Phil Speight - A Modern Day Canal Artist


Wordsley Dock, Dadford's Wharf, Mill Street, Wordsley, Stourbridge, DY8 5SX Tel. 01384 482238 e-mail p.speight@virgin.net
The Modern Day Canal Artists
Phil Speight Born: - 14th November 1948 at Bradford, Yorkshire. Educated at Belle Vue Grammar School, followed by Bradford College of Art. Trained as a graphic designer and coach-painter at A.I.S. in Bradford Resides at Wordsley, Stourbridge in the West Midlands Occupation: - Professional Canal Boat Painter. Owns narrow boats"Badsey" and "Crux". One of the founder members of The Waterways Craft Guild.
Phil Speight started painting in 1976 in Yorkshire - purely out of enthusiasm, and then chose to become fully professional in 1985. Phil is accredited at "Master" level by the Waterways Craft Guild and is Director and product developer of "Craft master Ltd." (paint specialists) based at Wordsley Dock, Dadford's Wharf, Mill Street, Wordsley, Stourbridge. See the Stourbridge 16 locks Phil is a teacher of traditional decorative painting and is "on a personal crusade to protect and promote boat decoration as it was perceived and painted during the canal's working days." At the same time he is happy to produce modern liveries for today's pleasure boats. He is available for sign-writing, graining, decorative work, back cabins etc., anywhere on the waterway system on the proviso that he is given about one month's prior notice and that the location is suitable. Phil also has his own web site. Please click here to view.

The entrance to Dadford's Wharf in Mill Street, Stourbridge, home of Phil Speight's paint shop. The boat lying in the wet dock is the ex Fellow's Morton and Clayton Steam powered President	Master at work:- Phil Speight preparing a sign board in his work shop at Dadford's Wharf.

Above:A closer picture of President. As can be seen restoration is on going, with partly painted cabin doors.	A traditionally painted Buckby can on the cabin roof of Phil Speight's ex British Waterways narrow boat "Badsey".
Historic liveries are fully researched and completed to exacting standards. He will gladly paint water-cans, hand bowls, cabin stools and similar items, but prefers not to be involved in the souvenir trade. When he's away the work in the Wordsley paint dock carries on under the control of Phil's long-term ex-trainee (since 1993), now foreman, John Sanderson, a fully skilled coach painter in his own right. Phil is married to Zita (which he says is a good thing) and is mad about Alfa Romeos (which he says probably isn't!).
	Phil Speight's narrow boats Badsey and Crux moored in the wet dock within the wharf.
The editorial team at "Up The Cut" would like to extend their thanks to Phil and Zita Speight for their invaluable assistance in the creation of this article.