In another time

In the early eighties members of Stratford-on-Avon Sub Aqua Club decided that one Sunday morning we would launch our boats at Evesham and search the River Avon along Waterside. The day in question was fine and overcast, I for some reason wasn’t diving on this occasion and was in charge of one of the two RIBS we were using.

Divers were put in the water and the boat handlers supported their charges taking various items on board that had been picked off the river bed. Suddenly I saw a hand appear out of the water holding what appeared to be a short length of scaffold pole, but this pole had a bracket with a small leaver at one end. I knew instantly what it was and shouted to the diver to bring it to me in the boat. He, still thinking it was scaffold went to throw it back in the water, I shouted again and he brought it to me.

When it was all over we found we had a beautiful brass steam whistle with West Bromwich foundry markings. The lucky owner cleaned, polished and mounted his prize on an oak board and brought it to the club house one evening shortly afterwards for all to see. I have never seen it again and still vividly remember that Sunday on the river.

The picture for today is where this all happened and used to be many years ago the coal wharf for the steam barges bringing coal up from the Severn at Tewksbury. The whistle presumably must have been lost overboard in those days.