PRESENT DAY SOUTHAMPTON: SOUTHAMPTON DOCKS 1964 - A BRITISH TRANSPORT FILM

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[@polyvg]

Around about the time of this film, I had just moved to the general area. And was invited onto the original Queen Elizabeth to wish bon voyage to someone or other. (From where I am now, I have not the slightest idea who they were or anything about why.) Had a lot of walking round the ship - seeing inside a cabin, a gym, past a sick bay, outside decks, ending up in a large lounge area - eating pretzels which were in a knot shape. And then off, and hanging around the Ocean Terminal for a while. Also remember the boat trains. We'd see some of them going towards Southampton, and the railway track embedded in a few bits of road. Just missed the steam-hauled ones. For the rest of my years in the area, everything seemed to be about containerisation and increasing oil capacity (and ship sizes) to be refined down Southampton Water at Fawley.

[@PaulB-17]

Very interesting to see. My grandfather worked all his life in the docks there. I know he used to unload those Cape boats. His favorite was the Pendennis Castle, I don't know why. Also I remember him taking me to see the QE 2 in the big dry dock one day. he is long gone now RIP Pops.

[@JohnFoley1958]

Fantastic, Kippy; thanks. My Dad worked for the Royal Mail line in the early 60s and often used to take me to see the ships he'd seen at the docks. I'd have been about six when this film was made and particularly remember the Oriana, Canberra (twin funnels?) and Queen Elizabeth (two funnels, whereas the Queen Mary had three, I think?). I also remember the George V dry dock, and how absolutely MASSIVE it seemed. Great memories, even if some shipping expert on here is going to tell me most of them are inaccurate?! Happy Christmas, mushties! John F

[@AlfFieldArt]

I worked at the Royal Mail Parcel office in the mid 80's. I occasionally walked around the old dock sheds, out of curiosity. They were quiet and eerie with no activity, relics of the recent past. I suppose by then the container system had taken over. The cranes and rail lines were still there. It was sad to see it like that.

[@andygoodtube8421]

Wow!...that was amazing watching that, love these videos. It was so busy, I'm not sure about the health & safety regs though! Everyone knew someone who worked in the docks back then. Now today, we see those large container ships coming in & all that cargo being loaded & unloaded in one go & so much quicker. Great to hear the unmistakable voice of Richard Baker too.

[@davidnolan1692]

Health & Safety didn't exist back then as you were taught what to do by the old hands.

[@RedEyedJedi]

It's definitely faster now. I work at Southampton docks unloading these huge container ships. We use straddle carriers now, which are 70 tonne, 60 foot vehicles which can carry up to 50 tonne containers. Health and safely is everywhere now. Some of these container ships carry up to 24000 TEU (Twenty Foot Equivalent) containers. They are never in port longer than a couple of days.

[@GaryLecarpentier-vt8oc]

My dad and most of my family are associated with the docks in one way or another, I’m pretty sure I caught a glimpse of him in the footage but it’s a touch grainy so I can’t be 100%, cheers for the upload, made me think of what life was like back in my early years rather than the nonsense we are having to endure today 👍

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