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to Tell TalesLes - a Pub Landlord
There
were steam barges, steam trains then, and over the years it has changed from
steam to diesel and now electric and the same with the barges - then tug drawn
- then they disappeared altogether.
In the old days the river was wider. It used to come up practically to the
door. The factories along the river used to throw all their rubbish in the
river and it was so polluted nothing could live there. As soon as the factories
closed down in the late 70s the whole river had to be cleaned up - now we
have got fish living in there.
In the old days when there was a storm you had the dead fish come down from
Tottenham and they used to get caught up in the barges and they would stay.
The barges and the rowers would row at night. They would have a light on the
boat to say they were coming under Lea Bridge. One crew on the transport -
they were letting off kids and the boat went to the wrong side and hit the
side and they all went right into the river. One went right under the barge
and the man dived in the river. He was given a medal for that.
In the 70’s I remember when the old milk float was parked half way up the
hill by the flats and in one minute it was down through the fence and in the
river.
We had the police, divers, fire brigade everything was down here. Fortunately
there was no one in it.
We
have had some good nights down here, like my fortieth anniversary. The customers
put on a big party with a string quartet on the barge outside - Punch and
Judy show for the kids - and people who I hadn’t seen for years turned up.
Great night it was. People
used to come in who worked in the factories.When they closed it got so quiet
around here. The original metal box company, a furniture factory was just
the other side over the bridge. You had three or four wood yards all the way
up the river. They used to bring loads, and loads of timber loads on the barges
up the river.
When we first came here they still had the punt going across to the marshes
on the other side and they used to punt people across. We got to know some
of the bargemen, a few of them used to wave to us when they went passed. That
was a hard job - out in all weather. Sometimes my wife used to get them to
come in and warm up give them a drink. One, he used to fall asleep by the
fire he was that done in - they worked hard long hours in the freezing cold
- he would then get a bottle to keep him warm and back on the barge. At least
he had dried out his clothes. They used to get soaking wet out in all weather.
It’s changed around here so much, it is now very quiet. It is good to see
the wildlife out here now. That’s good. Its because it is not as polluted.