I remember watching from my vantage point the Harker boats catching the early flood off the Ranie bouy surfing up Hanney in all weather's. A remarkable sight in a winters gale. Nick S😊😊
The lad with the Brasso brought back memories. I used to love feeling part of the crew, given the responsibility of cleaning the brasswork in the wheelhouse, going down into the engine room and and hand pumping fuel into the engine ready use tank, sitting in the mess on my own surreptitiously looking at the girlie mags found under the seat cushion. Making "Swansea bay cups of tea" so called because half of it was spilled by the time I got to the wheelhouse. I only got down to Avonmouth because at such a young age my mum drew the line about my dad taking me any further down channel. My dad had a shock on one trip to find me sleepwalking and from then on he used to lock his cabin door if we had our head down for a few hours kip. I also remember those bloody guard dogs at Monk Meadow oil depot. Oh, the swearing has to be mentioned as the crew did not make exceptions for a young boy in their midst and my dad saying that if he caught me swearing I would be in for a clip around the ear. It had all finished by the time I left school to be a taken on as a lad. My dad had the opportunity of taking the Wyesdale H down to Southampton when they sold her to a bunkering company and remaining as skipper but he decided to stay in Gloucester for which I never really forgave him. I travelled to Southampton with him when he was invited to visit the company and the boss took us to lunch and also arranged a trip in a launch to look at the brand new QE2. Such memories. Thanks Chris.
Well Stephen, you certainly made my day. I did wonder about the lad with the brasso, it reminded me of adverts of that ilk that pop up on tv from time to time. I had forgotten about those dogs at Monk Meadow. Used to frighten the life out of me when going back on board the night before we sailed. Another era now but at least we have our memories.
Thank you Chris, so interesting, about 10 yrs ago I saw what to me looked like a small ship on the Parrett where it meets the M5, would you know anything about what it was doing? looked like a miniature version of a larger vessel.
Hi Maurice, sorry no idea on vessel. Vessels, infrequently, still travel up to Dunball and I guess whilst they are building the new Hinkley power station vessels may use the mouth of the Parrett.
@@ChrisWitts Thanks for the reply Chris, from my limited knowledge of shipping I would guess it was some sort of research vessel, kind of strange seeing it moored so close to the motorway.
I've been watching a few of your videos recently. What an amazing record of an earlier time. Do recall the source of the sound track that you used with this video?
I remember watching from my vantage point the Harker boats catching the early flood off the Ranie bouy surfing up Hanney in all weather's. A remarkable sight in a winters gale.
Nick S😊😊
Fascinating stuff. Seems so long ago now. How times have changed.
The lad with the Brasso brought back memories. I used to love feeling part of the crew, given the responsibility of cleaning the brasswork in the wheelhouse, going down into the engine room and and hand pumping fuel into the engine ready use tank, sitting in the mess on my own surreptitiously looking at the girlie mags found under the seat cushion. Making "Swansea bay cups of tea" so called because half of it was spilled by the time I got to the wheelhouse. I only got down to Avonmouth because at such a young age my mum drew the line about my dad taking me any further down channel. My dad had a shock on one trip to find me sleepwalking and from then on he used to lock his cabin door if we had our head down for a few hours kip. I also remember those bloody guard dogs at Monk Meadow oil depot. Oh, the swearing has to be mentioned as the crew did not make exceptions for a young boy in their midst and my dad saying that if he caught me swearing I would be in for a clip around the ear.
It had all finished by the time I left school to be a taken on as a lad. My dad had the opportunity of taking the Wyesdale H down to Southampton when they sold her to a bunkering company and remaining as skipper but he decided to stay in Gloucester for which I never really forgave him. I travelled to Southampton with him when he was invited to visit the company and the boss took us to lunch and also arranged a trip in a launch to look at the brand new QE2. Such memories.
Thanks Chris.
Well Stephen, you certainly made my day. I did wonder about the lad with the brasso, it reminded me of adverts of that ilk that pop up on tv from time to time. I had forgotten about those dogs at Monk Meadow. Used to frighten the life out of me when going back on board the night before we sailed. Another era now but at least we have our memories.
@@ChrisWitts I'm not the lad on the film. It's just that cleaning the brass work was one of my jobs whenever I was onboard.🙂
Thank you Chris, so interesting, about 10 yrs ago I saw what to me looked like a small ship on the Parrett where it meets the M5, would you know anything about what it was doing? looked like a miniature version of a larger vessel.
Hi Maurice, sorry no idea on vessel. Vessels, infrequently, still travel up to Dunball and I guess whilst they are building the new Hinkley power station vessels may use the mouth of the Parrett.
@@ChrisWitts Thanks for the reply Chris, from my limited knowledge of shipping I would guess it was some sort of research vessel, kind of strange seeing it moored so close to the motorway.
Until recently small ships did trade on the Parrett up to Dunball, a jetty on the river bank before Bridgwater itself.
I had to give up on this because of all the ad breaks. Shame.
Yes, a pain but we have no control over them. I tend to watch UA-cam with the browser Brave, no adverts with them!
I've been watching a few of your videos recently. What an amazing record of an earlier time.
Do recall the source of the sound track that you used with this video?
Not off the top of my head. Was it shown at the end?