London's WOOLWICH free ferry river Thames steam crossing 1961

[@haxby2007]

I remember those old ferries, such a good memory

[@mikeos1]

As kids in the 50s we used to go back and forth as many times we could till the crew threw us off. Loved to watch the engine going round and round.

[@clivegretton4535]

Fond memories for me. I used to be taken for a trip on this and sometimes my uncle who was the captain seen in this clip would come and say hello. He was one of my childhood heroes and I never expected to see him on film like this. Thank you for sharing, I have passed this on to members of my family.

[@shanghai264359]

Just like the other comments, happy memories of spending hours on the old steam ferry just going back and forth. I remember the squeaking sound of the wet ropes tightening as the boats were being tied up and moving in the swell of the river. And of course watching the motion of the engines. Magic!

[@geeksworkshop]

Wow this the old Woolwich ferry is in great company on this channel !

[@robertmeadows7508]

This is such a lovely little film ! Us kids would ride the Ferry after Saturday Morning pictures in 1950 s ! I sit here now watching this & can smell the hot oil & hear the rhythm of the engine room as we stood watching the massive engines ! A crab washed onto the deck one very rough crossing ,I ran forward ,picked it up & tossed it back in the river ! I dont think now it thanked me as the Thames was so polluted ! Does anyone else think thats The London Mammoth floating crane in the background at 0.37 please ? Thank you !

[@TheAmber52]

Oh my I remember riding on this ferry I loved standing at the top of the glass doors looking down at the big machine going round and round driving the engine,fun times.

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

I think you mean 'Driving the Paddle Wheels.' And there were TWO engines in the engine room, each driving ONE paddle wheel. Which wasn't the normal way for paddle wheel ships - but it made ferries more manoeuverable for crossing rivers.

[@williamfogarty4001]

Where have all the good times gone. Luv to all and up the Hammers !

[@davidnash41]

Happy memories. I was born in Plumstead and often ,with some friends, spend hours on the ferry. We were regurlary thrown off the ferry ,for no doubt, being troublesome. On some occasions we had to return home walking through the foot tunnel.

[@joansavage1857]

Fantastic footage! I remember the ferry very well, my Dad would take my brother and myself across. I especially remember watching the engines go round. Thank you…..

[@Britclip]

Fab studd, Alan.

[@alanjacks9081]

The free Woolwich ferries were so enjoyable as a boy, that I joined the Merchant Navy. Happy days!

[@hughrainbird43]

Alan, thanks for posting this, bringing back many recollections of another attraction from my boyhood days, on a par with "trainspotting on the "Chatham" line. This is the most complete video of the great days of the Woolwich Ferry that I have seen,. A "cruise" on the ferry was an entertaining "day out" in the 1950's,(though the crew would usually chuck you off if you tried to stay on for a "round trip".!) As the contributor below mentions, it was an olefactory experience as well as a visual one: The paddle wheels stirred up not only detergent foam, but quite a lot of other river smells from a Thames which wasn't as "clean" as it is even today, especially on a warm summer's day! It was always interesting to go "inside" from the open passenger deck, to watch the engines working and that brought its own aromas of warm oil and steam. The "old" landing stage on the South side was at the bottom of Hare Street, near the entrance to the foot tunnel, and traffic queuing for the ferry would back-up into the shopping centre of Woolwich at busy times. Trolleybuses to Plumstead and Bexleyheath terminated near the ferry in Beresford Street. It was fascinating to watch the Thames water seething and gurgling around the heavy timbers of the pontoon, stirred up by the motion of the paddle wheels. New piers were built a little upstream of the originals on both sides of the River for the introduction of the "new" diesel ferries with directional thrust propulsion, which did away with the need to "tie up" to the piers while unloading and loading. They in turn were replaced by a new generation of ferries only a short time ago. We'd sometimes take one of the buses from North Woolwich a few stops northwards to where Albert Road crossed one of the entry locks to the Royal group of docks on a lifting bridge, and if the tide was right we'd be able to watch as one or two of the big ocean-going ships entered or left the docks. The Blue Star line boats brought frozen meat from South America, The Blue Funnel Line of Alfred Holt I believe sailed to ports in the Far East. As shown on your film, the upperworks of the ships towered above the terraced houses (and "prefabs") of North Woolwich. I remember that just downstream of the North Woolwich landing stage, Sun Tugs had a pier, and a number of their sturdy craft would be moored alongside, waiting for their next job of work on a River which always seemed busy with traffic: The ferries needed the maneouverability afforded by their independently driven paddle wheels to move across the River between the shipping. DurIng the first years that I recall, the early 1950's, below the Sun Tug pier some clusters of the last of the Thames sailing barges were moored. Though each would command a high price nowadays, they'd probably carried their last cargoes, and sadly were awaiting breaking up. Woolwich Arsenal was still in production then, and used the marshes now occupied by Belmarsh and Thamesmead for testing, so you'd sometimes hear a muffled explosion echoing out across the River. Edith Nesbit, the author of "The Railway Children" and other books lived at Well Hall, Eltham from 1899 until 1920. She and her first husband Hubert Bland were Fabian Socialists, who often had political and literary figures visit them there. In February 1917 a few years after the death of Bland, Edith married Thomas "Skipper" Tucker, the captain of one of the Woolwich Ferries. As Michael Caine (didn't) say "Not a lot of people Know that"!

