Guest 1178- Registered: 31 Jan 2014
- Posts: 29
What a lovely thread! I worked on her in the mid sixties. Summer seasons as asst steward and also asst purser. Johnny Hopkins was one of the great characters.
My beef however is that I read comments bemoaning the fact that she was not preserved and it is almost criminal that she was allowed to go for scrap but local support for our Save the TSS Dover campaign is to say the least muted. DHB don't want to know and membership of the group is tiny.
Luckily our friends in the north have taken her to their hearts and it looks as though we will be raising her and dry docking her in the foreseeable!
She is the world's last surviving steam turbine car ferry. Let's ensure that she comes back to her old home port!
Guest 1178- Registered: 31 Jan 2014
- Posts: 29
By the way it should be TSS Lord Warden, she was a turbine steamer. And of course she had the engines of the Royal Yacht Britannia as her originals were removed to power the Royal yacht which had to be rushed into service on the death of the King.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Mr Maclean sir. Mr Hopkins was a great pal of mine we were Alma lads I was with him the night the Lord Warden went down in the port he came into the pub had to much to drink by that time, he was on the ship when it went down and one of the last crew members to get off her he was so upset about it and as lads all we could do is take the mick about it but he is still about I am told living in Deal.Thank you for your post.
Dead now but also my first wife dad was working in the Engine room Stan/Bidgood,
Guest 1178- Registered: 31 Jan 2014
- Posts: 29
Thanks Vic! I thought it was Normannia that sank after being holed by the old paddle steamer berth on the Admiralty!
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Sorry I do not know about that but the Lord Warden went down up to the deck leval.
Guest 1178- Registered: 31 Jan 2014
- Posts: 29
There's no record of Lord Warden having sunk. When was this or was it just Johnny on a particularly bad night?
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
No it did go down that night John was upset because that very day he had a new carpet fitted in his cabin they reflowted it and was set for refit.
Guest 1178- Registered: 31 Jan 2014
- Posts: 29
That's really interesting Vic. Any idea what year that was. Should be an interesting story for this thread.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Mr MacLean,sir.
It was many years ago so that is sorry a no,but there are members on the forum that was using the Alma at the same time and that night the pub was packed so we might find out.
There was a big group of us at that time and we would use the Alma as our base some of the old lads and girls are still about and most have had very good jobs but like myself have packed up work now because we are getting on in years.
I do not know why the ship went down but thinking about it again it hit the birth at the Western end of the port but only crew on the ship at that time.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,892
This might help with the date an extract from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Railways_ships
Built in 1951 by William Denny & Bros. Collided on 7 July 1956 with French ship Tambre and was damaged at the stern. Collided with the quayside on 2 August 1975 at Calais, repaired by Harland & Wolff, London. Laid up in 1972 at Newhaven. Returned to service in May 1974. Collided in January 1975 with Horsa at Calais. Laid up in September 1979 at Newhaven. Sold in November 1979 to Ahmed Mohamed Baaboud, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and renamed Al Zaher. Scrapped in April 1975 by Karim Shipbreaking Industries, Gadani Beach, Pakistan.[56]
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Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Sounds a bit of a jynx ship with all those collisions.
Roger
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Thank you Mrs Higgins that was a good report.
I think it was the late 1960s that it went down but only to deck leval in the port.
But it was a good ship I went on it a few times myself could it be a jynx ship? could well be you do get them even with cars.
Guest 1178- Registered: 31 Jan 2014
- Posts: 29
I think you will find that it was the Normannia which sank. There is absolutely no record of Lord Warden sinking. We do need to authenticate these assertions otherwise history easily gets distorted.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,892
I think the problem is Vic's use of the term "went down" instead of holed where there could have been water damage as he describes. Neither ship are mentioned as sinking or going down only as damaged
Normannia from the same link in #50.........."Built in 1952 by William Denny & Brothers. Served until April 1968 when transferred to SNCF, France. Transferred back to British Rail in October 1968. Sold in April 1973 to SNCF then bought back in October 1973. Damaged on 9 July 1974 in a collision in Dover Harbour. Repaired and returned to service but laid up in 1975 at Newhaven. Returned to service in July 1976 but again laid up in May 1978 at Newhaven. Sale in June 1978 to Red Sea Ferries, Dubai intended but not proceeded with. Arrived at Gijon, Spain in December 1978 for scrapping.[60]"
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 1178- Registered: 31 Jan 2014
- Posts: 29
I've asked the question on the British Rail thread and the DFE thread. Vic asserts that she sank (went down) to deck level. If this was so there would have been a spectacular salvage operation as there was with Normannia which incidentally was resting on the bottom on the paddle steamer berth.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,892
I have just asked on Facebook about both ferries, there are lots of ex ferry members someone is bound to know the answer.
My husband joined the company in the late 1960s but I do not remember any event of such potential significance.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
We will wait to see what comes up then thank you.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,892
Maybe this is what Vic is thinking about with thanks to Alain Hobbs.
"July 9th 1974, The "TS Nornannia" struck the submerged remains of the old paddle steamer jetties while moving from one berth to another which ripped a 10 foot gash in the side but she did not sink. She was repaired at Middlesbrough."
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
You could be right but Mr Hopkins was head purser for Brishrail and he was the purser on the warden a ship he called his own.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,892
Would that be Len Hopkins I seem to remember my husband worked with someone of that name.
More information this time from Derek Donnelly
" She is laying behind "A" shed where the Packet yard put a temporary concrete repair in the gash in her side. As Alain said she hit the submerged girder-work of the old paddle steamer berth at no 5 berth Ad pier where she was going to lay by for crew change. She moved ,with all pumps going, to here so she would sit on the bottom at low tide.."
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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