Worst Ship
 

Hi all, here is the thread Worst Ship with 11 posts for Wallbrook & London Bridge

We have Favourite Ships and now one for the Worst or least Favourite ship i,m sure we all have been on one at sometime..

ray bloomfield on Sun Dec 30, 2007 10:20 pm

Does anyone have any pics of these two 'things', they were both managed by Anglia chartering of Ipswich in the 70's. The London Bridge was bought as a hobby by two car dealers from Southend and the Wallbrook by a butcher also from Southend as his car dealer friend had one. On the Wallbrook when at sea loaded I had to remove the drawers and the mat in my cabin aft cos the water used to flood in where the accom. behind the pipes holding the steering chains was rotted away :!: Just like the Vectis Isle but not so visible. While on the London Bridge I fell out with the owners wife because....... oh sh** I dont want to bore anyone so I'll say no more except that the Wallbrook ended up as a dredger at Wells and the London Bridge ended up as a ballast boat running up the Thames to Wandsworth before hitting Lambeth bridge :?: and drowning the skipper/owner, I think she went for scrap at Queenborough after that
Still looking for that elusive good job, but where the hell are they nowadays!! psst anyone wanna buy a caravan

ray bloomfield

Peter Barc on Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:12 pm

Hi Ray,
Was it the "Nova L" that hit the bridge, :?
Wallbrook, I can still picture her laid for a long time on what is now the ro ro terminal in the dock and skipper was someone called White, does that ring any Bells Ray..
I only went to Sea
To go Ashore

Peter Barc

aegean on Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:28 pm

Peter, the Nova-L did hit a Thames bridge and took off the wheelhouse. They put her into Brightlingsea and fitted another one. However, it wasn't a new one - came off something else. I seem to remember it was sort of rounded at the front corners. Not very nautical but you know what I mean!


aegean

aegean on Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:37 pm
Sorry, you can see I'm having trouble tonight. The site is running so slowly you'd think it was on a rubber band not broadband.

aegean

Peter Barc on Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:50 pm

Hi duquesa,
Yes i find that sometimes that the site seems to run slow, what i normally do is click out of the site and reload it and then it seems all OK again.. Regarding the "Nova L" getting a new Bridge in brightlinsea, was the nova L the ex "Wallbrook" also i remember the Anglia Trader lying in brightlinsea for a long time just below the customs lookout post any idea where she went.. :?:
pete

I only went to Sea
To go Ashore
Peter Barc

aegean on Tue Jan 01, 2008 10:15 pm
I know the Anglian Trader was there for a long time but I have no idea of her fate. I also remember the old Wall brook quite well as she laid up for a long time outside Pertwee's mill above the swinging basin in Colchester. I have an idea she was either being used as a house boat or being converted into one. I am almost certain she did not become the Nova-L but could be wrong. She was on the sand run from Brightlingsea (up the creek) to the Thames. Think she was painted either red or orange. The old memory is not what it once was.

aegean

aegean on Tue Jan 01, 2008 10:20 pm

There is also something coming back to me about the chap who was the pilot boat cox in Brightingsea - Peter Powell. He eventually became the deputy Harbour Master under Ken Goody in Colchester. Something tells me he was at some time involved with the Wallbrook though I imagine that would have been when she was working regularly in the Thames.

aegean

ray bloomfield on Wed Jan 02, 2008 12:29 pm

The Wallbrook was a sister to the Mayesbrook and Beverleybrook originaly built to carry coal from Beckton Gas works on the Thames to Southend, for river craft they looked more like small coasters,bridge above the old mans cabin with bridge wings an all. The Mayesbrook sunk on the Thames with reels of paper bound to Aylesford and went to Holland when raised while the Beverley was on the ballast run from Brightlinsea for 'Gentleman Jim' for a longtime, what became of her in the later years I have no idea. The London Bridge did become the Nova L and I think that was the last name she sailed under.

aegean Hi
the rounded bridge you mention came of a decommisioned fishing boat, If I remember correctly.
Still looking for that elusive good job, but where the hell are they nowadays!! psst anyone wanna buy a caravan

ray bloomfield

Worst ship
 

For some obscure reason, I always relate Peter Powell with the Wallbrook.:banghead:

Leslie Spurling on Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:44 pm

Just an update lads, The WALL BROOK (two words) ended her days at Wells and has recently been broken up. The LONDON BRIDGE was in fact named GOLDEN BRIDGE and was owned by a D. Bainbridge who sold it in 1974 to someone called Hudson. She was then named NOVA-L and I do not know what happened to her.

All the Best

Leslie

Peter Barc on Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:04 pm

Cheers for the update Leslie,

i remember the skipper of the Beverlybrook for many years was Jack Burford from sittingbourne and he has a brother Bob also well known on the coast who sailed many years for Lapthorns until he retired..
I only went to Sea
To go Ashore

Peter Barc