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

You can ride the 698 trolleybus, or a steam train from North Woolwich to Palace Gates if you search among my KZbin uploads. I've lots of transport history there - and ALL FILMS SHOT BY ME !

[@hughrainbird43]

@@AlanSnowdonArchive Thank you so much for sharing these films, many of which bring back my own memories of travel in the 1950's and 1960's. I've just been "bingeing" on "Kingswear Castle goes to London 1-4". and these bring back so much: Trips down and up the River on PS "Waverley" and back in the 1980's as crew of the Steam Tug "Portwey" on a memorable return voyage (nearly a week long) into the Medway and on down to Ramsgate and back. I've walked the Thames path from Dartford Creek to Woolwich. where the old paddle ferries form some of my earliest recollections (though I can't recall "picnics" aboard, the crew have always been assiduous in making sure the boat is "cleared" before the next crossing!) I've just retired after working at Canary Wharf for the last eighteen years, where the views up and down the Thames from the upper floors of our building have been fascinating and ever-changing. Even since the making of these films, a lot has altered along the River, and will do as its history continually evolves. its so important to retain records such as yours, and thank you again for posting them.

[@clivegretton4535]

Some great memories come to light by the points you made Hugh. The smell, sound and sight of the water churning when the ferry arrived at the dock has always stayed with me. I remember well the same when I was taken to see the engine working by my uncle Charlie the captain. Amazing memories. I always asked to be taken for a ride on the ferry or to go to Blackheath Station where the steam engine crews recognised me and would sometimes lift me up into the cab to toot the whistle. Great memories of a long time ago.

[@andrewslattery403]

Thanks for posting this wonderful footage. I remember travelling over on the old ferry during a visit to Woolwich in the early 1960s. I recall that vehicles waiting to cross (northbound) would queue in Hare Street. I recall that the road surface was made from what I think were wooden cobbles, covered liberally with engine oil/grease from the heavy vehicles. In later years, I went to high school in Woolwich, often lunching at Barry's Cafe on what would have been the old ferry approach.

[@andrewr2825]

Just a fabulously piece of history - thanks for capturing it for us all to enjoy today!👍🏻

[@barleyarrish]

Thank you so much for posting this. My Dad took me on the Ferry in the 50's and early 60's, I can still bring to mind the wonderful smell of the dirty old river churned up by the paddles, mixed with the smell of the engine and oiled motion (especially if you walked through the noise was deafening), not to mention the wonderful sounds. As we lived in Dulwich it was a nice day out, I noticed the Rickett Cockerell lorry one of which delivered our coal. What a visually rich time this was!

[@hughrainbird43]

Did you notice the name on the second "flat iron" collier?

[@barleyarrish]

@@hughrainbird43 yes indeed i did, it might have been a double for Dulwich if by chance a railway was in frame with a certain schools class loco chuffing along...

[@johnpritchard347]

Great video. Takes me back to my Red Rover days out when I would usually head for a trip across the river on the ferry.

