ABOUT US, OUR FAMILY and OUR FLEET
“Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need.”
— Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat.
GOLDING BROS.
VINTAGE PRIVATE CHARTERS WINDSOR
A new generation of Golding Bros., delivering timeless experiences for today with the classic service and vintage style of yesteryear.
A message from Andy Golding, Chief Skipper and Owner
I’m Andy Golding - grandson of Frank “Jock” Golding who, along with two of his brothers, founded Golding Bros. in Windsor back in 1930. His son, my father, Dennis, continued the business and working with him began my love of boats and rivers.
Classic and vintage boats are my passion — restoring them, sailing them and showing them off at their best. Whether it’s sailing in a flotilla at the Henley Thames Traditional Boat Festival, or skippering you and your family and friends on a day cruise along the beautiful River Thames, there truly is nothing better than messing about on the river. I hope I can pass on some of that passion to you and your guests.
In relaunching Golding Bros, my aim is to build a fleet of stunning classic and vintage boats for you to enjoy — starting with our beautiful Christobel Edwardian motor launch which has been 4 years in restoration. You can follow some of our other restoration projects here on our website — or sign up and we’ll keep you informed with our newsletter, as well as keeping you up-to-date with special events happening on, or near our home at Windsor on the River Thames.
We’ll make your special day special.
MORNING & AFTERNOON CRUISES
I love the river in the morning. Spend your morning with us, taking in the sights and sounds of the River Thames as she and her wildlife wake up and the night’s mists roll away, while you enjoy a morning pastry and coffee as we cruise along.
Or just relax in the sunshine (we hope!) on a lazy afternoon cruise — waving at our fellow sailors, admiring some of the beautiful properties along the riverside, helping with the locks or simply enjoying your afternoon tea.
ALL-DAY & SPECIAL EVENTS CRUISES
This part of the River Thames from Henley-upon-Thames to Windsor and the surrounding towns play host to some wonderful events and activities throughout the year. How much better to see Henley Royal Regatta from a boat amidst the festivities? How much nicer to arrive at Windsor Races at their landing stage right next to the course?
If you’re planning on attending a special event, or even hosting your own — a birthday, a wedding or an anniversary — you can be sure it’s best done on the river in style in a Golding Bros vintage boat!
GOLDING BROTHERS, REMEMBERED
Windsor Town Bridge (linking Windsor and Eton)
Frank “Jock” Golding founded the Golding Bros. business in 1930, along with two of his three brothers, Alfred and Arthur.
A decorated WW1 veteran and hero, Jock was very much the boss and a shrewd business man, always looking to move the business forward. He mainly worked the tripping launches from Windsor Promenade. It was no surprise that Jock’s son, Dennis, joined the business in his late teens.
Older brother Alfred, known as Snowball due to his white hair, worked the very popular ferry across to the Eton side. The ferry ran right up until the early 60’s when it was given up due to the increased river traffic. Alfred’s son, Eric, always sporting his white naval peaked cap, operated the hire fleet of rowing boats from the Eton bank.
Formerly landlord of the Waterman’s Arms in Brocas Street, Eton, Arthur ran the hire fleet on the Windsor side from the Promenade. Arthur’s son, Oddy, trained as a shipwright and worked in the business doing most of the repairs. Oddy and Dennis were especially busy during the winter months in their workshop in one of the Arches below Windsor Central Railway Station — nowadays mostly filled with popular bars and specialist shops. Arthur’s younger son, Raymond, worked part time during the summer months driving the Esperanza.
Photo from the Steamboat Register (Copyright acknowledged)
The company grew steadily —
providing boating facilities including chartered motor boat trips for small parties and hiring out small camping boats, such as punts, skiffs and even canoes — a very popular pastime in those early years. They introduced hourly 5 mile return trips between locks from the Windsor promenade using classic motor launches fitted out for comfort.
One of their skiffs featured in the original 1956 film starring Jimmy Edwards of the famous book about a tour on the River Thames by Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat.
With the growth of the business, the brothers purchased three motor boats —
the Angler and its sister boat Humble, and the much larger and very popular Esperanza.
The Humble, shown here, was named for the brother’s mother, who was always remembered as “humble by nature and humble by choice”.
Both boats sported full length canvas awnings with wicker bath chairs at the front and seats built into the side and rear, all covered with comfortable cushions.
The Skipper sat in the middle next to the engine. Originally steam driven and converted to petrol, the Esperanza retained her saloon cabin, again with wicker bath chairs at the front. She was a beautiful looking boat and very popular for private hire.
This was their fleet up until the 60’s and it served them well.
But times and tastes change and it became popular to take a seat on a larger, shared tour boat. The brothers responded by buying the Monarch, a much larger boat that sat quite high in the water, totally different to the others. When Dennis’s sons were born, he renamed the boat the John Andrew after the boys — Andrew of course being the ‘Andy’ Golding who runs the business today.
This change of style brought Golding Bros very much into the same bailiwick as some of the other players on the river and, in the seventies, the fleet was eventually sold to French Brother’s — to this day one of the most well known brands sailing this part of the river.
Andy Golding, however, never lost his love of the river and of messing around in boats. Fast forward to today, and after many years of painstaking restoration work, Andy is relaunching Golding Bros to a new generation of customers — especially those who appreciate the vintage style and classic service that were the hallmarks of the Golding Bros since 1930.
Read more memories of the early Golding Bros in this article.
A Youngster's Tales of the Thames - The River Thames by ThamesWeb