Tributes paid to legendary riverboat skipper Len Holder

For more than fifty years, he skippered boats along the Severn and became a leading authority on the subject, giving many talks and even writing a book.

”The River Severn was his lifelong passion, in particular the boats,” said his stepdaughter Alexandra James-Scott. “The boats always came first, even before his family!”

Len Holder on board Pride of the Midlands at Worcester (Image: Alexandra James-Scott) But it hadn’t started out that way because Leonard George Holder was actually born in Birmingham and spent his early years in Rowley Regis.

He was a proud Black Countryman and a member of the Black Country Society.

But as a child, he spent weekends and holidays at riverside Blackstone Rock, just south of  of Bewdley, staying in caravans built by his father for the family.

His river life began as a part time crew member on the Beatrice and that fired his enthusiasm to gain his skipper’s licence.

It was after visiting Bewdley for childhood holidays the appeal of the Severn and its rivercraft took over. Len began his river life as a part time crew member on the Beatrice and that fired his enthusiasm.

The River King on its way down the Severn. (Image: Alexandra James-Scott) Alexandra added: “He owned and was a skipper on the river boats for more than fifty years and was qualified to pilot boats up from the Severn Estuary.

"He became joint owner of the Holt Fleet Passenger Boat Company which operated the Wyre Lady vessel from the landing stage at the Wharf Hotel in the 1970’s.

“He was then skipper for the Severn Steamboat Company including the River King, Carbolate and Miss Jason and also skipper for the Worcester Steamer Boat Company, mainly on the Pride of the Midlands, but also the Severn Traveller.

"For Severn Leisure Cruises he was skipper on the Conway Castle for several years.”

However river craft were not Len’s only life.

He had a long and successful career in the NHS and also worked part-time as a professional wedding photographer for many years around the Birmingham and Worcestershire areas, including a spell for Tom Bader, the former well-known Worcester News press photographer who set up his own business.

In addition, Len was much involved with Worcestershire Industrial Archaeology and Local History Society and was an active committee member for a long time.

He keenly researched local history, in particular the River Severn and its boats.

He would research a boat’s history prior to being a passenger vessel and follow it after it left the Severn. Many boxes of Len’s research items remain, which his family are hoping will be of interest to other local historians.

He also gave popular public talks and slide shows about the River Severn and in 2006 published his own book River Severn Passenger Steamers 1956-1986.

Len Holder lived in Bramley Avenue, Worcester and leaves wife Ruth, three stepchildren and four stepgrandchildren.

His funeral will be at Wyre Forest Crematorium,  Stourport on Severn at 1.30pm on Thursday, July 18 and is to be followed by a reception on the river boat River King moored near the bridge.

Where else?