Life's Journey on the Torridge
with Dave Gabe
Filmed & edited by Matt Biggs Artaura Productions. Music composed & performed by Anisa Arslanagic. Music produced by Tom Watkins Yard 1 Studios. Directed & produced by Jo Stewart-Smith
Video blog on the story behind and making of 'Life's Journey on the Torridge.'
early start for the old ferry boat
“This is one of the jobs when you have to pinch yourself to
remind yourself you’re working,” Matt Biggs, on camera, murmured as we
chuntered slowly up the river Torridge, on the Cheeky Monkey, skippered by Dave
Gabe. Matt was working pretty hard, trying to hold steady the heavy
steering-wheel like camera rig he’d built, on the two hour journey which we
were going to turn into a five minute film. I had the easy job, occasionally
checking the sound or adjusting the Gopro cameras. With the summer sunshine burning
off the early morning mist, highlighting the ochres and terracottas of
Appledore and Bideford’s ancient buildings, the dawn chorus competing with the
chug of the engine and the river itself deceptively languid because the
incoming tide was helping us along, I had to remind myself of my job – to draw
Dave out of himself – to get him to talk – not just about the landmarks on the
river – but his own fascinating life’s journey working on many different
boats.
I first met Dave, several years ago, as my fishmonger at South Molton market on Thursdays. I began asking, as I always do, where his fish came from and learned that he was a commercial fisherman on a small trawler out of Appledore for many years. Bideford was the largest ray port in the country, so mostly he was targeting ray, but also squid in season, plaice and Dover sole. He enjoyed the fishing, but he trawled on his own, on a day boat and “it’s a hard port to work because you have to time the tide right to carry you safely over the bar.” When he sold his trawler Dave took on several jobs to stay close to the sea, running the market fish stall, fixing boats, harvesting mussels on the estuary and taking people on angling trips or upriver on the Cheeky Monkey.
I first met Dave, several years ago, as my fishmonger at South Molton market on Thursdays. I began asking, as I always do, where his fish came from and learned that he was a commercial fisherman on a small trawler out of Appledore for many years. Bideford was the largest ray port in the country, so mostly he was targeting ray, but also squid in season, plaice and Dover sole. He enjoyed the fishing, but he trawled on his own, on a day boat and “it’s a hard port to work because you have to time the tide right to carry you safely over the bar.” When he sold his trawler Dave took on several jobs to stay close to the sea, running the market fish stall, fixing boats, harvesting mussels on the estuary and taking people on angling trips or upriver on the Cheeky Monkey.
I took my parents and daughter out on a river trip about
five years ago. As we passed the working trawlers, the rusting wrecks and
rotting hulks (many since towed away and destroyed) Dave had a story for every
boat. He knew its history and the story of those who sailed it or failed to
realise their dreams. The tagline for Boat Stories is ‘every boat tells a
story’ and I think the germ of the idea came from that first trip up the
Torridge with Dave. However if you’ve watched our films you’ll know that boat
stories is really about people. The more I spoke to Dave the more I became
fascinated by his own incredible life’s journey. Dave is able to talk so
knowlegably about the boats on the river because he’s worked on so many
different boats. Every time I meet him, I learn something new. On our early morning
filming trip, the MS Oldenburg, the Lundy ferry was still at the quay. Turns
out Dave helped refit her engines when she first came into service in Bideford!
Dave started out as a deck boy on the tugs in Bristol docks, then graduated to the big trawlers working out of Lowestoft. It was a rough, tough life – working alongside sailors who had a girl in every port. Dave could have worked his way up to first mate and skipper, but it wasn’t for him and he returned to the West Country. In turn he’s worked on the coasters carrying coal from South Wales, as a lighthouse keeper and the boatman on Lundy –meeting the ferry, driving the island tractor up to the village. He told me “it was hard getting off Lundy for a job interview – but I finally got one with the Clovelly lifeboat.” In those days the lifeboat couldn’t be launched easily at low tide so the crew literally spent two weeks at sea, idling around, mooring off Lundy or in sheltered bays, waiting for a ‘shout’ before getting shore leave. The scary thing about this is that tragedy at sea often strikes in bad weather – so the lifeboat crew had to sit out the storms at sea –so they could rescue others in distress! By now Dave had a wife and young daughter and although owning a trawler meant long hours away from home at least he was his own boss.
Dave started out as a deck boy on the tugs in Bristol docks, then graduated to the big trawlers working out of Lowestoft. It was a rough, tough life – working alongside sailors who had a girl in every port. Dave could have worked his way up to first mate and skipper, but it wasn’t for him and he returned to the West Country. In turn he’s worked on the coasters carrying coal from South Wales, as a lighthouse keeper and the boatman on Lundy –meeting the ferry, driving the island tractor up to the village. He told me “it was hard getting off Lundy for a job interview – but I finally got one with the Clovelly lifeboat.” In those days the lifeboat couldn’t be launched easily at low tide so the crew literally spent two weeks at sea, idling around, mooring off Lundy or in sheltered bays, waiting for a ‘shout’ before getting shore leave. The scary thing about this is that tragedy at sea often strikes in bad weather – so the lifeboat crew had to sit out the storms at sea –so they could rescue others in distress! By now Dave had a wife and young daughter and although owning a trawler meant long hours away from home at least he was his own boss.
Dave knows the story of every boat we pass
My original plan for this film was to draw out Dave’s life
spent on many different boats as we passed each boat on the river. But for
instance we didn’t film the Appledore lifeboat – as that sits out in the
estuary, near the bar, whereas we headed straight upriver towards Weare
Giffard– and after three hours on the river with the tide now seriously against
us, I thought we had enough for a five minute story. Bad call on my part! Also,
although Dave is less willing to talk about himself, he has some very funny
stories to tell about the history – and the wildlife. I wanted to bring a
flavour of his river cruises into the film and in the edit we decided we needed
to follow the course of the river and its own journey - rather than jump back
and forth.
One of Dave’s stories which both fascinates and horrifies me in equal measure is the story of the pressgangs from the royal navy on the look out for young boys to effectively kidnap and pressgang into the navy. While the pressgang had a pint at the Beaver the hapless youngsters were chained to a ring in the wall. I put myself into the shoes of the mothers trying to hide their sons. Dave points out the places they hid in including the bread ovens from the old bakery now the café the Coffee Cabin. The risk of being burned was considered better odds than the risk of a life at sea. (see short clip below.)
One of Dave’s stories which both fascinates and horrifies me in equal measure is the story of the pressgangs from the royal navy on the look out for young boys to effectively kidnap and pressgang into the navy. While the pressgang had a pint at the Beaver the hapless youngsters were chained to a ring in the wall. I put myself into the shoes of the mothers trying to hide their sons. Dave points out the places they hid in including the bread ovens from the old bakery now the café the Coffee Cabin. The risk of being burned was considered better odds than the risk of a life at sea. (see short clip below.)
|
|
|
Dave is a great guy, very gentle, unassuming and humble
about his exploits and skills and like many of Boat Stories subjects did not like
talking about himself on camera. “You want the story of the river – not me,” he
kept saying. And while he was very happy to tell the story of each the boat as
we passed it but if we lost his words under the sound of the engine, did he did
not like repeating himself once we’d moved on! Just occasionally, the further we went upriver
the more he relaxed and we caught his lovely dry sense of humour. Sometimes
you’re never sure with Dave whether he’s joking – or embellishing a story or
not – but the tidal race is so powerful in the clip (above right) I think he means what
he says.
I don’t want to give all his stories away. It goes without saying that Boat Stories totally recommends a trip upriver with the lovely, funny, knowledgable Dave Gabe. If you’re not sure whether you like boats you’ll get a gentle introduction, lie back, watch the banks of the river pass you by – until as Dave says “if we go any futher – we’ll have to put wheels on the boat.” To book a trip with Dave call 01237 422307, or call in at the Quay gift shop in Appledore - go to our boat trips page for my blog on the journey up the river and more information.
Huge thanks to Dave for allowing us (probably against his better judgement) to film him. And to Matt Biggs from Artaura Productions for being great company on an idyllic river trip and a true craftsman when it comes to making movies. An added bonus with this film was an afternoon at Yard One studios in Bideford with the versatile Anisa Arslanagic scoring and recording original music live (both piano and violin) to the direction of music producer Tom Watkins.
I don’t want to give all his stories away. It goes without saying that Boat Stories totally recommends a trip upriver with the lovely, funny, knowledgable Dave Gabe. If you’re not sure whether you like boats you’ll get a gentle introduction, lie back, watch the banks of the river pass you by – until as Dave says “if we go any futher – we’ll have to put wheels on the boat.” To book a trip with Dave call 01237 422307, or call in at the Quay gift shop in Appledore - go to our boat trips page for my blog on the journey up the river and more information.
Huge thanks to Dave for allowing us (probably against his better judgement) to film him. And to Matt Biggs from Artaura Productions for being great company on an idyllic river trip and a true craftsman when it comes to making movies. An added bonus with this film was an afternoon at Yard One studios in Bideford with the versatile Anisa Arslanagic scoring and recording original music live (both piano and violin) to the direction of music producer Tom Watkins.
Matt Biggs Artaura Productions & Dave Gabe
|
Tom Watkins & Anisa Arslanagic at Yard 1 studios
|
