Syntan: The barge and the beans

Syntan used to transport cocoa beans to Rowntrees in York

The 2009 York Festival of Rivers made history when Syntan, a 62 foot renovated barge, became the first large vessel to pass through the Foss basin, into Castle Mills lock and onto Rowntrees Wharf since the wharf was closed over 25 years ago.

Not only did Syntan make history, the barge is part of history herself. She originally carried cocoa beans for Rowntrees from the docks in Hull to the wharf.

But, for 20 years the barge was laid up in a lay-by near Doncaster Power station. She'd been cannibalised for parts, vandalised and allowed to decay.

She was rescued by members of the Beverley Barge Preservation Society in 1999 and by 2005 Syntan had been restored to her former glory.

when our bosses used to say 'you're going to load cocoa beans for Rowntrees in York', we used to rub our hands with glee! Nev Holgate

It's hard to believe she was in such a poor state, as moored in York, for the Festival of Rivers, Syntan bobs gently on the water, the sunlight reflecting on her colourful paintwork, the bright bunting strung across her flapping in the wind. Inside, she's equally impressive; the place is adorned with polished brass, varnished woodwork, and buckets and watering cans painted in the 'canal' style.

One of the men who helped with the refit was Nev Holgate, chairman of the Beverley Barge Preservation Society. For him, restoring Syntan was particularly pertinent. In the 1960s, Nev had worked on the barge delivering, amongst other things, those cocoa beans to Rowntrees in York.

"During the growing season, the cocoa beans came in the big ships into the Hull docks, and we'd then transport those beans... We'd sail up the Humber, up the Ouse, and then up the Foss lock. And we carried thousands of tonnes of cocoa beans, which were discharged into the big Rowntree warehouses."

Nev and his co-workers often worked late into the night unloading the beans, but their efforts were rewarded - something which made assignments to York eagerly anticipated:

"The managers used to bring tea down from the factory along with mis-shapes - chocolates that weren't good enough to go into the products that they sold, that was a perk of the job. So when our bosses used to say 'you're going to load cocoa beans for Rowntrees in York', we used to rub our hands with glee!"

Tea and chocolates weren't the only advantage of bringing cocoa beans to York, says Nev: "It was a pleasure to travel to York on these barges because the nightlife was basically as it is now - it was a tremendous place to visit, there was a pub on every corner, it was really nice."

But by the late 1960s, the emergence of North Sea Gas saw the decline of the barging industry - businesses no longer needed coal delivering, and as such, the barges were largely surplus to requirements. So they were sold off and Nev, having a family to support, moved into long distance lorry driving.

But forty years on, much to Nev's delight, he was back in York on board Syntan - the very same vessel he used to bring cocoa beans to York in!

"Here we are visiting York and it's just pure nostalgia. When I talk to people - people are coming over the bridge and they're seeing the barge and they're coming aboard - tears are actually flowing from some people's eyes, because they remember when we used to come here. And it's like finding a family after forty-odd years. It's just brilliant."