Is the old factory building still down there?

niander · Post by **niander** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:13 pm

Is the old factory building still there?
As it looks like I'm moving down to very near Poole

would pay suitable homage

From one end of UK to other end

Post by **charlesp** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:59 am

Not as simple a question as you may think!

The last premises are still there, in the Ringwood Road. It's a European Car Spares outfit now. The site of the one at Fleets Bridge is still there, and the adjoining engineering premises are still partially there.

The one on the Quay has long since gone, the one at Verwood (bet you didn't know about that one) is a 'One stop shop'.

The premises in Hamworthy are still bugging me - I know which road, and I've been told roughly where it was, but I have no documentary evidence. The first workshop in Hamworthy is now covered by a huge devalopment of what the developers insist are 'luxury apartments' but which are in fact tiny rabbit hutches..

I have no knowlege of the Merlyn Motors and other Bristol premises.
Contact me when you move down here, I'll give you a guided tour..

Post by **charlesp** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:02 am

Oh, and I should say that a move to Poole is a good one. Poole Harbour is Britain's best kept secret.

It provides me with endless fun and amusement, and I have no plans to ever leave.

niander · Post by **niander** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:24 pm

Tell me about it ?i know it has a lot of boats
can see them all on Google maps satellite image [a great tool zoomed right in]

its quite shallow isn't it?

Post by **charlesp** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:52 pm

It is very shallow. I can vouch for that 'cos I have managed to ground my boat even in some of the channels. The main channel is dredged to quite a depth, however, to get the Channel Ferries etc in and out.

We in Poole reckon it's the largest natural harbour in the world; I must in all honesty state that there are some misguided colonials who think they have a larger one...

The images on Google Earth are far from new, but give a fair indication. For some reason the earlier images (1999) gave a superb image of the sea bed, you could even see the scars in the mud where cockle dredgers have been at it.

600 yards from where I'm sitting I can almost guarantee to show you a seal, and even closer is where I have caught my best ever sea bass. I have seen ospreys over the islands, and there are reports of dolphins just outside the harbour entrance.

There's Brownsea Island and a few others, there's the very strange Studland Beach where all sorts of people wander round naked (usually those that ought to cover up in my humble opinion ) and until last year there was a mobile ice cream barge crewed by the most pneumatic young lady dressed in not very much...

I potter and race (by race I mean follow those who are racing rather better ) my small sailboat all year. This summer has of course been a disaster, we've had more races cancelled because of foul winds than anyone can remember.

Poole Harbour is one of the best spots to be - if you own a boat it's even better. Even Way-Hope and Pinniger kept boats here - and that's when they both lived in Bristol.

Post by **charlesp** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:55 pm

...and of course we have the Royal Marines base here, a couple of hundred yards away. Home to the Landing Craft training school, they occasionally take out the stealth boat or the wave piercing boat or occasionally one of the mini submarines slung under a Chinook.

..wonder if I'm allowed to say that?

If not then someone edit it out..

The 'parachuting from a Hercules' display is rather good, too.

Maybe I should write the guide book for the local Council, eh?

niander · Post by **niander** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:53 pm

sounds exiting!
are there many jets flying around?
where do you keep your boat then or is it trailerd?

Post by **charlesp** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 4:58 pm

Boat is on a pontoon berth at nearby Yacht Club

Red Arrows - all of 'em flew over the house, very low, West to East, on Thursday. We saw them swoop over Brownsea Island (I was on the island watching primary woman's daughter perform Shakespeare ) on Wednesday, saw them again on Saturday,

Tornado strikes complete with very large bangs every few weeks a few miles away at Lulworth every few weeks.

Oh and the world's only airworthy Sea Vixen - in proper FAA colours now that red Bull have stopped sponsoring - is over at Hurn, sorry Bournemouth Airport.

Spitfire flew over on Thursday. Not a jet I know, but, hey, you just have to look up at the sound of a Merlin!

Not much else recently...

niander · Post by **niander** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:36 pm

woohoo !
like the sound of that lot!

Hugz · Post by **Hugz** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:14 pm

charlesp wrote: We in Poole reckon it's the largest natural harbour in the world; I must in all honesty state that there are some misguided colonials who think they have a larger one....

Indeed you harbour sounds heavenly. Poor old Sydney Harbour, I do declair it is going to the dogs. How can a man do a decent days fishing as he looks across the the sparkling blue waters to the glistening shells of the Opera house only to have topless sun browned sheilas racing past on a broard reach causing no end of turbulence and flurry. And to add insult to injury they wave as they go past with a promiscuous wobble of their abundent chests. It's deplorable I tell you. Have they no shame?

As one heartbeats slows to be in tune with the gently bobbing of the boat a whale might rise with her calf and spray one with water and scare the beejeesus out of us.

Where have the days of quiet fishing gone.

What was the address of Poole again?

Hugo.

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:41 pm

it looks like I'm moving down to very near Poole

A modest pad for just a few Â£million on the waterfront in Sandbanks?

Post by **charlesp** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:55 pm

I just knew someone was going to play the 'Sydney Opera House card'.

Well let me tell you we've got bronzed Sheilas too. Big ones. We don't actually have an opera house here, but we do have an Australian Sports Bar on the Quay. We have a lifting bridge too, not like the immobile one you have. Actually I must admit it wasn't lifting last night because some plonker with a truck shed his load on the thing and it was jammed for a few hours, but it was built a long time ago.

It's just possible - a faint possibility, mind you - that our colonial mates have the edge where the weather is concerned.

And the property I live in is worth lots and lots less then the ones on the Sandbanks Peninsula. Sadly for my wallet that's exactly where my daughter plans to be married next June. That's when you can expect my collection of Seagulls on the market. And my house. And car.

Hugz · Post by **Hugz** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:59 am

charlesp wrote: We have a lifting bridge too, not like the immobile one you have.

We have one of those too on one of our harbours smaller estuarys. Mind you it is only four lanes. Note the white sandy beaches.... definately a blight on the landscape, tho they are handy to drop into to refill the seagull and perhaps have a Sydney prawn or two.

http://www.airviewonline.com.au/stock-p ... asp?ID=258

niander · Post by **niander** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 8:59 am

Vic wrote:
it looks like I'm moving down to very near Poole
A modest pad for just a few Â£million on the waterfront in Sandbanks?

Yes absolutely!..I was watching "coast" and it was showing this great area!"sandbanks"
with private moorings at the end of the garden!...I just had to have one

I'm just getting a modest small house Â£3000,000 unfortunately Ive had to sell quite a few of my seagulls to scrape it together

CatiGull · Post by **CatiGull** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:20 pm

What does grounding your boat mean Charles??

(Says he, owner of a 26 foot water ballasted sailboat with retractable keel, drawing 12 inches)

When I sail to Cuttyhunk Mass, where moorings are 50 USD per night, I anchor in the 3 foot tidal flat for free!!!