John Luff and John Woodford on Fishing

John W: There are several fishermen round the coast were drowned. In the summer, they used to take visitors out for it, joy rides, fishing and what have you. John’s got a photograph over there of one of the men who did die and that was Bert Baker’s brother. He was taking a couple of fishermen out for a day and he fell overboard and drowned.

John L: ‘Cos they you used to wear, well I did as well, huge oil skin coats and thigh boots, you know, right up to here, if you went over the side you were … there was no way you’d come up again. But I never wore a lifejacket all the time I was fishing.

Lisa: Tell me a bit more about these oilskins.

John L: Well they’re just long oilskin coats, heavy as lead and big thigh boots up to here.

Lisa: Where did you get them from?

John L: Well I think you got … Copperking used to sell thigh boots, I’m not sure. I can’t really remember.