The Weekend Millionaires.

[Fouro]

An interesting Oral History of the "Thames Lightermen".
Click on to the html to watch the video.

https://youtu.be/dRc77VcX3Ho

Fouro.

[Doc Vernon]

Thank yuu for this ,yet another nice old Video clip and worth the watch.
Cheers

[Keith Tindell]

a lovely history of how many people depended and worked in the port, kt

[Des Taff Jenkins]

The good old days, took me back to the beginning of my time at sea. Thanks.
Des

[j.sabourn]

I sailed with a 3 mate who served his time on the Thames barges. There was only a Skipper and a boy on them. Can’t remember the ship he was on now. Memory is good for somethings but not so good for others. These must have been nearly the last of the bulk of sailing vessels in The UK. The lighters however were something different. So maybe going off subject. JS

[Fouro]

Much has been written of the history of the Carron Company, but unfortunately not much has been mentioned about the steamships the company owned and operated on regular passenger and cargo services between Scotland and London. The company also owned many "Lighters" which were used as a feeder system in conjunction with the company's larger steamships. Carron also owned wharves on the River Thames. The company's first steamship named "Carron " made its maiden voyage from Grangemouth to London in 1851.
During WW1 the 4th named "Carron" became HMS Carron and undertook auxillary work for the Royal Navy. Four of Carron's fleet were sunk during WW1.
History of the company's fleet is so scarce that it could be described as a Forgotten Fleet.

Fouro.

[j.sabourn]

In my (fathers time there used to be a passenger service running from the Tyne to. London and think he used it a few times as was the cheapest way. Of travel He was born in I thinlk 1912 so must have. Been at least the twenty’s when in service. That’s the only. Info. I have. JS

[Bill Morrison]

The Aberdeen Steam Navigation Company Ltd. ran a passenger service to London from about 1828 to 1948. The railways must have given them competition but people still liked to travel by sea.

[Fouro]

It would appear that this photograph of "ss Avon" is all that exists.
The "ss Avon" was a British merchant ship belonging to the Carron Iron Works, near Falkirk in Stirlingshire. The "ss Avon" most likely was on a regular trip when on the 9th of April 1916, two and a half miles from the Tongue Light Vessel in Thames Estuary she struck a mine and sank. Three crew members died as a result of the tragedy.
Looks like the steamship might have been heading for the Carron Iron Works Wharf at Wapping.

Click on to html to see a genuine photograph of the steamship.

https://www.wrecksite.eu/img/wrecks/avon.jpg

Fouro.