Coal Staiths

[philipmthompson]

Does anyone remember the staiths used to run the railway trucks along,to load the Colliers.I remember all the dust and the Trimmers coming out of the Hatches,covered in black dust,chewing it as they ate thier sandwichs,the fastest place to get loaded in Blyth was Bates Jetty,continuios conveyer belt.PHIL

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Phillip
The following sites may be of interest to you!
I cannot say that i know or recall any of this!
Cheers

http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderla...erland009.html

http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderla...rmouthcolliery

http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderla...rmouthcolliery

[EIFION]

Remember them well at blythe and swansea also seaham harbour, we used to run from blythe to colleraine , n ireland and occationally to London derry. Maythorn , eileen m and nellie m were the ships in the 70's hardtrip north about in the winter. All motor ships but with coal fired gally stoves so we could nick the fuel from the cargo saving the owners money

[Albert Bishop]

Remember the coal staiths on the Tyne very well, We used to swim off them, when we were kids, in the late fourties.
With the state of the river In those days, I'm suprised we lived to tell the tale. Saw the other side of the coin later when I did a spell on the coast. South Shields, Dunston and west Blyth were the last ones I remember operating, but it was a long time ago so I may be wrong, Cheers Albi

[Colin Hawken]

Spent a year on a Stevie Clarke collier(Hayling) in the mid 50s. Remember the North East Coast agreement.Fine if you were a Geordie. We had it worked out fairly well.I used to take the place of one of the Geordie lads who was watch aboard. If we got anywhere down South as we sometimes did,I was free to go where I wanted and it all worked quite well. I was the only one who wasn't a Geordie. They were a great bunch of boys on that ship.The Skipper was a Captain Lawton from Barney Castle.Strange sense of humour but when you got to know him he was a good Skipper. I remember Seaham Harbour,Blyth(the Holy City) I believe also I remember Howden Staiths in South Shields? I also remember Middlesborough and the Steelworkers at lunchtime pouring gallons of beer down their throats. I was a drinker in those days (still am) I couldn't keep up with them though. I was in Middlesborough about three years ago now.If it wasn't for the Transporter,I wouldn't have known the place. The beer was still good though.

[Hugh Watkins]

Does anyone remember the staiths used to run the railway trucks along,to load the Colliers.I remember all the dust and the Trimmers coming out of the Hatches,covered in black dust,chewing it as they ate thier sandwichs,the fastest place to get loaded in Blyth was Bates Jetty,continuios conveyer belt.PHIL

hi colin, i was just reading message regarding 'staithes at blyth', your comments reminded me of the times when i sailed on the mv aldrington/ashington/arlington in the late 70s and 80s,we use so sail down the tyne and under the tyne bridge to get to the staithes at dunston, i remember the trams coming along the top of the staithes to load coal into the hatches, the stucture use to shake and rumble i use to wonder if they would ever collapse. i do also remember lowereing the ships aerial on the monkey island as we pass under the tyne bridge all the local yobs use to drop bricks and bottles on the ship as we pass under the bridge those were the days lol.i only remember sailing to blyth once i cant recall much but i do certainly remember playing darts in a nearby pubmmm i wonder what they call that pub

[Trader]

An interesting thread of days gone bye. I loaded coal at various places in my coasting days, Cardiff, Swansea, Manchester (Partington), Hull and Blyth.

The last time was in 1970 on the Thomas M at Blyth. The Thomas M was originally the Scheldt of W.H.Muller & Co. and all her life had only loaded general cargo on the London/Paris run. I did three years in her on that run until it finished in 1970 and she was sold to Metcalfs. I stayed on her for a good few months but it broke my heart when they started pouring coal into her as her hold was immaculate.

Here is a photo that I took of loading at Blyth in 1970.

Alec.

[Alec Crichton]

hi colin, i was just reading message regarding 'staithes at blyth', your comments reminded me of the times when i sailed on the mv aldrington/ashington/arlington in the late 70s and 80s,we use so sail down the tyne and under the tyne bridge to get to the staithes at dunston, i remember the trams coming along the top of the staithes to load coal into the hatches, the stucture use to shake and rumble i use to wonder if they would ever collapse. I do also remember lowereing the ships aerial on the monkey island as we pass under the tyne bridge all the local yobs use to drop bricks and bottles on the ship as we pass under the bridge those were the days lol.i only remember sailing to blyth once i cant recall much but i do certainly remember playing darts in a nearby pubmmm i wonder what they call that pub

the pub beside bates staithes at blyth was the golden fleece on north blyth side you had the club .ridley arms which was known as the willick.near the mouth of the river on the north side you also had the seven stars.hope this is a help to you.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates,My mate bill 80 yrs fron llandough was one of the coal loaders in Cardiff docks, on the wagons I will asked him ? he will know about this he done that job for a few years I will see him down the club next week for a quick half,and post his reply

[Stuart Henderson]

I did a couple of trips back in early fifties on France Fenwicks real oldies Sherwood and Dalewood and of course staithes were a familiar sight in the North East ports as mentioned in previous entries. However some that stuck in the memories were the huge ones at Newport News Virginia USA where we loaded coal on the La Cumbre for Rotterdam also in fifties. Stuart H