LONDON TOWN LO70

 

Courtesy of Fleetwood Maritime Heritage Trust and The Bosun's Watch

Official No:  301043   Port and Year:  London, 1960

Description: Steel side trawler; single screw, motor. 

Crew:  

Built: 1960, by Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Beverley.  (Yard no. 955)

Tonnage:  228 grt  79 net.

Length / breadth / depth (feet): 105.8  / 23.6 / 11.6

Engine: 4 SA 6 Cyl; 484 bhp.= 11 kts. Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day, Stockport.

Owners:

 

1960: Hewitt Fishing Co., London E.C.3

Manager: R. P. G. Hewitt, Wyre Docks, Fleetwood.

 

1964: Boston Deep Sea Fishing Co., Fleetwood.  [As an oil rig safety vessel.]

 

1981: Putford Enterprises, Milford

John Rogers       )

Antony James   )

Gavin Phillips      )   Docks, Milford

Kenneth Lodge   )

Pino Antoniazzi   )

 

 

1982: Antony James, Milford

 

Renamed GUANA

Mar 1984:  Huxley Fishing Co., Lowestoft

 

Landed at Milford:  1981 - 84

Skippers: John Rogers (1980-84?)

Notes: 10 Jul 1992: Broken up at Vigo.

 Accidents and Incidents

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 30th October 1981:

 

    On Monday the Milford Haven trawler "London Town" broke all previous records with a £13,500 catch.  What's more, the crew did it in their own trawler.

    The "London Town" is the first of Milford Haven's traditional fleet to be bought by a co-operative and it shattered the previous best catch by £2,000.

    Skipper John Rogers, who has become the Port's best paid trawlerman, commented that this will hopefully encourage others to buy their own trawler.

    The "London Town" was bought by five Milford Haven men and arrived in the Port two months ago after it had been laid up in Fleetwood for more than 12 months.  It is now Milford's largest trawler.

    Mr. Rogers, who earned £1,100 for the ten day trip, took the 107-ton trawler to the east coast of Ireland and landed 292 kits of fish, each kit weighing 12 stones.

    The catch included 20 boxes of sole and turbot, 120 of best roker and plaice which is also in great demand at the local fish market.

    The trawler cost the partnership £30,000 and the men spent several days painting and carrying out maintenance work to prepare it for sea.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 13th November 1981:  

 

NEW HOPE FOR MILFORD FISHING

   

    Two weeks after landing a record-breaking £13,500 trip at Milford Haven, the trawler London Town on Monday brought in another fine catch which grossed £12,600!

............

    Mr. Antoniazzi confirmed that in five trips the London Town has earned £55,000.  He was full of praise for her young skipper, Mr. John Rogers.  "He's very enthusiastic.  He's bringing in more prime fish - soles and turbot - than most of the others and credit should go to him and his crew."

 

 

 

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