The Tom Trevethick Story

[mick2me 3,033]

I have never heard the name Red cliffs?

[Michael Booth 7,364]

I've never heard of it, either. Can anyone remember a chap called 'Digger' who used to work on the pleasure cruises?.

Trevor S (#24), when I was growing up on Grainger Street my friends and I would go through the Bitterlings factory on Freeth Street and out the back door. This led to a ledge where there was an old hoist that they'd use to unload the barges. An old ladder was fastened to the wall and we'd use this to climb down onto the barges that would be moored there. We'd then spend hours diving off the barges into the River Trent. We used to have great fun during the school holidays.

[.... 23]

I have never heard the name Red cliffs?

Red cliffs - Radcliffe. Not much of a stretch really. Enjoyed walking on the cliffs many a time.

[Trevor S 2,003]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radcliffe-on-Trent

'The village is situated on the south bank and cliff overlooking the River Trent, from which the village derives part of its name. The "Rad" part is a corruption of the Old English for red, in reference to the dark red colour of the cliffs, which are formed of Triassic red shale, with gypsum banding'

http://www.rotpc.com/History.php

'The red cliffs along the river gave Radcliffe-on-Trent its name. The first specific information about the village comes from the Domesday Book of 1086, some twenty years after the Norman Conquest.'

Just a couple of links for Radcliffe on Trent in order to provide some background on the name of what was a great place to be raised as a child.

[piggy and babs 544]

in the 50s early 60s one of the highlight of our summer holidays was a family trip to trent bridge by bus then on the pleasure crusers to radcliff , getting off having tea at the small cafe in the caravan park at the side of the trent radcliff bend then we would walk to radcliff station get the train over the viduct just one stop to netherfield and call in at jackie bells after walking down cinder path and up manvers st before going home if if was a nice night and we were behaving ourselfs we would get to stay till closing time if not we were sent home with mam and dad stayed till closing.

[piggy and babs 544]

at that time radcliff bend had loely big sandy bays on both sides of the river and families who got of the boats could be seen padling and playing in the sands on nice days.if we were netherfield side beach as we called it we would be shouting to anybody we regonisedon the other side as i said there was a small cafe on the other side green wooden building with a verrandaon the front with small tables and chairs.

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

Bloomin heck I have only just realised how old The Pride of The Yare was. The pici is circa 1910 and I can remember sailing on her from Trent Bridge in the 50s.

Or maybe I should say I have just realised how bl**dy old I am.

Colin

[Trevor S 2,003]

Colin, you probably sailed on a later boat bearing the name Pride of the Yare as PTP photographs and captions indicate the pleasure cruiser (Pride of the Yare/Gorleston) in the first photograph - circa 1910 - finished up in 1930 stripped and rotting at her moorings at RoT.

http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;NCCS002449&pos=12&action=zoom&id=48799

reduced to: -

http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;NTGM009667&pos=2&action=zoom&id=61112

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

Great maybe I am not that old after all.

Colin

[Trevor S 2,003]

Then again, they may not be the same craft as there are some superstructure differences.

Incidentally, Colin, when did you cruise from Trent Bridge to RoT and can you remember when the cruises to RoT stopped?

Thanks.

[Paulus 541]

Every schoolday (when I attended) from 1962 to 66, I walked from Trent Bridge (43 stop) along the enbankment & over the suspension bridge to/from school, I recall 'pleasure boats' casting off/returning from a location just opposite the gates of the Memorial Gardens.............................was I imagining this or can anyone corroborate my memory......................

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

Trevor

I can't be much help I am afraid. I have clear memories of boarding the boat just down stream of Trent Bridge, city side of the river and the boat was deffo The Pride of the Yare. Though which one I don't know.

For the memory to be so clear it would have to be mid 50s.

Colin

[Cliff Ton 10,458]

Every schoolday (when I attended) from 1962 to 66, I walked from Trent Bridge (43 stop) along the enbankment & over the suspension bridge to/from school, I recall 'pleasure boats' casting off/returning from a location just opposite the gates of the Memorial Gardens.............................was I imagining this or can anyone corroborate my memory......................

Opposite the Memorial Gardens? ie on the other side of the river?

Try this thread http://nottstalgia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7549&hl=suspension

[piggy and babs 544]

was still opperating till mid 60s when i left school 66although we had moved to carlton by then i would still walk the dog down there regularly and sit on the bank and watch it come to the other side of the river. or throw stones from the sandy bay into river by late 60s they reinforced all the banks on netherfield side putting in big wire cages filled with rocks stones and soil and then covered in soil so it went right up to the river edge . so we lost our nice sandy bay on our side been so long since i been down there now i have now idea if its still got the sandy bay on radcliff side

[Carltonlad 65]

Love this topic. brings back lots of memories. Trevethick. I was trying to remember where I know the name from now it has all come back to me.

I used to rent sculls or a row boat and row down to the co-op bakery. In the rented time in a row boat I could just make the trip to the bakery and back but in a scull I could go down to the bakery back up to the suspension bridge and then back to trevethicks. the sculls were sleek and fast.

[piggy and babs 544]

not sure buthaving re read this thread something comes to mind that it was the pride of yare and the tamar bell that went to dunkirkduring the war seem to remember reading it some were or hearing the river cruise men telling us about it on one of our many trips to radcliffe bend certainly remember the pride of yare being one of the boats we went onbut probley the later modle

[piggy and babs 544]

remember seeing mr trevick when walking my kids down the canal when they were little dave used to fish opposite the boat yard regularly this bit of the canal was known localy as cofin lock

[grahamrrobin hood 1]

Hi there I noticed that there was someone asking about the boats .yes they went down the canal .I was on holiday from scotland for the summer and i was about 12 or 13 .I went with my grandad who worked on the boats .there was one summer they had 4 rowing boats to be fetch from the yard at lenton .As good as I thought I was I had to have a tow part of the way back but it was good fun.I was also taught how to steer the pleasure boat to colwick park.it was Tommy (i think his name was gambel ) he lived on lamcot grove i think who taught me and also who towed me they were good time I had with my grandad on the river and like others I could not swim but I trusted tommy to get me out even when he played with me, I was held upside down over the water .bye the way my grandad was albert hand known as horace to a lot of people.they could do with the boats again for pleasure oh the pleasure boats were the success and think the other was victoria.

[mick2me 3,033]

Welcome Grahamrobin Hood

I worked on the boats around 1971, alongside 'Big Geoff' (Garner) and Alan Heywood.