Posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on December 09, 2002 at 09:59:09 from 195.93.33.13 user ACB.
In Reply to: Re: Pin Mill and Hamford Water posted by Ian Wright on December 08, 2002 at 19:14:53:
Well done, Ian. The only things that I can add to that are, firstly, that the Walton and Frinton Yacht Club stood where it does today, at the head of Foundry Creek, in AR's time. The clubhouse was built on the site of a windmill, which blew down, in 1920 or so. The tide mill owned by the same miller stood where some of Halls' boatbuilding sheds now are, and as a boy the tide mill pool was a boating lake (quite a good one, you could hire sailing dinghies) whilst the area behind the clubhouse which is now the Walton and Frinton Yacht Trust basin was a creek with several houseboats in it. Nancy and Peggy probably sailed up to the WFYC quay, on the top of the tide, in "Firefly" just as you can now.
In the 1960's there were three boatyards on the lane down to the clubhouse where John might have had his rudder repaired - Tichmarsh's, Hall's and Bedwell's. The latter two are still there, but Tichmarsh's, which was nearest the town, closed and relocated to their very sucessful marina, which Ian mentions.
Second, the Beach End buoy no longer has a bell. This is due to Felixstowe Dock's expansion - the channel was dredged and the course shifted so the bell was moved to the Cliff Foot buoy.
Third, the Cork Lightship, ("our local nightingale") is no more. There was a serious collision, in which the truck ferry "European Gateway" sank, with loss of life, in 1987, and it was decided to change the buoyage into the harbour to reduce the risk of more such collisions, and the Cork LV was done away with at this time.
Fourth, the spot in Harwich harbour where John anchors for the Customs men to come aboard, the Quarantine anchorage, is now underneath the Felixstowe container terminal's last westward expansion.
There is an alarming prospect that Bathside Bay, between Harwich and what most of us still think of as Parkstone Quay, now officially called Harwich International Port, may be filled up and made into another container terminal.