Last Load of Parrafin.
basil | 11/18/2005 | 11:42 am
With the last load of parrafin delivered, a tanker returns empty towards Upton Upon Severn Worcestershire.
Charlie Ballingers “Olive” finishes service.
Altair delivers the last load of coal from Cannock, for the Worcester Royal Porcelaine works in 1961.
Charlie Ballinger takes the last load of Cadburys chocolate crumb up the Worcester canal in 1961.
Cadbury’s Blackpole factory.
From the 1920’s Cadbury had an extensive factory alongside the canal and the main railway line to Birmingham.
Timber was brought from Gloucester docks by narrow boat to be made into packing case components which were then transported by rail and canal to Bournville. There was a considerable two foot gauge railway system from the canal wharves into the various factory buildings which became an ammunition plant during the war.The site is now a factory estate and the railway lines were tarmacked over but this is wearing away and the lines can be seen particularly near the bridge under the railway.
( Blackpoles were young oak trees grown in groves around Worcester and Droitwich for their Tannin used in the leather industry.) Max.
Old Railway Lines at Blackpole.
The last aluminium ingots from Avonmouth being unloaded at Stourport.
The last load of petrol delivered to Worcester.
From the early 1900’s, petrol was carried to the Midlands in 5 gallon cans loaded in old wooden Trow Barges hauled by steam tugs.
Only when the Harbour master at Sharpness found aTrow skipper with a red hot stove in his cabin with several thousand gallons just the other side of the bulkhead, was action taken to build steel tankers to bring the fuel to Worcester and Stourport.
When D Day invasion took plce, fuel was pumped from the Midlands to France under the sea (PLUTO). It was eventually realised this was the way to bring fuel to the Midlands in underground pipes and so in 1963 the last 400 tons of fuel arrived at Diglis Basin. Max
