Another One Bites the Dust

Maybe you need to slap a preservation order on it as one of the last examples of works with foundries in this country !

Steve

Up until last year we had 2 foundries in the town. Compair Reavell had one as well on their site beside the river in Ipswich (another 20 acres or so..) and guess what?...thats another big housing development now as well.

Ipswich used to be home to great engineering firms once, we even had the biggest walking dragline in the world at one point, built by Ransomes & Rapier. Sadly Maxwell closed this down and plundered the pension fund back in the 90's. Big engineering in Ipswich is pretty much dead now.

The nicest thing people say about the town these days is that it's a good place to buy shoes and get your hair cut....

Peter

Having sailed up there on a Thames barge and moored at Paul's alongside a local barge (Ena?), I have probably a rather dated view of the place. Do the big ferries still go up there ? I remember standing outside the pub at Pin Mill one night when the tide suddenly went out, then this 'block of flats' came round the bend squeezing its way up to Ipswich. The tide suddenly came back as it passed, and caught out a couple of people who were trying to get in a boat. I remember thinking that it was rather interesting experiment in hydraulics to pump any water in front of you and heap it up behind so that you effectively surfed up the river on a wave of your own making. I have always thought it was rather a nice place buy in danger of becoming yuppified.

Steve

You wouldn't recognise it now Steve. The Pauls building is being/has been demolished as part of the leisure development of the docks.

Lots of Pubs, Bistro, very-expensive apartments, a marina, 2 new hotels under construction, as well as the new Suffolk University campus under constuction at several locations around the old docks.

Yuppiefied is about right. The working dock has all but gone.

Lots of (biggish) pictures here, scroll down to see the construction:

The Butt & Oyster at Pin Mill a few miles up the river is still there though, and still a very pleasant spot for a few beers in the summer.

Peter

What upset me last time I looked down that way were that the new occupants of Pin Mill has the cheek to complain about the traditional boat repairs going on there being unsightly and noisy. That is like discovering the last woolly mammoth and insisting it is killed due the fact it trumpets the morning chorus.

I am getting a really glum feeling about all this. I work for a major oil company and they desparately NEED engineers, the North Sea boom people are coming up for retirement. Any chance of early retirement for me is going out of the window, anyone who knows their arse from their elbow will be a rare commodity.

Good job the Butt & Oyster is still there - beer straight out of the barrels.

Steve

My wife bought her engagement ring in Ipswich many years ago. I'd forgotten my wallet that day (as always) I did pay her back - honest.

Charles

test...sorry guys...I seem to have a problem with my post disappearing into space. Anybody seen a post regarding the Co-op in the last couple of days? --

Chris Edwards (in deepest Dorset) "....there *must* be an easier way!"

3 of yours on the 14th, 1 of yours on the 13th.

All here and OK (BT Broadband)

Sent to your email address as well at 10.25am.

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Rushden, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

Thanks, Peter. Very odd! I've also got BT Broadband...and as you can see, posted the Co-Op message twice. It still hasn't shown up here on my screen! I got your email, too.

How would you like to repost it here for me please? --

Chris Edwards (in deepest Dorset) "....there *must* be an easier way!"

I could, but that would probably duplicate it for everyone else?

Might be worth finding out why you cannot get the posts in the first place.

What news server are you using?

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Rushden, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

news.btinternet.com....and, as far as I can tell, I seem to be receiving other posts ok....

--

Chris Edwards (in deepest Dorset) "....there *must* be an easier way!"

You've obviously put yourself in the kill file... :-))

What newsreader?

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Rushden, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

.....and I'm having no trouble seeing this series of posts. I'll give it 24 hrs, see if the original(s) turn up, and if anybody else acknowledges seeing the Co-Op question.

Thanks for your help --

Chris Edwards (in deepest Dorset) "....there *must* be an easier way!"

Agent v4.2 --

Chris Edwards (in deepest Dorset) "....there *must* be an easier way!"

Chris, I saw the co-op question, yesterday I think, so we're getting you in Suffolk as well. Just had a quick look on Google Groups, and it's there too as being posted on 13/12/07 @ 15.52.

Peter

"Curiouser and curiouser" said the White Rabbit...

Please let me know if you see any responses! ...John Stevenson will probably remember....(:} - ducks quickly)

Thanks Peter. --

Chris Edwards (in deepest Dorset) "....there *must* be an easier way!"

There are 17 posts including the original question and Peter Neill's and your latest response.

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Rushden, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

Thanks for that. I just switched to news.datemas.de - my posts are not there either. Which server are you using...BT's? --

Chris Edwards (in deepest Dorset) "....there *must* be an easier way!"

Yes, but not the same one that you are using, obviously!

news.btopenworld.com

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Rushden, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk