Broccoli at various times was a major import though Weymouth. In the 1920s and 30s French broccoli came from small Breton ports by independent cargo steamers.
Here, such a cargo is displayed on the Cargo stage, surrounded by an army of dockers, all of whom appear to be wearing flat caps and a few senior staff wearing uniforms.
Thirty years later the trade imports were repeated, this time with Jersey broccoli.
Sadly, cargo trade diminished, largely due to the rise of containerisation and the lack of back up marshalling facilities.
The history of Weymouth as a railway port is superbly described in books by John Lucking.
