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By: - 7th November 2015 at 10:49 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great pictures - and especially for those of us who remember them in their forlorn post war years until they finally closed in the late 60s I recall. Thanks for sharing.;)
By: - 7th November 2015 at 13:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
These took me back in time. I was a young cadet on the General Steam Navigtion Co. steamship, the 500 ton Cormorant, in the early fifties. We docked at St. Katherine's. At that time there were only warehouses. The entire area was given over to commercial shipping. We moored in the Thames, in that section on the right side just before Tower Bridge. We were trading between London and Ghent/Ternuizen accessed via the river Scheldt.
I lived then with my parents at the southern end of the Northern tube line. At the end of one trip, gathering all my dirty washing into my bag, at two in the morning I headed for Tower Hill tube to get the last train home. It was foggy and the streets were deserted. As I came up the steps onto Tower Bridge Road, I heard shouts behind me: "Stop, stop, it's the Customs". Looking over my shoulder, I saw just one man running. I slowed my walk until he was about fifty yards away and then broke into a run. Checking over my shoulder, I increased the distance until about 100 yards was between us.
This continued until I got to the station when I stopped and confronted my pursuer. He was heaving for breath and could hardly speak. "I'm the Customs, why didn't you stop when I shouted?" "I couldn't hear what you were saying, and besides I was frightened at that time of night with no one around".
The hell I was. He was one of the snitches known to lurk around the docks hoping to catch some hapless seaman hoping to smuggle a few cigarettes and make a few extra bob. Drug smuggling at that time was unknown.
"What have you got in that bag ?"
"Nothing much, just dirty washing - I'm off home for three days leave".
"Let me see".
I hand over the bag, stand silently with quiet glee as he rummages (Customs searchers were known as Rummagers) thru' my noxious undies.
He was very disappointed, thinking no doubt that as I'd done a runner he was onto something.
If you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes, the TV or film street scenes of London at night are much like they were during the period I'm describing. Always misty, with frequent heavy fogs, huge brick built warehouses lining both sides of the Thames downstream to Shadwell and Wapping and beyond. Cobbled, narrow streets, think Jack the Ripper country !
By: - 10th November 2015 at 11:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Going back in the 80s I worked on part of the office redevelopment and just a short walk east and there were still bombed out buildings, I wish I had taken photos now.
Also there was an old building where ex military clothing went, my god, the stuff I wished I had bought, I did buy overalls at 3 quid a pair.
By: - 10th November 2015 at 11:49 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Some lovely boats there. I doubt many of us could even afford the mooring fees ?
I imagine the cost of eating and drinking in the area is expensive too ?
By: - 10th November 2015 at 12:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
It's all relative, isn't it Alan. I'm sure it is not expensive for those who moor their boats and inhabit the area. For the likes of you and me - prohibitively expensive, probably.
By: - 10th November 2015 at 12:20 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Actually not as expensive as I imagined: http://www.skdocks.co.uk/marina/prices-facilities
Although looking more closely, the prices on the right are per metre.(strewth !!) I might be able to afford to
have a rowing boat there for a day :)
By: - 10th November 2015 at 13:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A nice set of pics, had a meal in the Dickens Inn last year, no different price wise than other pubs in London. :)
By: - 10th November 2015 at 16:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Trust me, those marina charges are expensive - very ! By way of a contrast, here on the South coast a drying berth alongside, would be £1500 per annum for a 30 feet long (10 meter) boat.
I reckon that if you mentioned thirty feet around St. Katherine's, you'd be thought to be referring to the width of the vessel. You can't beat the law of supply and demand.
When I looked at PenPushers exquisite photos, I found it hard to accept that there were now trees growing in that area ! When i worked there, it was, as I've mentioned, an area of outstanding industrial bleakness. The only trees around and largely unseen would have been in the grounds of Billy the Conk's former London residence built to overawe and intimidate the locals.
By: - 10th November 2015 at 17:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Then again, if you can afford £5million for a boat like Lady Sandals, a yearly berthing fee of £21,600 is loose change.
Do doubt also TAX deductible ?
Apparently it's only in London for a short while, then back out to the Caribbean.
By: - 10th November 2015 at 20:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Where and when did I go wrong !
Posts: 2,656
By: Pen Pusher - 7th November 2015 at 10:43
On my trips down to London, if I'm in the Tower Bridge area, I have a wander around St Katherine Docks as there are usually some big boy's ocean going dinghies parked up in there. On my last visit there was an interesting looking catamaran and apart from its rather tall sail mast it had a gang plank sticking out the back. Great for playing Pirates. A bit of Googling and it's the Lucy Z(LZ) a sailing catamaran which was launched from the Sunreef Yachts shipyard in Gdansk, Poland in September 2015 and after sea trials in the Baltic was going to its new owner. 'Salida IV' is registered in the USA and 'Lady Sandals' is owned by the chairman of holiday company Sandals Resorts International and it once used to belonged to actor Nicholas Cage. The Queen's row barge 'Gloriana' had been out and about over the summer and I presume it's back in dock for the winter.
Brian