[@jimbegin6554]

You never cease to amaze with your videos. Thanks Alan and Heather.

[@vikkifenlon6741]

I remember my Dad taking me on the ferry in the 1950s, we went down into the engine room too. Good memories from childhood.

[@hughrainbird43]

My Mum took me for a trip on the ferry nearly every time we went shopping to Woolwich, and I remember that you could go inside under the car deck. and look through into the engine room with it's highly polished cranks and rods whirling round, and the "Steam engine" smell of coal smoke and warm oil - unforgettable! Did you know that Edith Nesbit who wrote the "Railway Chldren" book, and lived with her first husband at Well Hall for some years, married one of the Woolwich Ferry captains in 1917?

[@vikkifenlon6741]

@@hughrainbird43 I didn't know that about E. Nesbit, that's interesting. Your description of going down to watch the engines working, really took me back to my memories, thank you for sharing that.

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

@@hughrainbird43 THANK YOU - no I was not aware of that.

[@seamanjive]

Used to love watching the engines when my mum took me to see my nan in canni g town

[@direktorpresident]

Fantastic dose of nostalgia to cure homesickness, thank you! I worked in KGV and would look forward to a good sausage toastie at the head of the Foot Tunnel after my voyage. If I had the 1/6d....not always! xx

[@jandoerlidoe3412]

Seems this ferry was well used, this movie is a fascinating picture of a time gone by...

[@arthurthomasware5004]

I remember these ferries well. First time across on one, I'd have been about three years old. That was in 1939. I recall getting into an awful lot of trouble because I'd climbed beneath the safe-rails on the gangway area whilst the ferry was under weigh. My dear Mum was terrified as the coaxed me to come back to safety. My family and I left London for Australia in 1951. I'm surprised to see they were still operating in 1961.

[@leohoward7282]

Wonderful veiw into our history always love these videos

[@2H80vids]

Fascinating footage.👌 I worked on the Kyle/Kyleakin ferry twenty-odd years ago and the thing I noticed most about this film is the cramped conditions for loading/unloading. While we used smaller vessels, there was way more space and the Skye boats were ro/ro in my time, so easier to move traffic about. Thanks for sharing this excellent wee film.👍 Cheers for now, Dougie.

[@hughrainbird43]

Dougie, I remember crossing to Skye on the ferry with my parents while on holiday in Scotland in 1964, having arrived on the Kyle of Lochalsh railway line. A much more beautiful experience than the crossing at Woolwich! To respond to your point (and as a boy I spent a good few hours aboard "Gordon", Will Crooks", " John Benn" and "Squires", so this film recalls many memories) It was because of the restricted nature of the Thames tideway at this point that the loading arrangements were so cramped. The piers still in use in the film dated from the introduction of the vehicle-carrying "Free Ferry" in 1889. Their timber construction was "state of the art" for the time, and the horse-drawn traffic would have had little trouble with the side-loading arrangements, To have a ro/ro ferry of the type used at the Kyle, given the tidal rise and fall of the Thames, and the height of the embankments on both shores would have meant constructing slipways of considerable length jutting out into London's River which at that time and for many years to come,was very busy with the shipping of the "Capital of the Empire" as it was known (all of the London Docks were upstream of this point in 1889). As you see in this film, the ferries had to thread their passage though the traffic going upstream and down on every crossing. This situation prevailed until shortly after this film was made, when the paddle steamers were replaced by double-ended diesel boats with directional thrust propulsion (still loading vehicles on the upper deck), and new concrete piers were constructed.These curved further out into the tideway, (the one on the south (Woolwich) bank being sited some distance upstream away from the town centre with a new approach road, as queueing traffic in the town had become an increasing problem), and ro/ro front loading became the practice. Those "first generation" diesels have been replaced recently by new boats, but the ferry still causes congestion in Woolwich at times, as there are only two vessels (often one only in service ) and sailings are suspended during the night. Hope this answers your question, Regards, Hugh.

[@2H80vids]

@@hughrainbird43 Thanks for your detailed reply Hugh. Yep, a tidal river is always going to have to compromise. One thing we have plenty of in the Highlands ..... is space.

