My grandfather used to come on a coal barge to the Gasworks and used to bring his daughter, my mother…. who met my father, Harry Holloway, who lived in Yarmouth, and so they were married. Harry was in the Navy in the Med for 2 years and I was named ‘Palma’ after the Palma in Majorca. Palma Ault nee Holloway b 1927
Bridge opening for coal boat
I started off life at Gasworks Cottage, down by the Mill.
There was a small gasworks. There was one small gasometer and one big one and that little one was only a back up. They had the big one alongside of that, but that’s all gone.
Yes, the bridge used to open for the coal barges to go up to the Gasworks, and my dad and his mate had so many hours to unload them so they could go back on the next tide. I used to go over there sometimes to see him and watch what was happening. Some of those barges belonged to an Isle of Wight firm, Coles of Cowes. I think they owned 2 coal barges. The barges were always coming up the river and getting stuck, never get up there on time to the gas works. They used to come through the bridge and have to make a sharp turn to the creek to the gasworks but couldn’t get there half the time. Not very deep there if the tide wasn’t right.
My Dad got electrocuted over there at the Gasworks across the river.
They was changing the lighting from gas to electric. He went to work one morning, I will always remember, the 6 – 2 shift, and he went in to get the lights on. There was two live wires in water and he picked it up thinking it was lights. After that we moved from Gasworks Cottage because they wanted us out, and then the Council found us a council house in Victoria Road.
Brian Pomroy b1938
Gasometer behind Sandhouse and Bridge ; photo Sue Russell