The Manchester 'Muck' Boats

[Tony Shaw]

Does anybody have any association with the above. I remember the "Salford City" and "Mancunium" when they were in steam and had rather tall funnels. Later, after they were re-engined, I served on the "Manc" for 12 months or so as second mate. I did all the steering from Davyhulme Sewage works to Eastham, had the river passage off then started steering all over again.At the loading berth we were about an hour (which I had off) then it was back on the wheel again. If we were stuck behind a Manchester Liner container vessel most of the way I wasa little knackered by the time Friday came round. Jimmie Atherton was the skipper and Gordon Bancroft was the mate.The cook's name was George and when I asked him what he would do when he retired he said "He just wanted to curl up and die "
I hope he didn't - he was quite a character.

[BelliniTosi]

When I was a lad we used to go down to the ship canal and sometimes the Salford Sh*tty ops sorry City or Mancunian would tie up at Stewart's Wharf and
we would ask what they were carrying and the reply was always "champagne, son champagne"

[Tony Shaw]

Bellini/ Well we never went as far as to call it champagne. We weren't allowed to refer to the cargo as sewage but had to call it industrial sludge. When we used to load in Davyhulme on a hot summer's day with the saloon ports open our fried eggs used to turn green !

[BelliniTosi]

Tony,
Have a look at this You Tube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kWxOGCFfqs
About a 1 minute in, it shows the Mancunian