Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 4910

  Ed Connell, Dover Strait

Havila Phoenix with Rix Merlin alongside this afternoon.


Friday, 17 November 2017 - 15:54

 

Post 4909

  Sea News, Dover

A picture of the Dover Highway has arrived from JOHN HENDY.
Many thanks John.

See the earlier post below no 4411. I gather the pic was supposed to upload with the earlier post but vanished...there we are now..

Good to get that shot of Havila Phoenix below Ed. Just minutes before your pic I got a shot of her just as she nipped in behind one of the Spirits. Had the briefest of brief views. Bear with ..still in camera but if its any good will be able to add to it in the morning.
PB

Friday, 17 November 2017 - 15:18

 

Post 4908

  Ed Connell, Dover Strait

Havila Phoenix on the Eastern Arm today.


Friday, 17 November 2017 - 09:09

 

Post 4907

  Sea News, Dover

As so much of the time is night now, yours truly has had a further stab at some after-dark pictures and here we are. A great deal of the DWDR work continues into the darkness and a great deal of the harbour is dazzlingly lit to match. Top shot looks due west from the 'observation tower' and the bottom shot looks south showing the flashing lighthouse. The picture below is a bit soft, we will call it more of an artistic impression than a solid photograph, but you can just make out the previously featured platforms and the Barent Zanen on one of its many 24 hour-a-day visits..


Thanks for that info John. I had a look on Google for Dover Highway and its quite a beast alright. Will watch for that one passing...
block of flats for sure...

Ah yes they probably do Del - hard to spot the little blighters anyway. Ed did great with those shots below.

PB

Friday, 17 November 2017 - 08:09

 

Post 4906

  Del Styan, Norwich

Perhaps the Subs keep close to the French side?

Thursday, 16 November 2017 - 23:19

 

Post 4905

  John Hendy, St Mary's Bay (johnhendy479@btinternet.com)

Readers might be interested to see an image of the car carrier Dover Highway which was recently photographed on her departure from Southampton. More of a block of flats than a ship but one which carries the name of the town across the world.

Thursday, 16 November 2017 - 11:58

 

Post 4904

  Sea News, Dover

£1/2m Investment As Deal Pier Celebrates Diamond Anniversary
________________________________________________________

Dover District Council’s Cabinet has given the go ahead for a £500,000 refurbishment of Deal Pier - as the popular local amenity celebrates its Diamond Anniversary.

Works are set to include resurfacing the pier, replacing all the timber seating along the pier, and concrete repairs to the pier structure. It is intended that work on the resurfacing and seating will begin in the spring of 2018, and the aim is maintain access as much as possible throughout the works. Structural works are expected to start before the end of the year.

Deal has had a pier since the late 1800s, with the current 305m long Deal Pier opened on 19 November 1957 by HRH Prince Philip. It remains the last pleasure pier ever constructed in the UK.

Today, Deal Pier is one of the town’s enduring attractions, popular with both townsfolk and visitors for a leisurely stroll to enjoy the panoramic views of the coastline and out into the English Channel. The café at the pier head was opened in 2008 following a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) design competition.

Deal Pier is also a popular fishing venue and this weekend hosts a Diamond Jubilee open fishing competition in aid of Walmer RNLI, organised by the Deal & Walmer Angling Association, and sponsored by Dover District Council.

Cllr Trevor Bartlett, DDC Cabinet Member for Property Management said: "We’re delighted to commit to the biggest refurbishment of Deal Pier since its opening 60 years ago. Deal Pier is a fantastic asset for the area, it’s a major local landmark that’s visited by many thousands of people, and we’re very pleased to be able to approve these works to maintain and enhance this important amenity for the future."

ENDS



Many thanks to DDC for the images and info above.

Cracking pictures below Ed. A scoop for sure capturing the submarine.
Good to see the other pix too. Well done that man. Ace stuff!

Hi Del - speaking from my point of view submarines are rare, hard to see that's for sure.

PaulB

Thursday, 16 November 2017 - 08:06

 

Post 4903

  Del Styan, Norwich

Thanks for that extra info on the Western Heights proposed memorial. I didnt know there was a proposed "development" up there. More of the usual stuff I suppose. The new memorial looks even more like a proposal I would support. Not that I would have a say, as a mere transient visitor!

