MEECHING TUG MEMORIES

Nice pix, Heidi. The one with Fred Holden is earlier than 1965, I'm sure. Fred retired in 62/63, I think. (Colin H - do you know?) My Dad would have been there by 64.

Hello Heidi. We have never met. I sailed with your Dad on the Cross Channel Service. I often stopped by when Meeching was alongside to chat with him. My late father was mate on the Meeching (Jock Still) and my Brother was an AB (Jim Still).

My Mother was a stewardess on the Londres and the Brighton and also knew John well. He was usually a quiet man who just got on with the job. My late Mother thought the world of him and called him her "Blue eyed boy".

Fred Holden retired in 1963, his index linked retirement pension increased to better his tug masters salary,---- that always gave him smile.

These photos, and others in this section, certainly bring back memories for me. My late Dad, Charlie Stone, served on the tugs from about 1947 until he retired in 1967. He started on the Tidworth and Foremost and then went on the Meeching. Names from the early days I haven't seen are Ron Parker and Bern Jupp. We were quite excited when we were told the Meeching was to have a fridge aboard. Mum thought she would get a decent cup of tea when we went to look over her - fresh milk instead of the usual tinned condensed. We got a shock when we opened the fridge - all that was in there was Steve Payne's fishing bait! I also remember the floating dock saga; Dad was a good sailor but said he found the seas very bad and was sick. This turned into a bit of a 'jaunt' though - the crew ended up in Ostend for a few days and I think they had quite a good time. Sally Flowers told me a few stories when they got back. Dad died in 1995, when John Watkins kindly attended his funeral, but he never lost his love for the river - I often wonder what his views would have been on all the new building that has taken place. This is a wonderful website for me - I moved right away from the coast last year, but this site keeps me in touch.

In the last paragraph a Ron Parker is mentioned. I only knew Meeching for a very short time, but her captain then was Ernest (Ern) Parker, my father - could this have been him?  He was probably only Captain for about a year, maybe two, but neither of us have ever forgotten.

I remember Mr Parker, after serving on the the Meeching he went to Knights tugs up on the Thames. We were moored up in Sheerness over night with the tig Tidworth once and he came aboard to visit us.
The last I heard of your father he was working abroad with a tug but can't remember where...

Another name from the early days of Tug Meeching was Captain Spargo. Does anyone know what happened to him ?

Lovely photos, my dad Chris O'Callaghan died just over 6 years ago. It's been really nice to see some pictures of him with the rest of the crew.