Maidenhead Heritage Centre

f847f5af-72e9-4f3f-925e-e9cd870a0f0f
  • News
  • Donating
  • Jobs & Volunteers
  • Membership
  • Mailing list
  • Contact the centre
  • Home
  • Overview
  • What’s On
    • Events, Exhibitions & Talks
    • Permanent Exhibitions
      • Story of Maidenhead
      • “Grandma Flew Spitfires”
      • Spitfire Simulator Experience
    • Family Activities
    • Hire a Speaker
    • Previous exhibitions
  • Online Exhibitions
    • Littlewick Green
    • Let’s celebrate!
    • Jewel of the Thames
    • Women in Green
    • WW2 Posters
    • Town Centre 1964
    • All the World’s a Stage
    • Memories of D-Day
    • Skindles
  • Schools
    • Homework Help!
    • KS1 & KS2
    • Secondary Schools
    • Group Visits
  • Research
    • Browse and Search
    • Local History
      • Chronology
      • A-Z Hall of Fame
    • Maps
    • Copyright
    • Panoramic Photographs
  • Getting Here
    • Find Us & Parking
    • Opening Times
    • Accessibility
    • Admission Charges
    • Families
    • School & Group Visits
  • Online Shop
  • Air Transport Auxiliary
    • About the ATA [atamuseum.org]
    • “Grandma Flew Spitfires”
    • ATA News [atamuseum.org]
    • Gallery
    • Stories & Diaries [atamuseum.org]
    • Research Services

Albert Edwards

ALBERT EDWARDS
1894 – 1968

A boatman from Maidenhead, Albert won many punting championships on the River Thames.

The Thames at Maidenhead has produced many fine watermen, and amongst these are Albert (Spider) Edwards, who with his twin brother Wilson and brother Arthur (Bob) accrued an awesome collection of trophies for their punting skills.

The family business of E. Edwards & Sons, River Contractors in North Town Road worked pile drivers, ballast boats, dredgers and river transport on the Thames. This brought the brothers into daily contact with the river where they practiced their boating skills.

In World War One, Spider served in the Life Guards and was attached to the Kings Escort. Returning to civilian life and the family business he resumed his hobby of punting. Steering a 21ft long, flat-bottomed boat with a heavy 16ft pole is very difficult, but Spider and his brothers were very competent at this and the brothers became a legend on the Thames.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the Edwards brothers won the Thames Professional Punting Championship 12 times – 6 for Wilson, 4 for Spider and 2 for Bob.

The annual Maidenhead & Bray Waterman’s Regatta was the highlight of the river year and people came from miles around to watch and admire the competitors. Some of the finest boatmen took part and the competition was formidable, but Spider became punting champion 6 times, and was doubles champion 4 times.

An accident caused Spider to retire at 65, but by then he and his brothers had set a very high standard of performance for future punters.

Donate

Recent Posts

  • Open for fun this week
  • Christmas and New Year opening times
  • Middle-earth comes to Bray
  • Boundary Walk 2020
  • World War Two Memories

Archives

  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • October 2019
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • April 2017
  • February 2017
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2014
  • February 2014

Supported by

RBWM logo Adverstiser Charitable Trust logo Heritage Lottery Fund logo Accredited Museum logo


Colemans logo


Stowe Family Law logo


Tsohost.CharityHosting.MPU

TSE 2018 logo 

Facebook icon Twitter icon TripAdvisor logo Great West Way logo
Site map | Contact us | Privacy Policy | Tel: 01628 780555 Email:info@maidenheadheritage.org.uk
Copyright © 2023 Maidenhead Heritage Centre, 18 Park Street, Maidenhead, SL6 1SL
Charity number: 1045746