# Bristol Channel in 60s & 70s



## hendy

I am looking for information & pictures on the above topic. When I was young (9-12) I used to live at Portishead near Walton Bay,overlooking the Anchorage & watched all the ship movements. I only wish I had kept records or taken photos but I am interested in reviving the memories. 
I would love to see some photos of Bristol City Line & Bristol Steam Navigation ships in particular.
Any help greatly appreciated
Cheers ('))


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## hendy

*Thanks*

Cheers Dave,ive just watched it. Fantastic! D) 
I recognised several ships,sure brought the memories flooding back.
Thanks again.

Hendy


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## John Rogers

Hendy,you are talking about some great ships and crew when you mentioned Bristol city Line(Chas Hill) I sailed out of Avonmouth on them. Mostly all local men sailed on them. A few years ago I sat in one of the pubs over looking the bay and you could see the ships passing,the kindly landlord furnished the binoculars for us.


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## hendy

Which pub Oldsalt?
I was in Bristol last weekend & went to the Industrial Museum at the docks, when I saw the models of 'Harry Brown', 'Dido' (I think?) & the display of Bristol City Lines ships I was like a little kid. I even found some books in their library area that I am now trying to obtain for myself.
My only regret is that I never took photos of the ships from back then,they would make a wonderful record of how things used to be before containers changed the trade forever. (//))


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## John Rogers

I cant remember the the name of the pub,sorry, It stood looking over the channel,very clean and well kept,they had places where you could sit along the window side looking at the ships going up and down,plenty of parking outside. Sorry to say the person who took me to this pub has passed on. How do you find the Bristol Library site.??


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## hendy

Oldsalt,try www.bristol-city.gov.uk you can link to libraries from there.
Was the pub out near Walton Bay anchorage (The Ship ) or by a golf course ( The Windmill )? Both give excellent channel views & both serve a decent pint!


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## John Rogers

It was the Ship as I do not re-call any golf course near by. Thanks for the address. I have a few ex-ship mates who once lived in Avonmouth and Shirehampton that have settled down and now live in the Portishead area.


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## hendy

Well if it was The Ship,as you looked down the car park there was a hedge on the right & a house at the bottom of the car park behind the hedge. Thats where I lived!
Talk about a great view.....it was awesome!

I was in The Ship back in Feb,it was spooky being that close to where I grew up. (=D)


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## pdeckofficer

Been looking for Bristol Steam Navigation ships myself as father was mate on the Apolo and Echo. Best book so far is Bristol Channel Shipping Memories by Andrew Wiltshire. A couple of nice colour pics of the Apollo in Bristol
PETER


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## rushie

*This may help...*

Hi all,

There's a new book just been published called "Bristol Channel Shipping Remebered", which may contain some photos of of that era which may be of interest to you.

It's published by Bernard McCall through his website - 

www.coastalshipping.co.uk

He's also done another one called "Passing The Point" which is a collection of ships passing Battery Point at Portishead.

Good luck..! 

Rushie


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## sandman

I remember the Echo and Apollo well,use to see them up and down the channel,when i was on the sand dredgers running up into the city Docks,along with the Glen Avon,I was only in portishead a couple weeks ago when I took our Lifeboat in to be hauled out ready for road transport to poole.


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## Tony Breach

Hi there Hendy,

I served my time with Bristol City Line in the BRISTOL CITY 5 & GLOUCESTER CITY 4 in the early 60s & later did a stint in the BRISTOL QUEEN as an AB. Great ships & great days. There is an excellent history in Ships in Focus, Record No.s 32 & 33 published in 2005/6 @ £7 each. Each ship's history is complete & all ships are illustrated with outstanding photgraphs. I still see John C.G.Hill's book Shipshape & Bristol Fashion around in secondhand bookshops. For more land based photographs the Frith collection books are excellent: I recently bought the Weston one, brand new, at half price which has terrific shots of both piers, Knightstone harbour & the beach & coastline. Some of the old Grahame Farr books such as West Country Passenger Steamers & Somerset Harbours are very good. Most ports & harbours in the Bristol Channel have local museums & literature - Watchet, the home of the Ancient Mariner, being one of the best.

