"This work follows a similar style to that adopted for the authors previous book An Illustrated History of THE PORT OF KING?S LYNN AND ITS RAILWAYS published by Irwell Press in 2012. As such it is not intended to be a definitive history of the Port of Goole but, like its predecessor, an informative and graphic portrayal of the port from its inception to the present day including its railway connections, past and present. The author enjoyed the privilege of being responsible for both ports. Insofar as Goole is concerned, he was Assistant Docks Manager there from March 1983 until June 1984 and had overall responsibility for the port, along with the much larger Port of Hull, from 1998 until his retirement on 31 March 2003. The following year, he was appointed as non-executive chairman of RMS Europe Group Limited, a stevedoring company operating the Boothferry Terminal in Goole and the owner of two wharves on the River Trent at Flixborough and Gunness. he held that position until July 2007 when, following a successful management buyout, he finally said goodbye to the port transport industry as a means of employment after a career spanning 37 years. However, its fascination remains undiminished especially as its importance, rather amazingly, remains largely unrecognized notwithstanding the fact that some 95% of UK trade is handled through seaports. This amounts to an astonishing total of 560 million tonnes of cargo annually all of which arrives and departs from the ports around our coastline. The ports on the Rivers Humber, Ouse and Trent play an increasingly major part in the UK economy, greater than any other group of ports around a single estuary. The Port of Goole, some 50 miles from the open sea, continues to have an important role to play."--Provided by the publisher