There are some great old images in this selection including collier Pompey Powerarriving at her unloading dock opposite the power station and ‘Pompey Light’ in dock, where the Isle of Wight car ferry now leaves from.
You will see what happened inside the bunker at Fraser & White Ltd the coal merchants and the horse drawn coal wagons lining up and being loaded outside in East Street.
Also featuring is a fantastic aerial of the Old Portsmouth Power Station around 1948 and a few images of the sailors that used to coal the ships at the quayside.
1. Coal in the past
After coaling ship. Ships were all powered by furnaces.Here we see some of the crew from the turtle-back destroyer HMS Chamois. Bottom centre of the photograph is the ships pet and to the left of it is George Harwood. He was the grandfather of George Millener who loaned us the photographs. Picture: George Millener collection Photo: The News archive
2. Coal in the past
Little sisters Elizabeth and Ida Fitzjohn, with their grandmother Charlotte, who was the licensee of The Coal Exchange (now The Spice Island Inn) in Old Portsmouth. Photo: The News archive
3. Coal in the past
Sisters at The Royal Hospital Haslar in Gosport, huddle around a real coal fire in this undated picture Photo: The News archive
4. Coal in the past
The inside of Fraser & White's coal bunker close to the Bridge Tavern, Old Portsmouth Photo: The News archive