News 2007

Open Day especially for Hendon Residents

This took place on the 19th January 2007, our first event of the New Year. We feel it important to make and increase contacts in the local community which hosts our workshop at Church Street East, so we decided to have an open day publicised to Hendon residents only. We put on a buffet which was supplied by the Hearts of Oak pub across the road (The oldest surviving pub in Sunderland). All we had to do then was open the doors. We also had a local school visiting that day too. As usual a good day was had by one and all. Photos below.

Hendon Young People's 'Shipbuilding in Sunderland' Project

The proposed shipbuilding project is to be funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund through their Young Roots programme. Young Roots was set up to encourage young people to become interested in their local heritage.

Below is the group from the Hendon Young People's Project who are producing the project, paying us a visit. They will research the history of shipbuilding in Sunderland. They will do this research by visits to libraries, archives and museums; interviews with former shipyard workers; drama and role play; as well as sessions with me where we look at old photographs etc. Andrew Clarke, the project initiator has gathered a lot of shipbuilding material through his work at Black Cat Publications and the People's History. They will also have an open day where local people can come along and contribute to the project.

Hendon Young People's 'Shipbuilding in Sunderland' Project
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Andrew Clarke's group of young people came back in early September as they are now on to the filmaking part of their project. We look forward to seeing the CD Rom they are making. Perhaps we can show a few clips to pre-view it?

Hylton Castle Americans look to their roots

Hello again from this long overdue newsletter. We have however been busy.

The following few pictures as well as giving more good workshop and project views, show a group of Americans who have links with Hylton Castle. They also have interests in maritime heritage projects at home too.

SMH at Mowbray Park

We attended the Mowbray Park 150 birthday celebration on the 12th May. Yes, yes and yes again! It rained on and off for the whole day. Still it was very enjoyable. The main entertainment were Dodgy Clutch and Peace Artists (don't say it too fast whilst trying to repeat yourself). Dodgy Clutch are a type of comedy theatre group who entertained the children non-stop from 1100 to 1600 hours. A heroic stint it was too. Peace Artists played a very update version of trad-jazz which featured a lot of Latin numbers. But were they original? My goodness yes they were.
They were fantabulosofantastic.

HMS Venerable at Mowbray Park

City of Adelaide at Mowbray Park

Part of the parade at Mowbray Park with Peace Artists at the front and Dodgy Clutch's Giant Mad Hatter at the rear.

HMS Bulwark Visits Sunderland
31st May 2007

HMS Bulwark docked in Sunderland as some of her compliment were joining a parade in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, marking the 25th anniversary of the Falkland conflict. She is pictured here being maneuvered into port.

Mouth of the Tyne Festival
14th July 2007

HMS Albion Visiting Sunderland
27th July 2007

The sister ship to HMS Bulwark, she is shown here leaving port prior to taking station off Roker Beach. From there she played her part in the Sunderland Air show dispatching marines in landing craft to 'invade' Roker Beach.

Here is some gen on the two ships which I'm sure you will agree are very powerful. Known as Landing Platform Dock (Replacement) (LPD(R)), these ships are replacements for HMS Fearless and Intrepid which have been in service since 1965 and 1967 respectively.

Displacement, tonnes: 14,600 standard; 18,500 deep load; 21,500 docked down
Dimensions, feet (metres): 577.4 x 94.8 x 20.0 (176 x 28.9 x 6.1)
Main machinery: Diesel-electric: 2 x Wartsila Vasa 16V 32E diesel, 13MW total; 2 x Wartsila Vasa 4R 32E diesel, 3.1 MW total; 2 x electric motors (16,763hp); 2 shafts
Speed, knots: 18
Range: 8000 nm
Complement: 325 crew plus 305 military (710 at overload)
Military Lift: 4 LCU Mk 10 (dock); 4 LVCP Mk 5 (on davits); 6 MBT; 6 light guns; 67 vehicles
Guns:  2 Goalkeeper CIWS; 2 single 20mm GAM-BO1 guns
Countermeasures: Decoys: Outfit DLJ(2); 8 Sea Gnat 6-barrelled 130 mm/102 mm decoy launchers. DLH offboard decoys.
ESM: Racal-Thorn EMI UAT(7); intercept.
ECM: Racal-Thorn Type 675(2); jammer.
Combat data systems: Ferranti ADAWS 2000 Mod 1; Links 11, 14 and JTIDS 16;. Matra Marconi SCOT 1D SATCOM.
Radars: Air/surface search: Siemens-Plessey Type 996(2); 3D; E/F-band.
Navigation: Two Kelvin Hughes Type 1007; I-band.
IFF: 1010/1011.
Helicopters: Flight deck facilities (no hanger) for operating one Chinook or two Sea Kings HC.4 or Merlin HC.3
Programmes: A decision was taken in mid-1991 to replace both existing LPD's. Project definition studies by YARD completed in February 1994 after a years delay caused by attempts to introduce commercial shipbuilding standards without compromising safety.  Invitations to tender were issued to VSEL and Yarrow on 18 August 1994 with an additional tender package to Vosper Thornycroft in November 1994.  In March 1995 it was announced that only VSEL would bid, the contract to build the ships was awarded on 18 July 1996.
Structure: Substantial Command and Control facilities. The configuration is similar to Fearless with a well deck and stern gate, but side ramp access as well.  Although commercial items and construction standards are being extensively used, damage control is to military standards.

The above text was taken from
http://navy-matters.beedall.com/albion.htm

Harbour Day
12th August 2007

A celebration hosted by the RNLI We had HMS Venerable there at the back of the car park in the pic below. I arrived just as the harbour and air was being churned by lifeboats and recue choppers. What a fantastic show.

Did you spot the poor helicopter winchman who was up, down and dragged all over the harbour at the end of a cable?
It started to rain just before the end of their show and boy! did it chuck it down. I sheltered under a cafe awning but still managed to get wet. It had been real busy from 1100hrs so when the rain stopped we re-opened our stand. We had about another half-hour before the heavens opened again and that was the end of the day. Still whilst it was good it was great and I certainly enjoyed the event.

Heritage Open Days 2007

This is a national event and many Sunderland Groups took part including us of course. It is the third one I have attended with SMH. We took the opportunity to finish up the last work on our kitchen and toilets as well as sprucing up the place. We were officially open on Saturday and Sunday but one of our normal opening days is Friday so we showed visitors around on that day too. We had a delicious buffet laid on for the Saturday and Sunday prepared by Sylvia Wynn and set out by Brenda Rowell. Here follows the pictorial record. Notice how many boats we have packed in at present.

QEll Luxury Passenger Liner Visits the Tyne
16th September 2007

The scene is set on the North Shields side with another Queen Elizabeth gracing the bank

First appearing from the South - A profile instantly recognisable to mariners and enthusiasts alike

The scene is also set for a welcome on the South Shields side
at this point She was delayed for over two hours due to bad visibility and high winds

Was She worth the wait. You can see for yourself as She dwarfs Tynemouth pier's lighthouse

She is in - She is past

The QEll settles down for the night at
Tyne Commissioners Quay
All photographs on this page are copywrited to Philip Gilman
free use to Sunderland Maritime Heritage

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