Good luck,
Tony


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## green

*Apolo/Echo*



pdeckofficer said:


> Been looking for Bristol Steam Navigation ships myself as father was mate on the Apolo and Echo. Best book so far is Bristol Channel Shipping Memories by Andrew Wiltshire. A couple of nice colour pics of the Apollo in Bristol
> PETER


I sailed on the Echo for a short while as an Engineer in the early 60s. I think the 1st mate at that time was from Barry


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## Jacktar1

*Bsnc*

Hi.....when you were on the Echo, was Capt Jenkins the master ? I sailed as Mate with him on the Cato. Later when I was employed with the Swansea Sea Pilotage Authority the Echo was a frequent caller at Swansea and Jenkins was the skipper.
Also Capt Joe Earl was master of either the Apollo or Echo later on.

Cheers....Glan


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## pdeckofficer

Hello
Yes Capt Jenkins was the Master while my father Graham Sommerfield was the Mate. Walter Barnes was the skipper on the Apollo.


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## pdeckofficer

green said:


> I sailed on the Echo for a short while as an Engineer in the early 60s. I think the 1st mate at that time was from Barry


My father Graham Sommmerfield was from Barry at the time. His best friend was Allan Hill from Fairwater Cardiff an engineer at the time


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## Gareth Jones

As a young boy brought up in the mining valleys of S. Wales our annual treat was a day trip to Barry Island on August Bank Holiday Monday - Walking down from the coach park to the beach were some telescopes where you could pay a penny and look at the ships out at anchor waiting for berths in Barry and Cardiff. One was also expected to read the name on the nearby lightvessel. 
Many years later I was on a Cargo ship coming from Rangoon to Avonmouth and as we sailed past the old anchorage (nothing there of course!) I noticed the name on the lightvessel - Breaksea -
Wow it was like being hit by a thunderbolt, how the memories flooded back. Being sick on the bus, being sick from swallowing sea water, getting sunburned every year, boiled egg sandwiches with sand in them, the men all wearing suits, some even waistcoats - all in the blazing sun - the only concession to the heat being an open neck shirt collar, stick of rock to take home,going round the fairground on the way back up to the bus, drunken singing of hymns on the bus going home. frequent stopping of the bus for the purpose of recycling the grape !
Happy days long gone.
I happened to visit Barry Island last summer - it looks roughly the same - but all the people were missing.


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## barney b

I Sailed on both the Echo and Apollo during years 72 until they were sold by BSNC 1980. Capt Barnes and Capt Jenkins were the senior captains,when time on and time off rota came Joe Earl became relief skipper also Ian Bolton was relief captain. When Captain Jenkins retired new permanent captain was Wally Kays on Echo.Joe Earl became permanent when Barnes retired.There was also an Irish relief Captain Ted Foley I think. Great ships, 18hours to Dublin in good weather 48hours in Bad,good sea ships. Barney Boylan


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## green

pdeckofficer said:


> My father Graham Sommmerfield was from Barry at the time. His best friend was Allan Hill from Fairwater Cardiff an engineer at the time


I remember Graham, very nice chap liked him a lot, also have a vague recolection of Alan.


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## pdeckofficer

Thank you for the reply. Can I pass your name onto Graham. He left BSNC and went to British Dredging or Bowles from Grangetown Cardiff the ships being Bowstar Bow queen etc. He then left there and went to Cardiff Docks as Dock pilot. Since he retired from Dock Pilot at Cardiff he had a mild stroke 5 years ago and loves to recall the old times and old names..


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## Runrig

pdeckofficer said:


> Been looking for Bristol Steam Navigation ships myself as father was mate on the Apolo and Echo. Best book so far is Bristol Channel Shipping Memories by Andrew Wiltshire. A couple of nice colour pics of the Apollo in Bristol
> PETER


Andrew Wiltshire has now done another book: Looking Back at Bristol Channel Shipping. Also there was a feature on Bristol Steam Nav and its ships in the October 2009 edition of Coastal Shipping magazine.


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## quilluser

Just stumbled on this one. I remember the Echo and Apollo during my time as a Customs Officer at Avonmouth. Good memories.


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