Royal Docks Revival

[Stillhomewardbound]

It's been an exceptional week for the Royal Docks down in 'yer actual, proper East End of London. The Docks were shut down in the early 70s, so to have eight naval vessels tied up in the Victoria Dock is the rarest of events. BTW, the light grey ship is, I should point out, not a battleship but a new variety of sea-going Ice Cream van. Is that with hundreds and thousands, sir?!

[Stillhomewardbound]

Ooops! Sorry, my mistake. It turns out that's not an ice-cream vessel but a recently commissioned vessel of the Dutch royal navy. She's the HNLMS Groningen. Her light, grey colour is apparently better camouflage than the traditional battleship variety and the architect's proto-type mock-up look makes her less detectable on radar. That's as maybe, but I reckon, looking like nothing else at sea, she might be perfectly spottable with the naked eye.

[Serial_Apologist]

Is that a Dalek in charge, on the top?

[Stillhomewardbound]

Well, I'm sure the Naval Services still refer to it as a Conning Tower, an inverted Cone Tower might be more apt a description. Raspberry Ripple with that, sir?

[Nick Armstrong]

The trim little pastel-coloured Dutch number is cute!!

Very "designer"!

Fascinating contrast with the battleship-grey 'sensible' ships.

I need to get down to the river more often, dahn East....

[Stillhomewardbound]

<<I need to get down to the river more often, dahn East....>>

Caliban, you might not be in so much of a hurry after you've heard about the night I had. I'm not sure I'll ever be dry again.

Anyway, story is, these naval vessels in the Royal Docks, not to say any vessels, are so seldom seen in the Royal Docks.

That the access to docks, via the the King George V lock gate, is still maintained to full working order is almost a mystery. After all, the docks closed for business in the 80s; but, maintained they are.

I suspect there are a number of considerations, here. One is access for rescue/recovery vessels in the event of a failed landing at City Airport, while the other, and possibly, most primary, is the docks are still maintained for emergency contingency purposes, ie. COBRA type scenarios.

So, tonight, here was my chance to picture a vessel actually in the dock and such an opportunity as I wouldn't get for a at least another two years if I was lucky. That it turned out to be one of the wettest nights of the entire year was the price that has to be paid for dogged eccentricity. (Bear in mind that after this quest I had to cycle some eight miles to get home!! Oh, and bless you, the bus driver cum Baptist Minister who felt I warranted a full-immersion christening in the Woolwich Road).

That, photographically, this exercise was null and void, well, that's the knock on the chin you have to take sometimes. The point was to produce what I call 'pictures of record'. (That's my default expression for when my pictures are crap!!).

What matters is only that I was there and that I saw something, hardly anyone in the city ever sees in our modern times - a vessel passing through from the Royal Docks out in the fast-flowing waters of the Thames.

Yes, yes, I know full well that millions sleep on, blissful in their ignorance but it's not the point, is it? (Shades of Hancock!)

Now, just before we go to those exciting pictures, I've had Petra Snow up half the night constructing this old-world, newsnightie map to show us just exactly where WE are, who THEY are and where YOU are:





Jolly good, and now to the pictures. 'Pictures of Record', can I remind you?!



























And here in 1927 as the lock was then. On this occasion witnessing the arrival of the Atlantic Transport Liner “Minnewaska” – The Blue Star Liner “Almeda” in the entrance lock to King George V Dock on the completion of her maiden voyage with passengers from the Argentine, April 6th, 1927. (courtesy of spitalfieldslife.com)

[mercia]

I think I missed the explanation - why were there eight naval vessels gathered together ? is London about to be attacked (from the river)? do we really need the help of the Dutch ? Rule Britannia etc.

[Stephen Smith]

There is an arms sales "fair" in the news this week - is that the reason for these visits?

[Stillhomewardbound]

Yes, it was all to do with a massive international arms jamboree that happens every couple of years at the Excel centre.

The organisers are always at pains to point out to all the products being marketed are entirely legal and all their customers are governments.

Well, that's alright then, except that companies, one French and one Chinese were thrown out of the event for selling electric shock weapons, weighted leg cuffs and stun batons.

Nice!

http://www.dsei.co.uk/