Here are some pictures of the former London and North Eastern Railway pleasure steamer Balmoral. The ship was built in the late 1940s and after retirement from regular service was saved and restored (with her more famous sister Waverley, the last coal fired ocean going paddle steamer in the world) by a preservation charity. Both vessels carry out extensive programmes of pleasure cruising all around the United Kingdom's waters every year and can be seen in the heart of London after passing under Tower Bridge. In this sequence Balmoral is turning "on a sixpence" in the Pool of London just a few yards from London Bridge (it was the evening rush hour - most of the thousands of homegoing commuters streaming across the bridge on their way to London Bridge station to catch the train home won't even have turned their heads or been aware of such a beautiful sight the other side of the bridge parapet!) Later in the year Waverley will visit as well and I will be sure to try to capture some pictures to show you, if you would like - tell me! By the way, these pictures were taken from my office window; now you will know why I am unhappy that my department is being moved to a sister office a few miles away in Fleet Street where the only thing to be seen through the window will probably be a brick wall! Ben Sorry - these pictures are in an album on Ofoto and I can't seem to copy shortcut and paste them as I have done with Photopoint and Zing; I will have to try yet another hosting service, but for the meantime if you would like to see these pictures log on to www.ofoto.com and enter my e-mail address (ben.cripps@vizzavi.net) and password (texas30) upon which you will be able to access the album and see the pictures (I am quite certain no Trainboard member would abuse my hospitality but if I find that any strange images have found their way into my album I will simply delete them). [ 22 June 2001: Message edited by: Ben ] [ 22 June 2001: Message edited by: Ben ]
Here are a couple more boat images taken in the same stretch of water, the Pool of London. The shot of HMS Belfast has had an arty-fartsy fog effect added by me. Ben
Yes, I know Gregg, I'm sorry; I am having a lot of trouble at the moment finding an image hosting service from which I can successfully link to Trainboard, but I will keep trying! Ben
I had a look at your album, Ben. You certainly have a great view from your offices, and I can understand your chagrin at having to move
Yes, well, all good things have to end sometime, I suppose, and I have been there 20 years. I am now moving to the "Street of Shame" as it used to be called before all the newspapers went electronic and moved elsewhere. Just having another go with the pictures: http://www.pbase.com/image/169960 http://www.pbase.com/image/169958
Neat photos Ben, I presume you go to and from work on your 40 foot Wheeler Cruiser. Are you going to have docking space at your new office?
Now that WOULD be a nice way to get to work (in the summer, anyway). I actually ride the "electric mice" (aka London Underground, Northern Line, Edgware branch) to and from work; very reliable and efficient but not quite as exciting as a Nickel Plate Berk or, for that matter, a lash up of big six motor diesels. We get this nice view from the front of our office (or at least we do for the next 4 days, anyway!). Ben http://www.pbase.com/image/169921.jpg whoops, try again: http://www.pbase.com/image/169921 [ 03 July 2001: Message edited by: Ben ]
Ben will they still allow you to operate your own private boat, like a speed boat, on the river today?
Yes Watash, I think so; there is almost certainly a river authority/harbour master/river traffic controller or something similar (I don't know what the title would be) and no doubt all boats have to be properly fitted with radio and safety precautions (unless it is some tiny rowing boat) and you would have to inform the authorities of your intention to be on the water. There are also river police. Control of traffic on the river was tightened up after a tragic disaster 12 years or so ago just a few hundred yards from my office when a large cargo boat ploughed into and sank a pleasure boat in the darkness and over 50 young people enjoying an evening river boat party were killed (the Bowbelle/Marchioness disaster); the results of the many investigations, inquiries and lawsuits that ran on for years afterwards include a requirement that all boats must have a lookout man in the bow at all times and proper lights must be displayed. The type of traffic on the river is very different from the 130 or so years up to the 1960s when this was a working river with constant deliveries to docks, wharves and warehouses; most traffic now is for pleasure but there is some container traffic and bulk rubbish movements and some quite large cruise liners tie up alongside HMS Belfast; quite a sight coming through the raised bascules of Tower Bridge. Ben
With (hopefully) permission to continue this slightly non railway (but still transport) theme (and with apologies to anyone who is not interested), here (below) is a link to an image of another pleasure steamer, somewhat larger than the others I pictured but nonetheless a pleasure boat. These huge, gleaming white cruise liners are operated, I believe by Eastern European tour operators and regularly come up, under Tower Bridge and into the Pool of London to tie up upside HMS Belfast, during the summer months. My last hour or so in my old office was spent watching dolphins lazily frolicking in the Thames just a few yards from the river bank; now, although the river is only 5 minutes walk from my new office in Fleet Street, I have a view from my window only of other windows and a brick wall; I can just see the sky if I crane my head upwards. Still, its only work, not prison (how ever much it sometimes seems like it!) In due course will try and post a link to a panoramic view of part of the south bank of the river. Ben http://www.pbase.com/image/182855.jpg [ 10 July 2001: Message edited by: Ben ]</p>
Lovely liner, Ben. I see it is alongside H.M.S. Belfast, I enjoyed a visit to it a few years ago. The guns are pointing up to the sky!
I've actually seen and heard the guns firing, Alan! They tested them a few years ago for some reason; a very small pleasure boat was passing the cruiser at the exact moment of firing and I should think they must have been totally terrified. Of course they fired blanks! Ben