On another track - do you get many submarines crossing the Channel?


Wednesday, 15 November 2017 - 23:18

 

Post 4902

  Ed Connell, Dover Strait

Dutch submarine passing Calais yesterday.





Wednesday, 15 November 2017 - 18:53

 

Post 4901

  Ed Connell, Dover Strait

Offshore wind farm installation vessel Seajacks Scylla in the Northeast lane yesterday.


Elvira at the DCT today.


Wednesday, 15 November 2017 - 13:47

 

Post 4900

  Sea News, Dover

Slightly complicated view above there featuring three platforms of one sort or another. The front one carrying piling, the second platform has one of the cranes ( currently 8 cranes in action here )...and the third platform in elevation. You can see the orange-clad men working away in both shots. The second pic below also features Afon Lligwy . In the background of top shot you can see some of Barent Zanen





Thousands Flock to Jobs Fair as Investment Pays Off for Dover District
_______________________________________________________________

2017 Jobs Fair
_____________

Over two thousand people attended a Jobs and Skills Fair organised by Dover District Council and partners, East Kent College, as major regeneration and investment projects start to deliver new jobs and career opportunities.

Jobs at the £53m St James retail and leisure development in Dover town centre were in strong demand with exhibitors, including Cineworld, Costa Coffee, Greggs, M&S, Next and Shoezone all starting their recruitment campaigns. The St James development is due to open in the first quarter of 2018.

Many of the district’s biggest employers were also represented, including Bakkavor, DFDS, Discovery Park, Megger, Pfizer, P&O Ferries, the Port of Dover, and VSBW, its main contractor for the £250m Western Docks Revival project. In total over 200 jobs were on offer along with a wide range of training and education opportunities.

Earlier in the day, Cllr Keith Morris, the new Leader of Dover District Council, hosted a breakfast meeting for key business leaders. He told them that the Council’s work to create the right conditions for new investment was starting to pay dividends and creating real jobs for local people.

Cllr Morris said: "What excites me most are the opportunities this regeneration and investment are creating for young people. For too long, the perception has been that people have to travel out of the district for work. And yet, on our doorstep we have world-class businesses in life sciences, engineering, maritime and logistics, and food production."

Cllr Morris also highlighted future jobs growth, including:

* 50,000 sq. ft. of new laboratory space and a 60,000 sq. ft. expansion of office space at Discovery Park
Opening of a £150m bio-mass heat and power plant at Discovery Park in 2018

* A Business Incubation Hub for small and medium size businesses at Betteshanger Sustainable Parks, alongside the 2018 opening of the new £8m Visitor Centre and Kent Mining Museum

* Megger’s 2020 project which will see major investment in its Dover facility over the next three years

* Dover District Council investments, including a £26m new District Leisure Centre at Whitfield with the only county standard competition swimming pool in Kent

* Also in Whitfield, a new Lidl supermarket due to open in early December, and a new trade park including a Lokn’Store self-storage facility, a direct investment following Dover District Council’s work to promote inward investment at MIPIM in London.



Guest speaker at the business meeting was Gemma Griffin, Vice President of HR & Crewing at ferry operator, DFDS. Gemma is at the forefront of the campaign to promote maritime careers and training as Chairman of the Employment Committee of the UK Chamber of Shipping, and as a member of the Merchant Navy Training Board.

Gemma Griffin, Vice President, HR & Crewing at DFDS with Cllr Keith Morris (Leader) and Cllr Sue Chandler (Chairman) of DDC.

Gemma Griffin DFDS

Gemma, said: "We were delighted to support the Dover Jobs and Skills Fair. DFDS employs over 1,000 people on its Dover ferry services to Calais and Dunkerque, and we’re committed to developing the next generation of seafarers.

"Our pioneering schemes for deck, engineering and catering apprentices offer outstanding opportunities for people to start their careers. For the most talented, progression to Captain or Chief Engineer is possible within ten years. With 95% of world trade transported by ship, there will also be exciting opportunities for those who pursue a career at sea."

Matthew Jaenicke, Managing Director, of Viking Recruitment, also attended the business meeting. Later in the day, he revealed that Virgin Voyages, the new cruise line established by Sir Richard Branson, were in Dover to view the state-of-the-art facilities at the Dover Maritime Skills Academy.


