Name Maybrent

MAYBRENT was built as a Thames Lighter around 1920 and was used as a cargo barge on the Grand Union and Regent's Canal. It was owned by Donovan & Co (Barges Ltd) at some point, and was bought in 1981 from Thomas Hughan's Boatyard at Points Wharf, North Greenwich. The new owners were G & J Middleton who converted the barge into a floating puppet theatre. The initial work to convert the interior was done at Thomas Hughan's yard. Several inches of concrete was poured into the hull to provide ballast and a Ford 4D engine was fitted with a Volvo hydraulic gearing. The interior is converted so that when the roof is up, there are raked seating for up to 55 people inside. The first voyage under power was undertaken in January 1982 up the Regent's Canal to Camden Lock, where the first performances took place on board. Since 1988, the Puppet Theatre Barge has been based in Little Venice, but tours regularly up the River Thames from Richmond to as far as Abingdon.