My Life on The Severn – an illustrated talk by Chris Witts

Ever wanted to know more about the River Severn? Then local man Chris Witts is the man to ask.

Chris’s career began at the tender age of 16 when he joined John Harker Ltd as a deckhand on tanker barges. Taking the role of ‘lad’, Chris joined a four-man team which included skipper, mate and engineer. A month into the job he was out in thick fog off Sharpness on the night the Severn Railway Bridge was hit by two oil tankers. The two vessels ignited, setting the Severn alight. Five men tragically lost their lives in the disaster.

In this talk, Chris looks back on this and other incidents in a rich and varied life – a journey that has taken him from his early days on the river to public duties as Sheriff, and later Mayor, of Gloucester.