Robert Reid reports on British Waterways BTF 1962

Television reporter Robert Reid takes a journey on British Waterways tug "Primrose' from Avonmouth Docks to Worcester calling at Sharpness and Gloucester Docks en-route. Made by British Transport Films, with photography by Oscar winning cinematographer David Watkin, the film is designed o to promote commercial use of waterways in the face of the challenges rom road and rail in a pre-container age.
This video can be downloaded as an mp4 file at
canal.eavb.co.uk/

[@gabriellaskinner3344]

Robert Reid was my great grandfather 😌 he's so amazing

[@jimmeltonbradley1497]

As a kid I would cycle from Gloucester to Sharpness along the canal towpath. The canal (or "the cut" as my mother called it) was also where I went fishing in the season. This was in the early 60s and it was clear then that, for industrial purposes, it was in decline. However, the revival of Glucester docks has turned it into an excellent leisure facility.

[@chubeye1187]

British film makers, unable to show a train without its horn sounding

[@lucianopavarotti2843]

@23:29 I was lucky enough to be part a pair working narrowboats heading from Gloucester Docks up to Stourport and beyond in the late 80s. Lovely stretch.

[@Gannett2011]

I know British Waterways was always pretty much ignored by most people, but it served a purpose. I remember a lovely narrow boat holiday in 2000 in the north west of England, and it was nice to see the BW blokes doing maintenance to the locks, etc. Now it's all gone, replaced by a charity who are more concerned with keeping afloat than caring for the waterways.

[@oliverbayliss6533]

I reckon 1960 is the correct date rather than 62 for the film. For one the bell on primrose carries that date and pier 17 of the railway bridge can also be seen as primrose leaves sharpness docks which would have been gone by 62.

[@MegaBait1616]

The UK has surely changed..........

[@CelticSaint]

Indeed. And most certainly not for the better.

[@mathewgreen4099]

Great film, thanks for posting. Like Rank Studios Look At Life series, this is great film showing how a certain part of British life used to work.

[@derekthompson6992]

A deckhand must have been a hard and physically demanding job but to me, it would beat being stuck in an office all the time any day,

[@chrisjohnson4165]

Lovely!

[@oliverbayliss6533]

If this is 1962, why is the severn railway bridge still intact?

[@boleynali]

It wasn,t demolished until 1967,you can watch the programme on you tube.

[@CaseyJonesNumber1]

@@boleynali two spans of the bridge were knocked down in 1960 by two fuel barges that were attempting to get into Sharpness docks in fog but missed the entrance. They exploded after colliding with one pier of the bridge, bringing down two spans onto the barges. Their wrecks are still visible at low tide. BR wanted to repair the bridge, but it never happened. These two spans are seen to be intact in this film, hence 1960 or earlier.

[@servicarrider]

So fascinating. Was it volunteers who operated the locks or where they paid? And today?

[@fdsfpvquadventures1141]

servicarrider Lock keepers were paid in the past, like railway crossing keepers, signalmen etc, now they are volunteers. The offer of a beer for thirsty lock volunteers is always welcome I hear...

[@johnvanstone5336]

Wow a steam crane!

[@tandemcompound2]

ALCAN aluminum destroyed the Bulkley River in British Columbia to make aluminum at Kitimat. Interesting film on old infrastructure now abandoned to containers, lorries, and cheap Korean products.

[@dkizxpt-su3ze]

How many people have drowned in canals?

[@dkizxpt-su3ze]

***** it certainly would be very interesting to find out
The public deserve to know....I'm sure its not a small number!

[@noodlesmason]

+John Smith On reading your comment I thought the number would be quite low since most canals are shallower than the average person, I googled canal deaths uk and got quite a surprise, It mentions a serial killer which destroys any chance of a true and accurate number as per your question, so I guess we will never know atb noodles

[@dkizxpt-su3ze]

noodlesmason We hear constantly about dead bodies being found in canals. The question is.....how many people die in canals?

[@ejcmoorhouse]

So how many people are dead before they end up in canals and how many people die after going in the canal. www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/canal-deaths-manchester-mapped-pusher-9934004

[@MrSvenovitch]

I'm guessing a lot less than people at road intersections

[@jazzbo13]

2:45 Who thought about Pink Floyd?

[@MrSvenovitch]

I love the fake sound effects. Also not a burqa in sight.

[@ramjam25]

That was before their countries were destroyed so they had no reason to pop over for a pint and pie and mash .

[@elrjames7799]

@Sven. Canals (even now) would hardly be the ideal location for burqa spotting.

[@chubeye1187]

How's brexit going thicko 🤣