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Princess Margaret and Princess Anne hovercraft to be scrapped

Discussion in 'Everything Else Heritage' started by Footbridge, Jan 30, 2016.

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  1. Footbridge

    Footbridge Member

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    Two famous hovercraft are set to be destroyed in Hampshire. :(

    The Princess Margaret and Princess Anne Hoverspeed vessels carried passengers between Dover and France for 30 years.

    They were taken out of service in 2000 and have since been stored at Lee-on-Solent.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-35445419
     
    Footbridge, Jan 30, 2016
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  2. bakabung

    bakabung Well-Known Member

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    That brings back memories but I thought they were long gone. I had many trips on these back in the late 70's/ early 80's.
     
    Last edited: Jan 30, 2016
    bakabung, Jan 30, 2016
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  3. 60017

    60017 Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    60017, Jan 30, 2016
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  4. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    Not sure anything was quite such a technological dead end as the commercial hovercraft. Still none the less it would be nice for one to be saved. Showed my lad (born in 89) some film of us (before he was born) loading a car onto one of them, and he was amazed at the technology - and that from a boy who's first sea trip abroad was in a high speed sea cat.
     
    mrKnowwun, Jan 30, 2016
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  5. bakabung

    bakabung Well-Known Member

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    bakabung, Jan 30, 2016
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    LSWR likes this.
  6. Robin

    Robin Well-Known Member Friend

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    Crikey, that brings back memories. Crossed the channel both ways on them in 1970 on a caravanning holiday to Italy and back (yes you could get a caravan on one). Photographed at Calais just before the return trip using a Brownie 127 camera that I've still got. Petition signed.
    1970_03_05.JPG
     
    Robin, Jan 30, 2016
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  7. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Did a crossing back in the 90s on a day trip to P'tit Train de Somme. That was a looonnngg day out.
     
    Spamcan81, Jan 30, 2016
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  8. ilvaporista

    ilvaporista Part of the furniture

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    Before the days of the tunnel we would often use the service on our Italy UK trips. There was something magic hearing the motors rev up and you lifting gently up in the air. Petition signed and another place to add to our list of attractions to visit in the UK
     
    ilvaporista, Jan 31, 2016
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  9. ilvaporista

    ilvaporista Part of the furniture

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    A fond memory of my late father in law was when we took him to the UK not long after getting married. He spoke no English and would have been close to seventy and had never seen a hovercraft in his life. He did not understand the safety announcement and being Italian and old disregarded them anyway. During the crossing we could not keep him in his seat and he was up and down continually poking his nose here and there. It all came to a sudden end when he opened one of the cupboard doors and the collection of about 40 lifejackets toppled towards him. Once these lifejackets had tasted freedom there was no way they were going back into the cupboard... So with arms, legs, feet, head he tried to stop the oncoming tide of lifejackets.... I've not laughed that much in a long time. The crew eventually rescued him from the deluge and after that he sat down. Back in Italy he told everyone about how magic the hovercraft was but he never mentioned his 'adventure'.
     
    ilvaporista, Jan 31, 2016
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  10. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Isn't hindsight wonderful, you could say the same about the canal fly boats that carried a small number of passengers, the horse going at a trot and having frequent changes. Then later the sailing ship and the airship, all steps forward in transport, all superceded. Oh and then there's anything steam powered....
     
    RalphW, Jan 31, 2016
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  11. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    None of them, however, had such a short lifespan as the commercial hovercraft, and all your other examples evolved.
     
    mrKnowwun, Jan 31, 2016
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  12. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    But the commercial hovercraft is still going isn't it?
     
    Spamcan81, Jan 31, 2016
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  13. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Atmospheric railway?
     
    Spamcan81, Jan 31, 2016
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  14. ilvaporista

    ilvaporista Part of the furniture

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    Didn't the service run from 1969 until 2000? I make that about 30 years which I don't count as a bad run. I can think of worse 'failures' that that. ATP anyone?
     
    ilvaporista, Jan 31, 2016
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  15. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Combination of factors contributed to its demise. End of duty free shopping and opening of Channel Tunnel to name but two but as you say, 30 years wasn't bad. The service across the Solent is still going strong, albeit on a smaller scale that the Channel crossing.
     
    Spamcan81, Jan 31, 2016
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  16. Hurricane

    Hurricane Member

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    Commercial hover craft still run from Portsmouth to the IOW (Admittedly much smaller) I would argue that Concord and supersonic flight is more of a technological dead end and step backwards for man.
     
    Hurricane, Jan 31, 2016
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  17. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    Just a means of propulsion, still a railway.
     
    mrKnowwun, Jan 31, 2016
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  18. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    SS passenger flight and hovercraft were born of similar 60's "white heat of technology" fervour. I am not saying thats a bad thing, such dreams and forward thinking is needed all the time. Concorde is however just anther aeroplane. Hovercraft wasn't "just another" anything. Wasn't a ship, wasn't a plane, didn't evolve from, or evolve to, it was a new transport technology, and as a new technology, commercially I'll still contend it was remarkably short.
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2016
    mrKnowwun, Jan 31, 2016
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  19. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    But a technological dead end none the less. You could say the hovercraft was still a ferry, just a different kind of boat.
     
    Spamcan81, Jan 31, 2016
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  20. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    The ATP evolved. Pendolino.
     
    mrKnowwun, Jan 31, 2016
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