Ernie North, skipper of the Severn Traveller. He reckoned he carried 20,000 passengers in the Traveller in 1984, and the sister vessel, the Pride of the Midlands did the same. At the height of the season, the Traveller might clock up 3 or 4 trips in a 16 hour stretch. In 1985, she'll be making over 500 separate trips, carring up to 200 passengers at a time at a steady 8 m.p.h. up and down the river. It might be a scheduled one-hour trip to Bevere Lock, shopping trip to Tewkesbury, a day-time sales conference, a regular evening disco cruise, or a midnight charter for a birthday party or anniversary celebration. The advantage of river travel is that licensed hours are unlimited.
