Foyboatmen  ( the men who assisted the ships that came into the river ) was traditionally a family business. On the Wear, the dominant family in this occupation were the Dodds family, who for generations have served the River Wear.

In the early days as I recall from my mother "Yvonne  (Vonny )  Dodds " - Grandad  Charles Dodds would row out of the harbour to meet the ships coming in in his cobble , the Norman.  One of the bonuses in this hard  manual job was when ships were launched he would collect the ribbons that had been attached to the bottle and Mam and Aunty Peggy would put them in their hair for school.
About the Dodds Family