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Radio Sutch & City - Part 19

Shivering Sands

Transparancies (Slides) from our archive taken of Shivering Sands in the 1960's

The Gamecock

Whitstable Oyster Smack 'Gamecock' F76'

The historic Oyster Smack 'Gamecock' was built to order by Earnest Stroud landlord of 'The Royal Native' public house and Oyster Dredger in Whitstable by Collar Brothers in 1907

The 42' vessel was fitted with a Kelvin side-valve engine by Anderson, Rigden & Perkins in 1928

She was refitted in 1961 and a Lister diesel engine fitted

She spent years moored in Whitstable Bay during the Oyster season, and winters in the harbour, eventually the trade declined with many of the Oyster Smacks broken up

Aquired by Bill Coleman in the mid-1960's she was saved that fate, but on the orders of the harbour authorities Oyster Smacks were excluded from the harbour in October 1967

Moored to the west of the Oyster Buoy the 'Gamecock' was sunk by an unknown commercial ship leaving the harbour, owner Bill Coleman with help from local fishermen beached her and set about repairs

Bill has painstakenly repair and replaced much of the pine timbers since, finally he parted with the 'Gamecock' selling her to Whitstable Maritime in 2014

Whitstable Street Buoy, then Whitstable Street Buoy, now

Whitstable Street Buoy
A later Whitstable Street Buoy

More commonly known locally as the Street End Buoy no longer maintained by Trinity House & replaced by a North cardinal buoy

London Trawler LO208

London Registered Trawler LO208

Spaniard Buoy East Middle Sands

Spaniard Buoy
East Middle Sands

Shivering Sands Army Towers

Shivering Sands Army Towers

Note the sagging catwalk between the Bofors to Control Tower, remnants of the Navy training climbing nets on the Bofors Tower & the PoL (Port of London Authority) Weather Antenna on the Searchlight Tower

Shivering Sands Army Towers

Shivering Sands Army Towers with Southern Buoy just in view

Shivering Sands Army Towers

Shivering Sands Army Towers with both North & South Buoys

Shivering Sand Towers Southern Buoy

Shivering Sand Towers Southern Buoy

Shivering Sands, G2, G1, G3 & Control Towers looking West

Shivering Sands, G2, G1, G3 & Control Towers looking West

Shivering Sand Towers, Southern Buoy

Shivering Sand Towers, Southern Buoy

Shivering Sands, G2, Control, G1 & Bofors looking South East

Shivering Sands, G2, Control, G1 & Bofors looking South East

Note the reasonable condition of the paintwork on all Towers

Shivering Sand Towers, Southern Buoy Radio City AKG D12 Mic'

Shivering Sand Towers, Southern Buoy
Radio City AKG D12 Mic'

Note the mooring rope used by casual anglers, this buoy mysteriously had disappeared by the mid-1970's

The AKG D12 had a piece of foam fixed to the front with adhesive tape stating 'Aim Here'


Audio

Radio City Studio Fort Ambience 1965

I recorded above after closedown on one of the two studio Ferrograph's, invariably one ashore being repaired

Both the Lister Generators were running at the time, the transmitters on stand-by, the secondary charging the batteries for lighting and the tiny 405 line B&W TV set in the rest area

With a stiff breeze outside so you can hear the Shivering Sands Southern Buoy in background

The D12 studio mic' was opened holding the elbow switch down, with no voice modulation you get a feel for life on the Towers


Radio City AKG D12 Mic' detail

AKG D12 Mic' detail

Shivering Sands, G1 & Bofors Towers looking West Shivering Sands, G1, Contol & Searchlight Towers looking North

Shivering Sands, G1 & Bofors Towers looking West
Shivering Sands, G1, Contol & Searchlight Towers looking North