Being asked to recall memories of the once much-lauded ‘Gateway to Europe’ port of Kingston upon Hull is not an easy task. The steady decline over the last 30 years of the 20th Century, made retention of valuable experience a pointless exercise. Who, other than historians, is interested in past practices? As Arnold Laver once stated through the public press, "Where there is no vision…the people will perish". While I have used this quote before, I repeat it now, because the change to the port and the surrounding wood related businesses has been so dramatic, that one has to question if ‘change’ has always delivered progress? Hull has changed greatly compared to its timber heyday. Although imports appear elsewhere around the country and not just by ship, Hull can no longer make the claim of being the second largest timber port in the UK.
Although statements of 1.5 million m3 of wood cargo landing on the quays in 2005 is certainly a volume to be noted, the history books must be consulted for the combined hardwoods and softwoods brought into Hull during the years up until the closure of Victoria Dock and the reduction in hardwood imports into the port.
All sorts/species and descriptions of wood and wood goods were handled from the 1800s until the late 20th century. Softwoods and hardwoods in various guises, from logs, through pit props to plaster laths. In the late 1800s, 80 timber companies engaged in the business and the Hull wood market was one of the largest, most varied and well-stocked in Europe.
Imports reached Hull from all parts of the world; softwoods and mining sections mainly from Scandinavia, the White Sea, and the Baltic, and hardwoods from America, Canada and other distant parts. The Victoria Dock was almost exclusively set apart for the sawn timber trade, whilst excellent facilities were provided at the King George and Alexandra Docks for the rapid handling of hardwoods, pit props and mining timber cargoes.
Different docks used different techniques, people and skills in order to handle/forward timber onto its ultimate destination.
The many timber companies had vessels come to port on a daily basis, laden with boards, all of which were unloaded from hold to quayside by ‘ship’s derrick’. Processing the timber cargo then was primarily manual, involving scores of people at various stages. To be handled by ‘the deal carrier’ and loaded to a ‘rulley’ or rail carriage to be moved to a yard or storage area. The whole dockside was one of movement. The port of Kingston upon Hull was a busy thriving, bustling environment and the combined wood related companies totalled well over 100 and employed about 5,000 people. Not the case today!
My father has previously referred to ‘The Golden Mile’ on Victoria Dock, so named because it was a premium storage area. Handling rates for slatings were the most expensive in what was known as ‘The White Book’. This book was the schedule for dock labour to be paid for by the timber importer and in the area of the dock, immediately adjacent to the rail tracks for onward transportation.
For longer term storage, my father and grandfather sent the railway wagons loaded with wood to either Fimber near Sledmere or Slingsby near Malton in North Yorkshire. These yards afforded cheaper storage for longer terms. However, storage in ‘the open air’ was always with its issues.
It is fair to say that post 1986, the wood trade that exists in the port of Kingston upon Hull is a far cry from that which gave many a good livelihood and where the phrase, "my word is my bond" accompanied by a handshake meant so much and was the basis of many a complex business transaction.
So, in summary, for many of an older generation the memory of a thriving, busy port receiving and transporting vast shipments of various timber from around the world holds fast, with much fondness. For many, it is hard to understand this type of environment looking at the industry they work in today.
Kingston Upon Hull, though no longer a buzzing port, should still be remembered for its roots in timber and looking forward as the 2016 City of Culture.
