When steam-driven lorries shunted coal around Portsmouth | Nostalgia

A very labour intensive occupation in Old Portsmouth; here we see coal being loaded on to coal lorries for delivery around Portsmouth.
By Bob Hind
Published 10th May 2020, 15:59 BST
Updated 10th May 2020, 16:03 BST
Inside one of the coal hoppers at the Camber, Old Portsmouth. It was unloaded from a collier and then on to lorries. Picture: Mick Franckeiss collection.Inside one of the coal hoppers at the Camber, Old Portsmouth. It was unloaded from a collier and then on to lorries. Picture: Mick Franckeiss collection.
Inside one of the coal hoppers at the Camber, Old Portsmouth. It was unloaded from a collier and then on to lorries. Picture: Mick Franckeiss collection.

Men are loading bags from the smaller hopper.

At first the coal had to be unloaded from collier ships, perhaps brought from the coalfields of Yorkshire, County Durham, South Wales or even Kent. The agents were Fraser & White.

Much of the coal was delivered to Fratton goods yard where local coal men would pick up their loads for local delivery.

A pass token for the favoured few which allowed them to get on to the original Clarence Pier, Southsea. Picture: Clare AshA pass token for the favoured few which allowed them to get on to the original Clarence Pier, Southsea. Picture: Clare Ash
A pass token for the favoured few which allowed them to get on to the original Clarence Pier, Southsea. Picture: Clare Ash
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It must have been a day of hard work humping hundredweight sacks of coal from a lorry to houses, especially if those houses had long paths.

Note that even the lorry is steam driven.

I wonder just how many tons of coal the large hoppers, located just behind the Bridge Tavern public house, could contain.

No doubt that pub saw a steady stream of customers from the coal yard after a gruelling day’s work inside the hopper.

The VE Day street party in Essex Road, Milton, Portsmouth. Picture: Alan CunninghamThe VE Day street party in Essex Road, Milton, Portsmouth. Picture: Alan Cunningham
The VE Day street party in Essex Road, Milton, Portsmouth. Picture: Alan Cunningham

• No doubt I shall be receiving street party scenes for the next few days.

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Meanwhile, here’s a glimpse of May 8, 1945, a VE Day party held in Essex Road, Milton, Portsmouth. If anyone has any idea who is in the picture, please let me know.

Whenever I see pictures of street parties it always amazes me about how the mums managed to find the ways and means of supplying all the cakes, buns and sweet treats.

• The Clarence Pier token found by my pal Jim on the beach was seen by Clare Ash. She sent me this token from 1908 which allowed access to the original Clarence Pier at Southsea which was destroyed in the bombing of 1941.

As you can see, the token was not transferable. That might have been a deterrent to stop fishing from the pier. I remember the mess some anglers left on South Parade Pier after a day’s fishing...

Related topics:Old PortsmouthPortsmouthYorkshireCounty Durham

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