NORTHUMBRIAN

[northeast]

1930, 344grt
Hawthorn, Leslie & Co., Hebburn (573) for the Tyne Improvement Commission
Ron Mapplebeck advised that she was a floating restaurant at Gateshead by the early 1970's and his last photo of her was in June 1976.

[magoonigal]

Yes she served out her last days as a Floating Restaurant before going to Belgium for scrapping.

[teesships]

NORTHUMBRIAN (5257696), hulked as a restaurant 1q.73
(per Miramar, which accords with the deletion date I have in my personal records).

Yes, George, here she is at Gateshead on 1 May 1975.

Those familiar with the River Tyne landscape as it was 40 years ago will instantly recognise the setting from this fuller view from the same negative.

According to my notebook the two ships visible on Newcastle Quay to the left are the CITY OF OXFORD and PERTINENCE. (click this thumbnail image to enlarge)
Ron
(I stand to be corrected if the location of the NORTHUMBRIAN is actually not Gateshead, but somewhere else nearby!!)

[northeast]

Thanks Ron, have never seen a photo of her in that guise (i.e. ruined!).

[teesships]

Distant (pre-telephoto) view towards end of Tyne river trip - 27 June 1976:

Ron

[Keelman]

The Tyne Improvement Commission took delivery in 1930 of what was to be the last steam driven cross-river ferry serving North And South Shields. NORTHUMBRIAN served faithfully as such for forty two years until her withdrawal in April 1972. Until 1967 she carried vehicles as well as foot passengers but with the opening of the first vehicular tunnel under the Tyne in that year it was inevitable that she would no longer be called upon to carry cars/vans etc.
In 1973 after she had been transformed into a floating restaurant she was moored in the river at Gateshead, opposite Spillers Newcastle Flour Mill, opening for business in April that year. The venture was shortlived however, closing in 1976.
She was subsequently broken up, in Belgium I believe.
In this June 1969 view she is leaving the landing at North Shields having paused while JUPITER passes downriver.

[teesships]

Keelman - a lovely photo. Thanks.

You will see I have now merged your post with older ones on this vessel.
(and at the same time reinsert photos which had gone missing from one of my previous posts above.)

Ron

[magoonigal]

Agree...........

A very nice picture of her.

Smashing!!

[Keelman]

Few passengers in evidence here towards the end of her career on cross river services. Dutch shell tanker KYLIX making for the Tyne entrance.

[northeast]

.... and I think Hadley's CERINTHUS in drydock.