarian world of boaters, there’s a social pecking order and this is rarely more pronounced than where Springer boats are concerned. Springer was a company based in the Midlands that began mass-producing cheap and cheerful live-aboard narrowboats in the 1960s. While their affordability allowed countless people to join the boating lifestyle, the standard of their construction is sometimes, perhaps unfairly, questioned by the sniffier residents of converted working boats or higher-spec residential craft. But there’s still something hugely endearing about the Springer. These boats are solidly made and entirely without pretension. As a consequence Springer boats have provided a friendly and affordable introduction to the canal network for thousands of boaters. Sam Springer spotted the growing market for purpose-built live-aboard boats in the late 1960s when he was working as a steel fabricator making water tanks in Market Harborough, close to the Grand Union and River Welland. He decided to move into boat-building later claiming “I used to build water tanks. Building boats is the same thing but in reverse”. Although his boats were well constructed, Springer had a reputation for using whatever steel was available, meaning that his hulls weren’t always as thick as they could have been. His approach can be summarised by the popular yarn that early in his career, Springer acquired some scrap steel that had once formed an old gasometer and drove back and forwards over it with a truck to remove the bend so it was flat enough to use. Because of such shortcuts, his boats were recognised as providing great value for money and his yard was soon knocking out 400 a year, accounting for almost 50 per cent of the market and at a much lower price than any competition. Springer boats were built to all sizes but most have two distinguishing features: a raised splash board at the bow and, less visibly, a v-shaped hull underneath rather than the usual flat bottom. They were also among the first boats to be built entirely out of steel rather than with a wooden cabin. Springers do have a tendency to look a little boxy, which does nothing for their reputation among waterways connoisseurs, but they are still lovable boats with a colourful history that, as the years have passed, has lent them a certain rakish charm. Belying their reputation, Springer boats also appear to be impressively hard-wearing with thousands still in use despite the fact the company closed down in the mid-1990s. And Springer boats aren’t just confined to the English waterways – in 1990, the boatyard built the Typhoo Atlantic Challenger, a 37-foot craft shaped like a bottle that crossed the Atlantic from New York to Falmouth.
Not bad for a company whose first boats were [supposed to have been] made from a scrapped gasometer.
My first narrowboat was a 30' Springer. My partner and I bought a shell from Sam and fitted it out [ourselves] as we wanted to try the canals. Took us about 3 months spare time, cruised a lage part of the system as it was then. If I remember correctly total price including fit-out materials was 3500. We sold it after 18 months for £6ooo and used the money to buy a bare shell from Steven Sagar. Sam was a great guy. My partner and I were at the London boat show the year he exhibited the big steel Guinness bottle which I think had a BMC 1.5. Someone was going to motor it across the Atlantic. I remember as it came into view David said "I bet Sam built that!" He was correct. You could tell by the rippled plating. He got many people into boat ownership at a price they could afford. His boats are still around and Sam will be fondly remembered by many.
