Posted 18 February 2010 at 14:10 in Leader's blog
I want to pay tribute to a friend and colleague Terry Tomlinson.
One of my passions is canals and boating, and when I’m not working or on council business, I try to spend as much time as I can pottering around on my narrow boat, which Terry helped to fit out. He was a carpenter of the old school who still used dovetail joints!.
Terry was a keen boater too. He was a real stalwart of the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs and many others and did much to promote canals and boating in the North West.
Indeed, Terry was the first person to prove that canal boats could navigate the River Douglas and the River Ribble and steam through to Preston Docks.
This paved the way for the Ribble Link, which has since become an important waterway for Preston and the first new stretch of canal built in the UK for over 100 years.
Terry’s legacy also extends to Preston’s annual vibrant and exciting Riversway Festival, which without Terry’s early endeavours would not now be one of the highlights in the city’s calendar.
It’s very sad because just a few weeks ago I attended the funeral of George Hoare who worked for the Council as Docks Manager and also played a leading role in the development of the Ribble Link and Riversway Festival.
All my sympathies are with Terry and also George’s family as they will be both sadly missed, but by no means forgotten.
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