Who Pays the Ferry (Wo)man

This morning I spent a couple of hours interviewing local artist Richard Scott about his knowledge of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his time in Walberswick. Richard wrote The Walberswick Enigma and Artists at Walberswick 1880-2000.

I then traced three of the houses that the Mackintoshes lived in while in Walberswick.

This afternoon I spent some time beside the ferry between Walberswick and Southwold.

Dani Church is the fifth generation of her family to row passengers across the River Blyth between Walberswick and Southwold. She took over the summer ferry service from her dad, David, in 2001, when she was in her mid-20s.

Her great-great-grandfather’s brother, Benjamin Cross, a Walberswick fisherman, was the first ferryman of her family, in 1885. The line continued with his son and nephews, through to Dani’s great uncle and father, and now her.

Today it costs £1 and takes less than two minutes to cross to the other side.