Richard Newell on Transport

Monika: And how long were you working on the Isle of Wight Ferry?

From 1990 until 2004. I was about four years on the early Catamarans, that was the ‘Pamela’ and the ‘Patricia’ and then I transferred to the Car Ferries and went initially as the Chief Officer and then went to Skipper for about ten years as Skipper on the Car Ferries, between Fishbourne and Portsmouth.

Monika: Who was your employer? Was that Wightlink?

Well it was. Initially when I joined it was Sherwood, who is Canadian. Anyway, there were about four different employers.

When I joined Wightlink in 1990, they were all railway people that were running it, they didn’t often miss a trip. In fact, we prided ourselves as the Skipper on the Ferry, that you would be on time. That was part of your job, to be on time.