ENDS
____________________



Well done finding that view below Mike. Good one to see...

Thanks Del all round, glad you were able to see that extra view there and yes will keep up the good work..

Great picture from Dunkerque West below Ed of the bunkering. Totally atmospheric. Like that one...also good to see that container ship without the containers..

Mark thanks for all that info on Maersk. Massive shipping line Maersk. Didn't know any of that. Excellent stuff!

PaulB



Wednesday, 15 November 2017 - 07:56

 

Post 4899

  Mike J., Dover

Del -

This view, from Dover Council’s website, shows the proposed location of the memorial between the Drop Redoubt on the right & St.Martin’s Battery, on the left.
The circular area is the sunken top of the Grand Shaft & a corner of Wellington Dock is visible.

The roundabout on the A20 has now been replaced by traffic lights as part of the DWDR works..

I think that the memorial, if built, is a much better use of the land than the hotel & ‘development’ that has been proposed for the same area.


Tuesday, 14 November 2017 - 23:32

 

Post 4898

  Del Styan, Norwich

I love your pics recently - especially the reference to Calais all aglow. Please keep up the good work. Interesting idea for the Western Heights memorial. Just hope they don't intrude into any of the historic defensive remains.

Tuesday, 14 November 2017 - 23:05

 

Post 4897

  Mark rushton, Northants

Nice snap of the Munich Maersk there, prompting Dull Factoid of the Day. If you see a Maersk vessel, if the word "Maersk" comes last in the name then the ship is owned by Maersk (as with Munich Maersk). If the word Maersk comes first (e.g. Maersk Alabama) then the ship is only leased by Maersk. That came from a book I read recently by Horatio Clare called "Down to the sea in ships" describing life on board two Maersk ships - a modern monster like the Munich on the Asia run, and a rust bucket charter vessel on the North Atlantic run. Worth tracking down and a jolly good, if slightly depressing, read. Keep up the good work chaps...

Tuesday, 14 November 2017 - 11:18

 

Post 4896

  Ed Connell, Dover Strait

Dover Seaways bunkering from Whitstar in Dunkerque West at the weekend.


Containership MOL Presence anchored off Calais this morning illustrating what a boxboat looks like without its boxes!


Tuesday, 14 November 2017 - 09:38

 

Post 4895

  Sea News, Dover

Public Consultation On Plans For A Commonwealth War Memorial On Dover's Western Heights


As the country has just experienced its annual Act of Remembrance, people are being asked to share their views on proposals for a Commonwealth War Memorial on the Western Heights in Dover. The public consultation runs from 10 November to 10 December 2017.

The proposed memorial would be unique in honouring the names of all 1.7 million Commonwealth soldiers, sailors and airmen, along with members of the merchant navy who lost their lives in World War I and World War II. Their names would be inscribed on 12 white granite walls, each one facing the sea and the sun.

The Western Heights in Dover have seen over 200 years of continuous military development from the Napoleonic era to the early 1960s. The site identified for the proposed memorial was originally the location of barrack buildings built as part of the town’s Napoleonic defences. The terracing on the site provides outstanding views across the English Channel to France.

Dover District Council is facilitating the early development of the project, which is likely to be delivered and managed by an independent charitable trust. Development of the early proposals and initial design work has been funded by the Government’s Libor Fund, which promotes activities to support and honour veterans. The project team includes John Pegg, Baca Architects, and WSP.

The public can view the proposals online and share their views by completing a questionnaire. There will be two public events at Dover Library, Market Square, Dover, CT16 1PH on Wednesday, 22 November (2pm-7pm), and Saturday, 25 November (10am-3pm), where people can view the proposals, talk to the team involved with the early development of the plans, and provide feedback.

Ends

Many thanks to DDC for the info above.

Who can resist? Below we have another shot of one of the worlds biggest beasts as she glides by and dwarfs the Varne Lightvessel. See also the earlier post 4397 for more detail...all 215,000 tons elegantly drifts by Dover on the way to her first stop at Le Havre.
Munich Maersk - Fabulous ship. Fabulous size. Try parking that one...


Dramatically through the light drizzle a day or two ago....


