MY NAME is John Hardwick and I live in Hampshire. During the sixties until its closure I worked for the Aust Ferry company. All the names mentioned in your interesting article are known to me from those far off days.
Upon a rare visit to Chepstow some twenty years ago I wandered into the community centre beside the old rent office at the arch. Imagine my surprise when I came across skipper Percy Palmer serving tea to “The old folks.” He was as chirpy and dapper as ever and probably ninety years of age. We had a good chat about things and my last image of Percy was him winking over his shoulder as he went back to serving the tea. A good skipper with a wealth of knowledge of the river and its dangers.
I learnt lessons from all the old hands that stayed with me throughout a life time spent on the water.
If there is an association or local history group covering the ferry years I would very much appreciate them getting in contact to see if there are a few surviving crew members out there.
I can be contacted by e-mail on m.hardwick1@sky.com.
John Hardwick
Hythe
Hants
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