When I was a boy, I used often to go on the Tayra. Sam Weller was the engineer. The skipper's name was, I think, Clive. These men were highly skilled and they were real gentlemen. We went up as far as Hammersmith Bridge on one trip and down to the Medway on another. That meant sleeping on board. Mostly we met ships coming up with the flood and took them to their berths. I remember a timber ship being towed to the Surrey Commercial Docks and another being towed through Tower Bridge, turned round and berthed near where H.M.S.Belfast is now. I remember the Tate and Lyle factory smelling like fried bacon while we waited for a pair of barges to come off the bottom. They were great days. The Thames was so busy and so interesting. The boy made tea every two hours on the dot, except at 11 when it was coffee. The skipper had strong vies about washing your face before you went ashore. Being 11, 12 and 13, I wasn't so keen.

Absolutely brilliant, an old waterman meself, does the old heart good to watch a great character like that, Cheers, God bless, 👍👍🥂

Peter D is a hero of mine! I met him back stage. Amazing,

I was on the 'Ocean cock', 'Sauria', 'Rana' and 'Agama' in Felixstowe and sailed with Alec Ricketts, Danny Marks, Ted Smith, Son Jim Smith, Bill Taylor,Derek Webb,, Alf Saunders, Lenny Saunders,George Bishop, Charlie Lenton, sons Dickie and Charlie and R.F.(Dick) Hazell.

Not sure the date but I was at tower bridge the day the sunfish sank I was sitting on the deck of a tug called the musca and then transferred to the wasp skipper name Alan searle I believe

The Gnat my grandfathers tug he was skipper of the Gant ,Morris Charles Brown around the 1930 and the 1940 can anybody give me anymore information please.

My grandad was "horis kidd" and he was an engineer on gaselee "wasp"

dennis legon served with with all the crews i;e alec rickets len hart alf saunders ted smith old man thatcher and son etc etc 1958 -65 i think the hulk was named else frank and singing len looked after her happy days waiting for them to come and get the crews at 6am on west india dock pier in the skiff was on all the tugs in my day having done holiday relief then mostly on the tayra then later on the new culex

Brilliant video. What happened to Peter's finger? In earlier vids he had 10 digits and now he has 9.5😯