Following on from Ed's nice shot of the Luzon Strait at the Dover Cargo Terminal. Here she is moving off in the darkness last night at 20:15 ( 8.15PM ). It was dark of course so yours truly was quite surprised to get a reasonable image. The ship was off to Hamburg. To the left you can see the P&O Ferry at Dover 9 while the red sky in the distance is in fact Calais all aglow and looking good.


Del and Vic..Ah yes indeed its all trial by media these days. An individual can be hung drawn and quartered without knowing what for in many cases... it can be tragic as we've seen.

PB.

Tuesday, 14 November 2017 - 06:41

 

Post 4894

  Del Styan, Norwich

Fair comment there from Vic re Charlie Elphicke. Innocent until proved guilty,

Monday, 13 November 2017 - 23:19

 

Post 4893

  victor matcham, Dover

Some very good clear photos there
+the sea water looks the same, years ago you could not see the sea water looking like that.So thank you for showing us that. I did talk to our MP over the weekend you could clearly see how upset he is with what is going on. He told me like he has all ready said he does not know what is going on and he has done nothing wrong. I feel at this time we should take that what he is saying is true untill it comes out what he done wrong if anything .

Monday, 13 November 2017 - 11:43

 

Post 4892

  Ed Connell, Dover Strait

Luzon Strait at the DCT today.


Monday, 13 November 2017 - 09:42

 

Post 4891

  Sea News, Dover

As promised there we are above...the final two pictures currently from Lifeboatman BEN PAYNE.
They show the Shannon Class lifeboat during her stopover here at the Port of Dover...as mentioned previously she was on her way to Bridlington. See earlier post 4395. Many thanks Ben, great pictures.


LOCAL SCHOOLCHILDREN HELP ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS NAMES IN THE SHIPPING WORLD MARK ITS 180 YEAR ANNIVERSARY



TWELVE schoolchildren from Dover helped P&O Ferries mark a unique occasion last week when they witnessed the unveiling of an on-board display to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the founding of the world's most famous shipping line.

The group of 8 to 11-year-olds from St Richard's Catholic Primary School had been invited onto the Spirit of France to watch the unveiling of six wall panels which explain to passengers how P&O became a famous name, when tourists started taking their cars to the continent and what roles the captain and his crew perform on board. The display also features information to interest younger readers such as the fact that the largest P&O Ferries' ships weigh the same as 8,570 elephants.

For the ceremony to mark the unveiling of the panels - which had been announced over the tannoy to every passenger on board - the children counted down from ten to one and gave a loud cheer when the covering curtain was removed.

On arrival in Calais, the party from St Richard's was given a tour of the bridge of the 47,000 ton ship by Captain Sam Hamer. And on the return journey they were treated to a special sit-down lunch in the Food Court, organised by the ship's On-Board Services Manager Paul Staveney, with the lasagne going down especially well.

Beth Ellis from P&O Heritage, which designed the 180th anniversary display, said: "It was brilliant to see the children interacting with the exhibition, asking lots of questions and generally being excited to be on board the Spirit of France. This is an astonishing company with a proud history and we were delighted to be able to share some of that with them."

Andrew Gretton, Business Manager at St Richard's Catholic Primary School, added: "The children were buzzing all the way back to school and could not wait to tell everyone about it. The generosity shown by the crew was incredible and something that we will not forget."

P&O Ferries' stakeholder project offers visits to schools, colleges and businesses within the local community. This is a totally free initiative. The visit is tailored to school requirements and their current projects. It can be a talk, with learning materials and other artefacts, judging a competition or providing an insight into the world of ferries and logistics.

ENDS

And here we are...the Spirit of France.


Many thanks once again to the guys at P&O Ferries.

* *

An extra picture below showing one of the worlds biggest ships...Munich Maersk. She weighs in at a considerable 215,000 tons. Staggering! Pictured here as she moved down the Channel on saturday morning at about a quarter to midday. Her first stop was Le Havre. But she wasnt dropping that load off in Le Havre, she was no doubt bound for the far flung far east. As we used to say in the olde days..."wot a whopper!"
As you can see...yours truly went a bit technical there...


"
Munich Maersk
One of the world’s largest container vessels –
Forming part of an exclusive club of megaships, the Munich Maersk stretches some four football pitches in length (399 metres) and spans a breadth of 58.6 metres. At full capacity, she can carry 20,568 TEU containers.

"

There you have it!

PaulB






Monday, 13 November 2017 - 07:06