Proud Class

One member wrote thast he thought one MTB was converted to Southern TV's Southerner. I can add a little to this. Around 1965 I was looking for an MTB, a Company owned 3 Proud class MTB's. They converted one to become Southerner using some parts from the second one. The third was left as was, engines removed but otherwise intact with no rot. Southerner was completed and shortly after that the Company went bust. The last one was still mored mid stream and was in the hands of the Official Receiver. I did a survey on this (went out in a rowing boat forgetting how strong the tide was and having to get a police launch to tow me back up river to the moring). On further enquiries I was infromed that it would be towed up river and be burnt and after the burning the scrap metal would be collected and sold. I spoke to one of the directors of a Company that were modifying Dark Class boats adding if I remember Fairy Gas Turbines and the boats were for export. I cannot remember the name of either Company (old age). He told me to offer the Official Receiver a little more than the value of the scrap and that nobody else was interested and I would get her. Unfortunatley I was in an accident about a week later which put me in hospital on and off for  nearly two years so it all fell through. Would be nice to find out what happened to her. I had already sourced engines with low hours (not Packard but RR), which I could have had for free. I don't doubt that had I bought her she would still be around today in original condition and not converted to a house boat. Very sad from my point of view.