Lightermen Documentary (1984)

Enjoy this great Documentary by Susi Arnott that follows the daily workings of Cory Lightermen in 1984 onboard the tug General VII
The tug General VII in the film was lost with all hands in a collision the following year; this particular crew were on transfer from their usual vessel the 'Merit'.
Camera- Susi Arnott
Sound- Matthew Evans
Directed and edited- Susi Arnott and Matthew Evans
Sound post-production-Paul Hamblyn
16mm b&w
Running time: 30min 30sec
Shot on a range of hand-held cameras with black and white film stock. The visual style is heavily influenced by the Picture Post school of B&W photography. The film makers were students of Colin Young at the NFTVS, who coined the term 'observational cinema'.

[@mozdickson]

Absolutely superb. Loved seeing so much detail of the actual manual work, the banter, the lack of H&S! I'm from New Zealand and was in and around London last Summer - walked the Thames Path, including Thamesmead to Purfleet/Dartford Creek. Ugly industrial fly-tipping wasteland? Not on your life - history, graft, Estuary, birdlife, the out of sight stuff a city needs, like building waste sorting. God bless em all. Madness, the Jam, The Smiths...would've been on the radio on them lighters

[@seanoconnor5737]

My dad was a lighterman working on a tug also called the General, They moored up and worked out of Charlton.

[@SCCFORUM]

Fantastic film. Would be amazing to see a follow up today of these guys if they are still around.

[@johnadams3730]

I am 71 my grandfather was a skipper on a tug called the Gnat his name was Charles Morris Brown wish I new more.

[@ttm2609]

My grandfather was tug master on the the Wiliam C Daldly saving the Auckland harour bridge in 1966

[@PillSharks]

Nice to hear the deckhand mentioned the Golthic, a few men from my village sailed on her and a couple of men I worked with over the years, my father also sailed on some of the shaw saville boats, in fact it was the Majestic which sailed my father back from Australia as a distressed british seaman in the 60s. I was surprised how they did the tow, I thought it would have been easier to put a bowline in, anyway I’m sure they had a good reason!

[@chidon7465]

I'm American and I love videos about docklands

[@freddypflugbeil6]

What wonderful times Looks like

[@brian.7966]

now all gone, not to be seen again,

[@headsup2433]

The refuse from these barges was never dumped on Canvey Island but at Pitsea land reclamation and land fill site. Which now days is nearly full.

[@mozdickson]

thanks for that detail

[@philipblick8887]

Great movie very interesting thanks for sharing cheers 😂

[@johnadams3730]

My grandfather was a skipper on the Tug the Gnat before the war his name was Morris Charles Brown i wish I could find out more.

[@rodericfindlay4147]

The Gnat was a Gaselee tug (yellow funnel with three red rings). It was broken up in the early 70s. There is quite a lot of information on the internet about the Gaselee tugs. I used to go on the Tayra when I was a boy. The crew were highly skilled and real gentlemen. The skipper had strong views about washing your face before you went ashore. At the age of 12 I couldn't see the point of it. We went up to Hammersmith and down to the Medway on various trips. I slept on bard once. Very happy days.

[@johnadams3730]

@@rodericfindlay4147 Thanks.

[@no.7593]

Lost, lost! The old working class, salt of the earth, backbone of the nation.

[@adrianharper1535]

5.07 that’s my dad. I’m older now than he was then.

[@Mike-tu7uw]

I hope you’re dad is doing well

[@jeffsmith50001]

Anyone remember Bill Lester ? fell off a ladder ! deed !.

[@butzee]

Any idea what church he's on about with the yew tree?

[@nigelc6038]

When men where men 👍

[@mechanick1000]

got a few names wrong and i think about a year or less later the tug general v11 which this was not the merit sunk in northfleet taking a lot of the hands with her then she was scraped

[@liquidhighway]

The crew of the merit are working on general vii on the day the video was made here

[@davidcrooks1752]

BM17:40:00