Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Tester on March 31, 2009, 08:59:57 am

Title: Chatham Dockyard closed 25 years ago this week
Post by: Tester on March 31, 2009, 08:59:57 am

Interesting small video clip on the BBC News website

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7973222.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7973222.stm)

Title: Re: Chatham Dockyard closed 25 years ago this week
Post by: Colin Bishop on March 31, 2009, 04:57:43 pm

Still a great place to visit though, loads to see. Worth it for the lifeboat collection alone and once you've bought a ticket you can go back as many times as you like in the same year. There's even a model shop on site!

Colin

Title: Re: Chatham Dockyard closed 25 years ago this week
Post by: DARLEK1 on March 31, 2009, 07:29:24 pm

I was on the flight deck of HMS Hermione in that clip! :-)
 The last surface ship to be re fitted there. Fond memories!

 Paul...

Title: Re: Chatham Dockyard closed 25 years ago this week
Post by: omra85 on March 31, 2009, 07:59:47 pm

I lived in Gillingham at the time and that year 800 of us were made redundant from Blaw Knox (made asphalt road layers), 2000 were made redundant when the Grain oil refinery closed and probably another 10000+ both inside and outside the dockyard lost their jobs!  They were lean times for the Medway towns then.
Now they're full of City of London types who commute every day!  >>:-(

Danny
(still only seems like yesterday!)

Title: Re: Chatham Dockyard closed 25 years ago this week
Post by: Colin Bishop on March 31, 2009, 08:23:33 pm

When I was researching my Model Boats article I talked to a number of staff and several of them said they had previously worked in the operational dockyard.

Colin

Title: Re: Chatham Dockyard closed 25 years ago this week
Post by: Shipmate60 on March 31, 2009, 10:13:36 pm

I was transferred to Chatham Dockyard 3 days after the announcement that it was to close.
Spent 2 happy years there on the Mud Tugs keeping the outside berths silt free.

Bob

Title: Re: Chatham Dockyard closed 25 years ago this week
Post by: sinjon on April 01, 2009, 06:26:14 am

Shame about the 'restaurant'.

Colin