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Chris
Witts is a man with a passion about the River Severn. It is a passion
that has taken him from teenage deckhand on the river to successful
publisher, in an interesting and varied life.
 When
I left school I was offered an apprenticeship at the local shipyard,
but that wasn't for me, I wanted to work on the tanker barges |
| Chris
Witts. |
Born
in Bristol in 1944, and relocating to Gloucester
in 1951, Chris's love affair with the Severn began at the tender
age of 16.
In
1960 he joined the company of John Harker Ltd as a deckhand on their
tanker barges operating between Swansea and Worcester.
Taking the role of 'lad' Chris joined a four man team which included
skipper, mate and engineer and he spent many a happy time navigating
the river.
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| Scene
of the Severn Bridge disaster. |
While
on his second boat the Wilsdale H Chris and
his crew witnessed the Severn Bridge disaster. On
a
particularly bad and foggy night two barges lost their way on the
Severn Estuary and crashed into the Severn Bridge. The two petrol
barges ignited, setting the Severn alight, and five men were tragically
killed.
At times life on the barges was tough but Chris was fulfilling his
dream of living and working on the river. A dream that began when
he was still at Central Boys School.
During sports lessons Chris would play truant, head down to the
Gloucester docks, and became mesmerised by the barges going in and
out of the docks.
In
1963 he left
the river for a new and exciting career. A brief stop gap at the
Walls ice cream factory was followed by twenty years in the Gloucestershire
fire service.
During this period, not only was he a full-time fireman but he also
freelanced for eight years as a photographer for the local paper.
After
retirement the lure of the Severn soon drew him back and Chris found
himself back on the boats again.
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| The
Tirley Hull entering Gloucester Docks. |
In
1993 Allied Mills Ltd started to carry grain again on the Severn,
from Sharpness to Tewkesbury,
and Chris became first mate on the Tirley and Chacely grain boats.
He was then promoted to skipper in 1995 after the death of his boss.
Today Chris is putting his passion for the river down on paper and
has become a successful publisher.
Recent publications include:
Mighty
Severn Bore
A Century
of Bridges
Tales of
the River Severn
Along the
Severn from source to sea.
He
has even developed his own website devoted to the Severn which you
can visit at: www.severntales.co.uk
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