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Ian Wells presented his Tilbury slide show �Winter 82/83� at our meeting on 3rd March. This was the period when Tilbury had the �Chinese Berths� and was importing large quantities of cheap goods from the Far East. Many of the ships on this service traded for a long time but just seemed to fade away and disappear from the registers with no definite report of demolition. We were also reminded of many old �friends� who used to call regularly or were laid up. We were reminded of a branch visit to �Act 3�, one of the first large purpose built container ships serving Australasia, Also shown were vessels of the Russian �Balt-Orient Line�, the �River Niger�, �Africa Palm�, �Lagos Palm�, and �Irish Pine� the subject of another branch visit. Surprisingly the bulk carrier �Bruni�, first ship to load scrap metal from Tilbury, was found to be still trading. At that time the dry dock was still operational and lighters were still to be seen alongside ships to off load cargo. Our thanks to Ian for a nostalgic evening for all those who remember Tilbury and the Thames twenty years ago and for proof that exceptional pictures can be taken during the winter, with frost and lingering mist all adding to the atmosphere. |
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