Characters of the Cut
WHEN Paul Smith first set eyes on his boat he knew there really was ‘something about Mary.’
Built by Peter Chipperfield over a period of 33 years in tribute to his late mother, Violet Mary is 44ft with an 8ft 6in beam, which just so happens to be the exact measurements of Peter’s lock-up! Floated on the river in 2012, after Peter’s sad passing in 2020 the boat was brought to Paul’s attention.
“Word of mouth led me to Violet Mary as I had boating friends on the River Lea who knew Peter and spoke of him with great fondness. I still remember when I first saw her – it was love at first sight. She has this wonderful blend of brutal industrial strength and soft wooden pirate ship edges that marry together like art. I loved everything about her.”
Paul wasn’t looking entirely through rose-tinted spectacles though. He understood all too well the journey ahead. “What I also saw was a clutter of wood, grime, spider webs, rat droppings and old tools. But through that chaos there was something truly special and unique. I could see what Peter had seen and felt this great surge of purpose to finish what he had started.”
Huge life changes including grief and divorce had left Paul with a desire to seek out a life of simplicity and once purchased, he felt compelled to tackle Violet Mary’s emergence from half-finished project to the home she now is, head on.
“I spent the dark and isolated winter of 2020 within her shell. It became a pilgrimage of purpose, unbelievably hard, but it forced me to focus on the job at hand and that’s exactly what I needed. It gave me space to be physical and simple without dwelling on the emotive, traumatic outside world.”
As Paul worked he discovered more and more of the incredible character Peter was and found their lives becoming inextricably entwined.
“As I scrubbed, every masterful weld and bodged carpentry creation was revealed. Each old tool uncovered from grime told a story in itself, moulded to the strong hands of its previous owner.”
With so many new shells gracing the waterways these days, to observe Paul’s need to discover the depth of story living within his boat is heartening and as winter turned to spring it seems all those who knew and loved Peter were also delighting in Violet Mary’s re-emergence.
“I was inundated with fellow boaters sharing a wealth of stories about a man who truly lived; a passionate doer of things, adventurous, freespirited, kind. I felt compelled to tell Peter’s story, to finish his boat and live up to his maverick reputation.”
Paul’s commitment to this journey now shines through in each minuscule detail. “I kept everything. Every scrap I found became a treasure: old timber with bolts became shelves, church mahogany recovered from the bow became doors and even Peter’s walking sticks have become clothes rails. I wanted to keep Peter alive through the details of a life lived.” Paul’s favourite place though, is the bow. The bow of the boat joins steel with heavy mahogany. I sit there every day, feet up appreciating the mastery of the joins, the marrying of steel and wood, the beautiful lines and elegance and the feat of perseverance and skill it must’ve taken to create.
“It’s the tip of the boat, the way forward, it’s like an arrow for the soul… look ahead and all is fine. I love that.”
Through his loving restoration Paul has also created a home equally appreciated by his two young boys. “They adore Violet Mary and know all the stories of Peter. My littlest is three and recently I overheard him when he thought nobody was listening. He said: ‘Violet Mary, I love you’.” Creating this safe space following life’s challenges has allowed Paul and his boys the opportunity to focus on real experiences.
“For us all it has felt like a reawakening of some dormant animal spirit. We swim in the lake, cook on the fire, carry water.” And whether stopping to marvel at a snail, collect feathers, or cheer as a flock of geese fly overhead, through the eyes of his boys, Paul has rediscovered the magic of life.
“Peter made this boat, I turned it into somewhere we could live, but my boys made it a home and I thank Peter every day for that opportunity. Violet Mary saved me and for that, I will be eternally grateful.”
Instagram: the_journey_of_violet_mary
Facebook: @ thejourneyofvioletmary
As a videographer you can expect to see more films about life aboard Violet Mary – as well as stories from the river – via Paul’s company: www. standout-films.com
Alice Griffin is a writer wandering the waterways aboard nb Melody. Do make sure you stop to say hello and share your stories if you pass her on the canal! Instagram: alice_ is_in_wanderland www. alicegriffin.co.uk