1976_Child Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 I vaguely remember that Southampton used to host a cross channel ferry service when I was growing up. Can anyone remember which company it was and the route? And more importantly why not still? Ok, so it takes a bit longer to clear the Sound compared to Portsmouth but on an overnight crossing why would that matter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
latter day saint Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 when i moved here i still remember a cross channel ferry, wasn't it berthed just down from Ocean Village? remember launching rockets out of scaffold poles at it from the end of the jetty on Weston Shore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minty Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 Appreciate it's only Wikipedia but they have the following: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Port_of_Southampton#Cross-channel_ferries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lets B Avenue Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 Im sure they were run by Townsend Thoreson when I first went to France in the 60's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecuk268 Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 Townsend Thoresen went to Cherbourg and Le Havre and P & O also went to Le Havre (the Panther and the Leopard). There was also a larger ship called the Eagle which went down to Santander and Tangier. My cousin was a Customs Officer at the time and the Eagle was always good for a bit of the exotic tobacco. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedelldays Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 stenna used to...been on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint-scooby Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 That was a few years ago, when we went on our school trip to France we left from Soton, for quite a few it was the first time to a foreign land. if my memory serves me right the whole year went on a group passport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976_Child Posted 17 October, 2011 Author Share Posted 17 October, 2011 Thanks all. Just brought it up because (if God forbid) those dirty scousers do relieve our port of some of the cruise liner traffic then why not entice a ferry company back and nick it off the skates? Now that would be funny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_saint Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 Townsend Thoresen went to Cherbourg and Le Havre and P & O also went to Le Havre (the Panther and the Leopard). There was also a larger ship called the Eagle which went down to Santander and Tangier. My cousin was a Customs Officer at the time and the Eagle was always good for a bit of the exotic tobacco. It was Dragon and Leopard. The Dragon was Brit-crewed, the Leopard French-crewed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jillyanne Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 Thanks all. Just brought it up because (if God forbid) those dirty scousers do relieve our port of some of the cruise liner traffic then why not entice a ferry company back and nick it off the skates? Now that would be funny! Can't see it happening personally, it would only be the visiting ships anyway, not the ones whose home port is here and a lot of the American passengers want to visit Southampton for the 'Titanic Experience'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976_Child Posted 17 October, 2011 Author Share Posted 17 October, 2011 Can't see it happening personally, it would only be the visiting ships anyway, not the ones whose home port is here and a lot of the American passengers want to visit Southampton for the 'Titanic Experience'. Ironic that! Ariving by cruise liner to gawk at the place the most infamous liner was based! I hope they all go to Belfast too to see where she was actually built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaMarlin Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 To my recollection, there was a national dock strike in the 1980s. Southampton was solid, and it gave the ferry companies the excuse they needed to go east to the non-unionsed p********h where the scab workers welcomed them with open arms. My old man was a docker and I remember how livid he was. Rather at odds with the SCUM legend. So that's two urban myths nailed. The SCUM legend, and that of the Greatest Fans, yadda, yadda, yadda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaMarlin Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 Ironic that! Ariving by cruise liner to gawk at the place the most infamous liner was based! I hope they all go to Belfast too to see where she was actually built. Not forgetting Liverpool, of course, which was registered as the Titanic's home port. Although she never actually went anywhere near the place. Isn't the flagpole outside the entrance to The Kop at Anfield that from the Olympic, or one of the Titanic's sister ships? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976_Child Posted 17 October, 2011 Author Share Posted 17 October, 2011 Not forgetting Liverpool, of course, which was registered as the Titanic's home port. Although she never actually went anywhere near the place. Isn't the flagpole outside the entrance to The Kop at Anfield that from the Olympic, or one of the Titanic's sister ships? Sure, let them go to scouserville after Belfast. Then on to Cobh (Queenstown) which was Titanic's last port of call. (good quiz question that. Most people say her last port of call was Southampton or Cherbourg) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 The P&O ferry Eagle had its bridge windows put through by a freak wave crossing the bay. My old man was crew at the time and he said it was the only time in 40+ years at sea when he thought he was going to die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyinthesky Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 Cross Channel ferries ran from Soton for many years from what is now Ocean Village Originally it was the British Rail fleet to Cherbourg, St Malo, Channel Isles etc Later Thoresen, P& O, Southern Ferries to France, Spain and N Africa, introduced Drive on/drive off ferries which really opened up the market. There was a good deal of industrial dispute in Soton in the 1970/80's which, added to the first Middle east conflict (which increased the oil price) made Pompey a decent alternative, especially as their position was closer to France Stena then came in early 1990's to run a regular service to Cherbourg (passenger numbers were good but the cost of the Ferry vessel charter was high so they wrapped it up about 5 -6 years later) Pompey and Poole have been the main local ports since then but the Eurotunnel and the removal of Duty free benefits have reduced Cross Channel Ferry carryings in recent years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OVER THE HILL Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 Im sure they were run by Townsend Thoreson when I first went to France in the 60's. Me too, a school trip to Cherbourg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 Think a company was going to try again in recent years but the high docks fees were prohibitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocco boxo Posted 17 October, 2011 Share Posted 17 October, 2011 Did plenty of Tyro trips to Le Harve, used to be some rough Easter time crossings! I think Leslie Crowther opened the Terminal they used, sure I saw him do that. TT were the better ferries imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SO16_Saint Posted 18 October, 2011 Share Posted 18 October, 2011 Stenna line to Cherbourg, my mum used to work in there. Was great for booze cruises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyinthesky Posted 18 October, 2011 Share Posted 18 October, 2011 Think a company was going to try again in recent years but the high docks fees were prohibitive. Dont think there is any chance of a cross channel passenger service re establishing a service from Soton as there are no facilities remaining, Pompey has invested heavily in a revamped passenger terminal, Pompey is approx 30-45 mins sailing time closer to France and the cross channel passenger ferry market is down quite considerably due to the competition from cheap airlines and Eurostar This all leaves me reflecting on the much improved ferries plying the cross channel routes. The old Thoresen/P&O ferries were quite small and always seem to smell!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
latter day saint Posted 18 October, 2011 Share Posted 18 October, 2011 The old Thoresen/P&O ferries were quite small and always seem to smell!! imagine having to do an overnight trip in the north sea on one of them! the ferry to the Shetland isles was an old cross channel ferry(can't remember the b1oody name of it!) that would leave Aberdeen at 7pm & arrive in Lerwick at 7am. 1st time i traveled on it was just plain scary, more like a 12 hr ride on a roller coaster than a boat trip. its not like i wasn't used to ferry travel either,having at 1 point, 5 uncles working on the cross channel ferries out of Dover & Folkestone. the trips from Shetland in the school holidays were great though,as us nippers would run riot on the boat as our parents went & got p1ssed in the bars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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