Two local history books were launched at Torpoint library on Saturday, with both authors and the publisher present to sign eager buyers' copies. The latest book, by Captain Stephen Carter, is Tacky's Tugs, a history of the firm WJ Reynolds Ltd Torpoint, which was the largest employer of civilian labour in the town. The firm has the distinction of operating the last fleet of coal-fired steam tugs in Great Britain, and was one of the last companies in Devon and Cornwall to use heavy horses on a full commercial basis. Captain Carter has unearthed the history of the firm, from its inception in Victorian England to its demise in the 1970s. Former employees and relatives were present at the launch, including the oldest surviving tug captain, 87-year-old Ron Palmer, who still lives in the town. The second book was Rendel's Floating Bridges by Alan Kittridge. He details inventor James Meadows Rendel who invented the floating bridge, which is now the Torpoint Ferry. He was responsible for four others at Saltash, Dartmouth, Southampton and Portsmouth, with 14 further crossings built after his death. Eight survive today, including Torpoint, which is the largest operation of its type in the world. There was a steady queue of local people buying the books throughout the morning, and both authors were kept busy signing them. The books are published through Twelveheads Press of Chacewater.
