Hovercraft launched on this day in 1959
- 11 June 2012 06:48177485Heard an item about this on the radio this morning so thought it would make an interesting piece for us here on Doverforum as the Hovercraft has played such a huge part in our cross channel services. The machine which was invented or designed by Sir Christopher Cockerel hit the water officially for the first time on the Solent. It was a bewildering craft for many. Revolutionary for sure in that it was propelled along on a cushion of air.
Although it powered its way across the channel right in front of us here we have so few pictures. Here is the one supplied by Paul Scotchie Wells himself recently in postcard form.
We used to be a nation of great inventors and Sir Christopher was one of those. He got considerable financial backing from the powers that be in Whitehall, as officialdom believed in this kind of thing then, believed in the pioneering spirit and the quality of the British invention.
Nowadays any such individual would get little encouragement....so most if not all of the innovations now come from elsewhere on the globe.
Within weeks of its launch on the Solent it made its first trip across the channel on the 26th July coming in the opposite direction...from Calais to Dover. It's average time crossing the channel often depended on the prevailing wind...I know I was on it, some days it would take little more than 25 minutes, other days more than 50 minutes. But it was a great machine...a bit prone to rolling and lolling but then you cant have everything. It ceased operation in 2000 and came right in here next to the beach on its final night. I saw it but couldnt believe it. The noise was enough to waken the dead!email: dover7@msn.com - 11 June 2012 06:58177491It was a quick trip indeed Paul, I believe the record time for a crossing was 22 minutes.
The service to Ostend was great, especially the First-Class service, Jean and I did that a few times.
It was indeed noisy and prone to the weather, but people would come and stay in Dover just to try the hovercraft - their duty-free service was second to none.
I remember we travelled on their last service to Ostend and they were selling off their drinks very cheap - I bought a couple of bottles of Lagavulin Malt Whisky for £10 a bottle.
Roger - 11 June 2012 08:16177504I think I might have been on that one that did it in 22 minutes Roger...
lol!! I came back from Calais in a brisk tail wind one time with the kidling herself. We were just settling in or so it seemed when i saw Dover's harbour wall whistling by the window. Gobsmacked at the speed of it at the time.
Did it run from Dover to Ostend Roger??..I didnt know that, never saw that one in operation. I know a service used to run from Pegwell Bay or so i believe from previous chatter on here, but some of these events/services were before my time in these parts.
The end of Duty Free, which was very big for them in making ends meet, was a big blow and probably singlehandedly finished the service off. But they were glamour days especially in earlier years. A certain Ms Lorraine S was a very glamourous Hovercraft girl in her red aircraft style uniform. I didnt see her in the flesh as it were but I saw a picture somewhere one time.email: dover7@msn.com - 11 June 2012 12:32177536Just to draw attention to this and bump it up a bit. Fascinating to hear it all featured on the radio this morning...just to make sure guys are aware of the occasion of its first launch which was today in 1959.email: dover7@msn.com
- 11 June 2012 12:36177538The Hovercraft were only Dover/Ramsgate to Calais/Boulogne.
Jetfoil was Ostend I believe from both Dover and RamsgateBeen nice knowing you :) - 11 June 2012 12:49177540Ah thanks for the clarification Paul.
Forgot there was a jetfoil. It was before my time here although I did see it one time while on a visit and it was quite a sight. It went skidding across the harbour on its way to..Ostend. I watched from the then Churchill Hotel. Never saw it again. Dont know how long the service operated.
By the way just to go back to the earlier mention of the Hovercraft itself coming up almost onto the beach here...the reason was, someone told me later, that all the crew and staff were having a farewell dinner, a last supper if you like, in the aforementioned Churchill Hotel..now the Marina of course. It waved a sad farewell to all the staff before it went away forever.email: dover7@msn.com - 11 June 2012 12:54177541So many things like that I missed as my dad worked on them and I could have got along but didn't have much interest !!! Reminds me though that I have had a crossing or two in the captains seat
There was one occasion that I wish I could find on film of ones of them going up on Margate Beach for a Saturday morning kids programme when I was about 10/12 years oldBeen nice knowing you :) - 11 June 2012 13:26177542Mention of the jetfoil reminds me of when we took a trip to Jersey. Rough seas do not bother us but most of the passengers aboard were very ill. When the jetfoil docked in Guernsey someone asked the hostess, "Is it always this rough?". "No," she replied, "it's usually a lot worse"!
- 11 June 2012 14:25177546Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
- 11 June 2012 15:13177548a chap in the next road to me worked on the hovercraft from its maiden voyage until his retirement 30 years later.
he always maintains that they were great days with cameraderie that stayed with crew members long after retirement. - 11 June 2012 15:24177551Yes they were great days .Was your neighbour an engineer ?
- 11 June 2012 16:35177563To save confusion it is actuallty the dinky SRN1 that was launched on 11th June 1959
http://www.jameshovercraft.co.uk/hover/srn1/srn1.phpBeen nice knowing you :) - 11 June 2012 16:56177567An old golfing partner John Broome was Captain of the Hovercraft and several trips I sat up in the sparse area where he sat
to `drive/fly`.On one ocassion at the french end apprently the Hovercraft had to `fly` over some beach fishermen.
Not sure if John was winding me up?
Always enjoyed the Hovercraft trips. - 11 June 2012 16:59177570As a former PR Manager for Hoverspeed, I can certainly vouch for the great camaraderie in the company. It was great to work with such an exciting product, which always used to make people stop and watch as it came out of the sea and onto the pad in Dover and Calais. I certainly had a few memorable trips on the hovercraft and seacats from Dover!
- 11 June 2012 20:02177618Sadly I never travelled on the hovercraft, but can always remember the sound you heard when it was coming in to the harbour,and also seeing how smart the girls looked around town in their uniforms.
- 11 June 2012 21:06177649The Hovercraft was absolutely thrilling to be on, I remember quite clearly our first trip aboard all those years ago. We had many trips thereafter. The girls were oh so glamourous in their bright red uniforms. Many of the girls now work down at the cruise terminals and often chat about their experiences on the Hovercraft and as Kevin has mentioned above the great camaraderie of the company
PaulB, we have some great pictures of the 'Kidling' herself, on the Hovercraft and one in particular comes to mind of her standing next to 'The Princess Anne', as far as I can recall, waiting to board - 11 June 2012 21:25177658Think it was a BBC1 programme Tom - Going Live or something like thatBeen nice knowing you :)
- 11 June 2012 23:13177665
Been nice knowing you :) - Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
12 June 2012 00:26177669I worked for Seaspeed (British Rail) for two years when they hovered out of the Eastern Docks in 1970/72 before they were stretched. Our Sue's husband the late Paul Nicholas was Duty Manager, a lovely man. Nigel was also there at the same time.
It is nice to recall 22 minute crossings but I remember some crossings of nearly two hours in bad weather. I also remember the skirt dropping off and having to beach on the sand dunes somewhere between Boulogne and Cap Gris Nez with a full load of cars and a coach and a full load of passengers. A day and night to remember.
- Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
12 June 2012 07:00177676my sister in law worked on them,she was unfortunate to be working on the one that bumped into the prince of wales pier.