[@MagicaLucem]

So fabulous. . We do so enjoy your videos. But oh my...this is all my history. I so would adore to sail with The Royal Dafodil down to Southend. Taken for granted since my swinging sixties experience. That goodness these are preserved and so beautiful presented.

[@mikewilliams6456]

I went on this ferry! In the 1950s every Saturday morning after going to the Granada Saturday morning kids movies.mike 😅😅❤

[@nicholaskelly6375]

I spent Christmas 1962 with my parents aboard the Metcalfe motor vessel 'MELISSA M' Dad was the 2nd Engineer. We were there to celebrate the commissioning of the new 'ANN M' Dad took me to see the ferries and we travelled on all four of them. We were also joined by Dad's father who told the Captain of the 2nd 'GORDON' that he had lived in Woolwich for a time and had used the original vessels the 'DUNCAN' the first 'GORDON' & the 'HUTTON' This was some of my earliest memories as I was on 5! Some years ago I was on the very last crossings of their diesel successors.

[@9fq6z]

Brilliant! I remember it well! Thank you!!

[@GVLyon]

Yes i had many a happy 'cruises' on the Woolwich ferry in the 60s , with friends we would go down to get the ferry across to silvertown (remember the molasses smell from Tate & Lyle ?) and play in the playground there. Then return ferry in late afternoon home for tea. We were all of 10 - not possible today I fear.

[@menace7172000]

I remember riding on that ferry to visit my gran in East Ham .

[@bernardhaigh6319]

Thanks for the memories. Four return trips on a good day, otherwise three, was our ritual when visiting my granny who lived in Lewisham. She was nervous about disembarking on the north bank so it was only when I was a teenager - 13 in 1961 - that I was allowed to do so, and then meet up with her again one return crossing later. Then home for tea on the 54 bus, or the 75, change at Blackheath, if we were being lazy. By the way, I believe that the excursion steamer was the Royal Sovereign, not the Royal Daffodil.

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

You could well be right, I'm only going on what I recall my Dad telling me, and he died rather a long while ago.

[@bernardhaigh6319]

@@AlanSnowdonArchive A bit of googling in Wikipedia indicates that Royal Daffodil had two funnels, whereas Royal Sovereign had just one large one. My sister told me that I once went on the Royal Sovereign from Margate but I think that I must have only been about 3 at the time. The only thing I remember vividly is that when the crew threw the heaving line ashore on arrival it clipped my ear and made me cry. Of course, I didn't know what a heaving line was at the time!

[@johnrose-mh5mc]

Fond memories of crossings in the1950,s

[@Chasworth]

Would make a good boards of canada video

[@patrickjmorgan]

Yes, that ferry has always been well-used. even at weekends, but moreso before the tunnel and bridge were built downstream at Dartford. I remember as a kid at Woolwich., watching it board. The were brand new parking-meters installed that took 6d. Well, not any of ours they didnt! Mum and Dad were definitley of a time where you didnt pay to park your car- We consequently walked miles...

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

And I'm also of that generation - that prefers a bit of walking to paying for parking. God made feet, long before there were rubber tyres!

[@jyoung8482]

What memory's.After going shopping In Woolwich a trip on the ferry, watching the engine's and seeing if our neighbour was working in the boiler room shoveling coal, a hot dirty job.

[@raystringer8082]

The passing ship is NOT the Royal Daffodil, but could be Royal Sovereign or Queen of the Channel.

[@tankmicr00man]

RD had two funnels....

[@tjm3900]

There is a scene in an old horror movie of the ferry getting sunk by some Atomic sea monster. What was that movie?

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

Can't help you there - not seen it.

[@robertiggulden2998]

@@AlanSnowdonArchive The giant behemoth (1959)

[@blueshiftuk]

Hi - where did you find this footage Alan?

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

I didn't "find " this footage - I SHOT IT MYSELF.

[@blueshiftuk]

@@AlanSnowdonArchive amazing! Thanks for uploading

[@ianburnett7333]

To Alan. Do you know of wereabouts of cine film shot by Late Peter Scott of Trolleybus System of Maidstone, Bradford, Teesside?

[@Chasworth]

@@AlanSnowdonArchivenice one👍🏻

[@petestearn7985]

If I had a shilling for every time I went on the ferries I'd be very wealthy now!