I’ve had many trips on cross channel ferries before and after this disaster and I’ve often got down early to the car deck and witnessed the doors being opened before the vessel had stopped.
The worst trip I had was from Portsmouth to Le Havre on a ferry full of vets heading for Normandy in 94. The weather was so rough that we travelled on the top deck in the VIP lounge as my old man thought it was the safest place to be.
On arrival at Le Havre the sea was so rough that we had to be brought in by 2 tugs, even in the harbour, we were up and down like a yo-yo, getting off was not fun, but nothing was opened up till the vessel was well secured.
The person I envied was the bloke in a DUKW.

Can’t find out who the guide dog requiring deaf architect actually was but the disgraced architect was John Poulson.
If you are really keen there is a web cam set up to record the buildings ‘sad’ demise, obviously nothing happening today.

You may be interested to know that I phoned DX yesterday to enquire about the opening times for this event.
I was told quite catagorically that the 10:00 opening times will still be in operation.
I pointed out that in view of the current BBMF media publicity, the responses from this site and the fact that large contingents of the Truman family are coming down from the Midlands made me suspect that the attendance will be quite large with people arriving early, as at normal airshows, and that if the gates were’nt opened earlier then there would be a hell of a traffic problem.
Did’nt make any difference, the times still stand.
I think we could be in for a bit of a problem here in the realms of the Spitfire Show and the 60th BoB anniversary, when on both occasions I played safe and got in at 8:00, good job too.
I would’nt advise anyone to use the M11, now I live in Braintree, it’s a doddle to go via the A120 and M11, but I can see the early birds queuing in both directions on the motorway so it’s the back roads for me and hopefully there will be parking near the Tank Building.
Anyone have any influence up there.

Was this monster designed by the infamous archtiect whose name I forget, who got jailed for bribery and corruption involving deals with Newcastle council in the 60’s.

Just to add my bit, an early outing for PA474, Waddington, early 60’s, I know I’ve shown them before but some of you may not have seen them, taken with an Ilford Sporti 4 by the way.

Will it be at Leg……………..

very nice pics John, thanks for sharing. I also like the fact that some punter very thaughtfully dropped a pen on to the starbaoard Vulcan top wing skin for scale!:D

Looks like a BIC to me, hope it’s still there when the Hungarians are visiting next week, Lazlo Bic is their local hero, they will be overcome to think that a Vulcan required a ballpoint pen to threaten the Eastern Bloc, psssst, won’t say anything.
I remember my then, 3 year old son, accidentally dropping a packet of polos on Napoleons tomb in Paris, he was absolutely distraught by this, and sobbed for ages afterwards, ( for some reason that I’ve never managed to work out, Napoleon was his hero,)
In the end he said,’ Well, there’s all those famous French generals in there and I’m sure that they will all meet up at midnight and share that packet of polos between themselves’.Thought I was ending up with a precocious monster, but you couldn’t be further from that, bless him, he can’t even remember any of this. Huh, kids, who would have them.

Sad news, I was quite surprised to read it on here this morning.
Strangely enough, I don’t think that I ever saw him play live, I always seemed to miss Forest v Everton and by the time he went to Arsenal, Forest had dropped a division and as I didn’t see an England match live till 75, I didn’t see him play for them either.
Good player, had a great enthusiasm for the game and was always good to watch, even if it was on telly.
Heart attacks appear to be unpredictable things, you wouldn’t expect it in an ex-sportsman, but who knows, I’m pretty slim and like to consider myself fairly fit despite a lack of exercise, though I was able to cope with a long bike ride last week, but I’ve been told that I’m at a dangerous age, so who can tell.
RIP Bally, who had to sell his own history for the price of Becks weekly wage.