HARBOUR ENTRANCE
Views of West Pier over 30 year period
By Stephen Morris
Some pictures of the harbour entrance over 30 years and the changes.
The first picture was taken from the Valencay in 1971. Note the neat state of the wooden piling and the complete lines of the East Pier. The West Pier lighthouse was still intact. The cranes are visible on the East Quay for the Fisher Terminal cargo handling.
The second picture was taken in 1995 from the Stena Londoner after a late departure due to bow thruster problems. The Meeching had to give the ferry a push under her starboard bow to swing her round in the river, hence the tug returning to her berth. Note the giraffe container crane and the ugly gap in the East Pier.
The final picture taken from the Sardinia Vera in 2002 shows a more dilapidated harbour entrance with missing piling around the end of the West Pier. Thirty years of wear and tear and minimal investment takes its toll.