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Battersea

25K views 35 replies 30 participants last post by  Chris Wordsworth 
#1 ·
Remember these? The flatiron colliers or “Flatties” use to transport coal to the power stations and gas works upriver above London’s bridges.

Central Electricity Generating Board’s “Flatiron” BATTERSEA (51/1777) on the River Thames passing the lock entrance to the Royal Dock’s
 

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#3 ·
For those interested, the World Ship Society in 1984 published a book "Gas and Electricity Colliers" by D. Ridley Chesterton and R.S.Fenton ISBN 0 905617 33 9.
A5 size 120 pages with illustrations it covers the numerous gas and electricity companies and their fleet details.
 
#6 ·
I sailed as Mate on the battersea in 1979 and enjoyed my few months going between the north east coast and Battersea Station before taking up my job as Operations Manager inthe Port of Sunderland. I saw the Battersea a few times in the port and went on board when it was laid up in Sunderland. It was renamed the Granville and went to Ireland to load scrap, after loading and on its way to Spain it sadley sank in the Irish sea. A sad end to a nice ship.
 
#33 ·
Hi all, I remember the loss of the Grainville very well and with a lot of regret, at the time I worked for K.H.Thomas Shipping Cardiff ( Coastal Dry Cargo Brokers mainly) and our firm had the lions share of scrap metal shipments from the U.K. mainly to the government subsidised steel works in North Spain. This was one of the fixtures I made and was the first experience I had of hearing of a ship and lives lost, carrying one of our cargoes,had the feeling at the time that I had contributed to this sad event, however my father was a Master with BP and pointed out that all who sail the seas do so knowing the hazards and this will always be the case, wise words as always from a salty old sea dog.
 
#8 ·
I was on two of the 'submarine' flatties ... the 'Brimsdown/MFTB' and the 'Sir Alexander Kennedy/GZDZ'. Well remember the 'staithes' at Newcastle, Dunston, Derwenthaugh, Tyne Dock, Methil, Seaham and Jarrow for the power stations at Fulham, Battersea, Woolwich, Blackwell Point and Northfleet. They were busy but happy ships, always on the go, often sheltering when the weather turned dire

Would love to get images of them even though I have 1/1250 models of all the 13 ships I sailed on, made my a superb modelmaker with whom I used to 'barter' glass showcases when we ran our own case business as DSC Showcases (dscshowcases.co.uk). Some of them cost over £400 at the time.

Regards
David/G4CMQ
 
#12 ·
martin

I spent the late 70ies and early 80ies tramping round nw europe including the west coast of Ireland on the Climping and the Tarring both ex Gas board Flatties. I was once offered a free ride back to the station by a taxi driver in Plymouth when I told him our destination was Limmerick.
 
#15 ·
Sailed on the SS Tyndall an ancient Flattie in 1955 Mostly Grimsby to Battersea with the occasional trip to Dunkirk. Hard to get off as being in Port most of the time never had any money, Every time the Funnel was pulled down the galley got covered in soot.In my log it says it was owned by C.E.A. Registered in London cassas
 
#22 ·
I remember these so well from my childhood. I was raised in this row of old houses directly opposite Battersea Power station and watched the flatirons coming and going for years from my bedroom window.

Not the most romantic of ships, but ships nevertheless and therefore of great interest as i was besotted with anything to do with ships, leading inevitably to my ambition to go to sea.
 
#23 ·
Had many memorable summer trips on the Battersea as a teenager with my grandad who was skipper for the best part of the 70's. One memory comes to mind was steering her out of the Thames and nearly putting her into a sand bank. To which I received a sharp head slap followed by a string of expletives and banishment from the wheel. A steep learning curve that one.
 
#24 ·
my late father and his mates sailed on lots of flatties loading seaham to london or continent used to love going aboard as young kid these looked massive ships in seaham in fifties sixties til i joined up then i saw massive ships and ulcc boy was my childhood outlook changed
 
#25 · (Edited)
I served on the flatiron Fulham viii as 3 eng. it was managed by Stevie Clark's and was on regular run to Battersea P.S. Having spent most my service deep sea, going up and down the North Sea in a flattie in the winter was the only time I was ever seasick. With accommodation midships it was an adventure just to get to the engine room in the 12-4 night watch in a howling gale when you had to judge the waves coming over and run like hell to make sure you stayed dry and did not get washed overboard. Ginger Beer
 
#26 ·
Seeing mention of the m/v Battersea brought back memories of my time on the sistership m/v Blackwall Point. Endless trips from Tyne/Blyth/Seaham/Methil/ Sunderland to Battersea power station and also Fulham power station thro ' 1958 to 60. Can anyone refresh my memory and tell me was the Fulham berth on the north bank of the river ? Can't find it on any maps. Thanks.
David Whitehead.
 
#27 ·
Can anyone refresh my memory and tell me was the Fulham berth on the north bank of the river ? Can't find it on any maps. Thanks. David Whitehead.
It was on the North bank, just downriver from Wandsworth Bridge. The power station was demolished about 30 years ago and the site was redeveloped (I believe that there is a Sainsbury's supermarket on part of the site) after extensive cleaning/detox of the land. Looking on Google Maps satellite view there seems to be structure parallel to the bank in the river in about the right place for where the jetty would have been, but my memory isn't good enough to be sure.
 
#29 ·
I spent happy times on the SS Brimsdown/MFTB in 1964, Was most disappointed when I was told by MIMCO that I was being transferred to an Oil Tanker., went out East for about 10 months, No Comparison, Brimsdown was best even though we were Coastal, Best Social life and plenty of time up the road etc., Cheers
 
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