Thursday 22 September 2016

Forty years on and some things don't seem to have changed one bit...




Four tiers and more of local toshers up to 15 deep made up the huge winter mackerel handline fleet
A veritable sea of boats filled the harbour in 1978 during the winter mackerel season - the local fleet of 'toshers' was joined by boats from as far away as Milford Haven to the north and Weymouth to the east...


to the right of the presenter is a Teignmouth registered tosher on the hard (this was before the concrete apron in front of the harbour offices was extended during the market rebuild some years later) - to the left, just over his shoulder is Stevenson's smallest fishing boat, the Cathryn, wind the clock forwards 38 years...


and there is the Cathryn occupying the same berth this morning!... 


the little morris van belonged to a certain Bill Tonkin, skipper of the Kimbill, but who is that leather-clad figure with his hands held behind his back stood on the parapet talking to the guy in the boiler suit - names anyone?