The photo of the timber ship being unloaded brings back memories to me. I was secretary of the British Soviet Friendship Society and I visited just about every Russian ship that came into the harbour. This is from the late 1950s to 1990. We had a wonderful time on these ships and me and my group took Russian sailor's to the local pubs and to Norwich. I have photo's of nearly every Russian ship that came into our harbour. The first Russian ship was in 1924 and the flag was half mast owing to the death of their leader. I think one of the crew fell into the hold and was killed and I think he was buried in Gorleston graveyard. Inthe late 70s a Russian captain was killed walking across a crossing by a bus. The stewardess was badly hurt and I visited her in Yarmouth Hospital. There was quite a bit in the EDP and Mercury and I sent the cuttings to Klaipeda where the ship was stationed. I had a nice letter from the mother of the stewardess. We also used to take the captain and some of the crew to the Town Hall and met the Mayor-Mayoress. Anything you want to know about the Russian ship,let me know. Ivor Steadman.

My father William Hodds was a stevedore down at the docks in Great Yarmouth, employed on a casual basis in the fishing season from September to December. When he was not doing this, he would get work wherever he could whether it was on the beach on the fruit stalls or street sweeping for the corporation. We lived at no.2 Row 50.

Usually, he would queue each day as the ships came in, and be allocated to a job by the gang master who would say how many men were needed for the day. They would load barrels of salted fish or coal onto the ships by crane. The ships were bound for Russia, Germany or Lithuania. He would work all day for a days wage - not an hourly rate - until the work was done. I remember once he came home injured after being hit by a load of coal being loaded by crane into the hold. He told us he had to struggle up the ladders back up to the deck from the hold, before losing conciousness. No compensation in those days!

The fish wharf was on the docks opposite the timber yards on the other side. There were bustling lines of Scottish girls on the wharf gutting the herring, and any other fish would be gutted and thrown to the side. We, as children were allowed to pick up these fish usually mackerel whiting or codling, and we would take them, six on a piece of string, and sell them to the neighbours for a penny a piece. This would supplement our Dads wages.

I would go on to the ships as a boy of about ten and ask for stamps as I liked to collect them. I would walk around the ships with ease, into the engine rooms and talking to the foreign crew. I didn't feel in any danger.

We would recognise where the fishing boats came from by their id's, and we would watch them come in through Gorleston harbour and even in the fog the ferryman would weave his way across the river through the 'traffic' of the ships and fishing boats coming in.

The steamers with tourists on would go up and down the river and we would run as children to keep up with them, and every now and then the tourists would give us a penny if we managed to keep up!
Where the river met the sea (at the 'bar'), people on the steamers would often be sick due to the swell of the water. My sister took me on one of these boats when I was about 5yrs old and I was sick too.

My brother and I would fish in the harbour overnight some times, with a candle in a jar for light, catching dabs or whiting. I would have been about 12 at the time.

I have just started researching my family tree, and my grandparents hail from Gorleston. My great grandads profession is listed as a 'port corrage boy'. Has anyone heard of this? I cannot find any information on this. Hope someone can help!
Many thanks, Amanda