Rock on the River 07

[jellybabyjenbob]

[memor]

I though it was dangerous to have a rock in the River.

Aren't they frightened of sinking boats.

Doesn't anyone dredge the Tyne anymore !!!!

[curly]

Sorry to inject a hint of seriousness here Memor, but yes someone is dredging the river and dumping it off Souter!

[Pilot]

There have been two dumping areas off the Tyne for longer than I can remember, one is to the North east and the other to the south east off Souter point. The vast majority of the dredged material is silt washed down from the upper reaches or sand washed into the river during easterly winds. Both are natural phenomena, nature trying to return the Tyne to its pre industrial state when it was very shallow and contained many islands. Dunston Staiths was once dredged to 30ft at low water but now you can see the bottom at low water, that's an awful lot of silt and quite a bit finds its way down to the lower reaches eventually. The sand washed in from the North sea in easterly weather tends to cause a backup off the black Middens which encroaches on the main channel if left the river would be closed to the large ships that so many still depend upon for a living. So we have a choice, dredge and keep the river open or stop and in time the river will return to nature.

[nelly]

sounds like a good night jelly thanks

[Globalmyths]

Dont worry about the rocks in the river memor just worry about the Lorelei that sit on them.

[robpapE2]

There have been two dumping areas off the Tyne for longer than I can remember, one is to the North east and the other to the south east off Souter point. The vast majority of the dredged material is silt washed down from the upper reaches or sand washed into the river during easterly winds. Both are natural phenomena, nature trying to return the Tyne to its pre industrial state when it was very shallow and contained many islands. Dunston Staiths was once dredged to 30ft at low water but now you can see the bottom at low water, that's an awful lot of silt and quite a bit finds its way down to the lower reaches eventually. The sand washed in from the North sea in easterly weather tends to cause a backup off the black Middens which encroaches on the main channel if left the river would be closed to the large ships that so many still depend upon for a living. So we have a choice, dredge and keep the river open or stop and in time the river will return to nature.

Hello Pilot can you tell me do they dredge around the clock in the River ???
I ask as often when its very quiet at night you can here clanking noises..it can't be men making or mending ships as Thatcher saw to that ...can you help ???

[Pilot]

Sometimes they do robpapE2 it depends on the crew, the main dredging is done once a year or every other year and if there are two complete crews onboard they go around the clock if not they tie up for the night. But the modern dredgers are suction dredgers so all that clanking must be something else, from where I live (Harton) on a still night I can hear them loading and discharging containers at Tyne Dock, maybe its that you can hear.

[jellybabyjenbob]

Thanks for your undying interest in the gig guys

[Pilot]

Sorry Jen

[jellybabyjenbob]

Lol just joking Pilot, don't worry bout it.

[robpapE2]

Sometimes they do robpapE2 it depends on the crew, the main dredging is done once a year or every other year and if there are two complete crews onboard they go around the clock if not they tie up for the night. But the modern dredgers are suction dredgers so all that clanking must be something else, from where I live (Harton) on a still night I can hear them loading and discharging containers at Tyne Dock, maybe its that you can hear.

Thanks I now know what the sound is I hear after a heavy session on these here boards...

[jellybabyjenbob]

So er...back on topic, away from river dredging...

This is tomorrow night, and it's well on the way to being sold out, so if anybody wants to come and hasn't got their ticket yet, get yerselves down to the Customs House!

[memor]

Jenbob. I might be coming up with talent scout from EMI.

About Souter point being place for dumping ground.

Sounds Okay with me !!

[jellybabyjenbob]

The gig went really well...Apart from the sound guy being incredibly grumpy and not doing his job properly!!!

It was a really fun night, a fab time was had by all

[offthewall]

For robpapE2,

I think most of the clanking that you hear is from Tyne Dock where the scrap metal pile is. They load this into the ships holds by picking up a grab-load and dropping it from a great height into the deep holds.
I can see this operation going on from my upstairs window!