Medway Ports

As promised, a report from Boss of Volunteers, Basil on our involvement in the Faversham Nautical Festival last weekend.

Faversham Nautical Festival, Pic by Dave Brooks. Cambria Stand is green tent above bowsprit.

Says Basil, “This weekend just gone, we were at the Faversham Basin Festival of Sail, where Faversham
Creek Trust were the main fundraisers – There were a couple of visitors to Cambria
corner who were remembering (Mr Volunteer Views) fondly, and regretting your move to Ireland,
but very delighted when they knew that you sort out the website from afar (didn’t know them, and too slow to get names). The musical accompaniment to
proceedings was fantastic and much enjoyed by all comers. SB Lady of the Lea
was visited by a constant stream of people in all age groups, the Creek
Trust appeared to collect many new members which must have made their
efforts all worthwhile. Bangers and burgers were available along with a flow
of beers. We were there to sort of join up the Apprenticeship scheme since
it started via Cambria, and should continue in the Purifier Building,
hopefully. We were very cordially treated. Dave Walsh and
Catherine de Bont were around. She had brought her boat up to join many
others in the Creek.
It was mentioned to me by several people how Medway Ports has become
involved with the Lock Gate, and I pointed out to them that it was project
manager William Collard who initiated this action.”

Basil reminds us that “next week we’re on the pontoon at Gravesend.”

Thanks for that, Basil and thanks to the people who remembered me. The picture is by Dave Brooks. The Cambria stand is the green gazebo behind the bowsprit.

Faversham Creek Gut Way ploughed by Medway Ports; Photo by Faversham Creek Trust

Faversham Creek Trust are now motoring well in their drives to get the Creek back open and to do up the creek-side Purifier building as an apprentice training facility cum workshop. They have published this significant picture of the main gut-way of the creek (below the swing bridge) after Medway Ports engineers had dragged something called a “plough” straight down the length of it to create a straight channel down which the muddy silty stuff from the basin and swing-bridge operations could make it’s fast exit seaward without stopping at Standard Quay or Iron Wharf for a rest. They have also published pictures of the engineers down at the base of the swing bridge sluices with huge backward “Vax” hoover-style pumps stirring up the accumulated silt round the gates so that the gates could open and close. More recently I have also seen some nice pics of the Purifier windows being opened up again to let the light in, where they’d been boarded and bricked up to stop vandalism and squatters while the building was basically abandoned. All this is on the lovely Faversham Creek Trust website on http://favershamcreektrust.com/ where you can also read all the other news stories and sign up to be emailed the latest news.

Tag: Medway Ports

Up the Creek

Creek Trust Website