Weekend Millionaires: An Oral History of the Thames Lightermen

BartramBlitz

Thought history lovers on charlton Life would klike to see this new documentary film made by charity film makers Digital Works telling the story of the last Thames lightermen. It includes interviews with two Addicks fans former Greenwich MP and lightermen Alan Lee Williams, West Stand season ticket holder eddie Smith and North Upper season ticket holder and Westminster Archives Education Officer Peter Daniel. We would love to heear your views on the film.




The lighterage profession has employed generations of Londoners with the lightermen carrying cargo and the watermen carrying passengers. For hundreds of years generations of families and communities have worked on the river with a rich history of apprenticeships, work and family life and culture developing around it. Whilst the trade for watermen dwindled with the construction of bridges, the lightermen continued to grow with London's trade up until the 1960s when containerisation and then the closure of London's dockyards led to a decline in the trade. Today far fewer people work on the Thames but for those who do, or who have retired in the past 30-40 years, there remain vivid memories and important stories to tell. This film aims to share some of these.

Henry Irving

fantastic stuff.

Hi Peter BTW

Baldybonce

Thanks for the film, I've passed it on to the relevant parties at Corys.

SheffieldRed

Will watch later.

The novel 'The Secret River' by Kate Grenville may be of interest to some.

Red_in_SE8

Mavis!.....get the cat off the Haddock.......he wants his breakfast!

EastTerrace

Looking forward to watching this,
Thanks

carly burn

Good stuff. I've sent the link around my family.

ken from bexley

Red_in_SE8 said:

Mavis!.....get the cat off the Haddock.......he wants his breakfast!

Some great 'characters' there, reminded me so much of the Grandfather's 'pals', before the first world war he worked for the Steam Navigation company, based in Deptford and I think after for a while till he got a job for Greenwich council. Remember the River from my days down by the anchor and Hope all the way along to Greenwich, and Woolwich with the old approach. Love these type's of film, so important to have these testaments for future generations.

stonemuse

Excellent

lancashire lad

during my time in the Merchant Navy I docked in the Royals many times with much of the cargo being loaded and unloaded into the lighters, they were the main artery of our trade through the docks.
Thanks for posting the film, I'll watch it tomorrow

stonemuse

SheffieldRed said:

Will watch later.

The novel 'The Secret River' by Kate Grenville may be of interest to some.

Cheers