This is my favourite tug "Mildred" owned by Ridley Steamtug Co of Newcastle . Here she is steaming down river going past Pelaw on her way at the end of the day to her mooring off Broad Landing South Shields . I do not know a lot about her ,so if anybody can tell me anything I would appreciate it. As a kid I spent many happy days on her and the crew used to let me steer her . She was built at Renfrew in 1902and was considered "small" for a tug . She was designed to tow lighters on the Thames . Her main source of work on the Tyne was to tow hoppers full of ash from Dunston Power Station for dumping out at sea . She worked until 1955 when she failed a Boiler inspection and as it was to be a costly repair she was scrapped in 1957. The last time I saw her she was unoccupied and desolately swinging on a mooring near Wallsend - it was a sad day for Dad and me . I made a special trip just to see her for the last time .Picture copyright: Ken Groundwater Gateshead

Mildred

Dimensions 71 ft x 17.1 ft x 9.4 ft - 250 Hp 2 cylinder Compound Steam engine.Built 1902 by Lobnitz & Co , Renfrew , Scotland and named Juno for the Union Lighterage Co of London . Worked on the Thames for 31 years . 1933 - Sold to Arther Heather , Margate . 1948 - Sold to Harrisons (London) and renamed "Birchrock" . In 1949 bought by Ridleys of Newcastle for £2000 and renamed Mildred II .1955 Laid up and offered for sale at £2000 . 1957 - Sold to agents H.E. Moss and thence to C.W. Dorkin Ltd Gateshead for breaking up

Here,s my Dad starting work ( circa 1955) on the Mildred , he is about to enter the Engine room . He was always first on board and the first thing was to get the boiler fires stoked up then get the kettle on for a brew up . I used to sit on top of the Engine room , back to the funnell with my "Pint pot" of tea and box of sandwiches . The rod on the inside of the gunnel controls the rudder - she had manual and steam steering .This picture was taken early in the morning off Broad Landing , South Shields . During this era the crew were Skipper : Micky Lucas , Engineman : George Ord , Fireman : Bobby Thomson , Deckhand : Tom Storey .

Picture copyright Doug Ord

This is the lovely old tug "Reliant" seen in Seaham Harbour in the 60,s . I have personal memories of her as my Father was her Engine man for a time while she was working on the Tyne . As a young lad , he took me onboard with him , but in the engine room I was a bit frightened by the loud noise of the two engines and the paddles hitting the water and in addition there was a lot of rotating machinery - a dangerous place really for a young boy . She was built in 1907 by J T Eltringham at Stone Quay , So Shields. Her original name was "Old Trafford" and she worked on the Manchester Ship Canal until the 1950,s and then was bought by the Ridley Steamtug Co for work on the Tyne , they renamed her "Reliant" .

Picture copyright: D. Angus Seaham

After a while she was sold to the Seaham Harbour Board and worked there until the late 60,s . In 1970 she was acquired by the National Maritime Museum , Greenwich and this picture shows her arriving in the River Thames. She was housed in the Neptune Hall till 1996 until the Old lady was removed to make way for other displays . Sadly , she was scrapped in 2002 . The Port engine was saved by the Markham Grange Steam Museum , near Doncaster and is being restored .