Author Topic: Dover Eastern Docks  (Read 2635 times)

Offline Nemo

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Re: Dover Eastern Docks
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2019, 05:48:13 PM »

Offline Smiffy

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Re: Dover Eastern Docks
« Reply #5 on: September 19, 2019, 03:25:17 PM »
I thought that as it was the Queens warehouse she might have used it as a free off license  :)


Offline Nemo

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Re: Dover Eastern Docks
« Reply #4 on: September 19, 2019, 02:54:22 PM »
A less palatable trade years ago was in live tortoises from Turkey for the UK pet market, being shipped in reefer trucks so they would hibernate and not need feeding. On at least one occasion, cardboard cartons were used and moisture got in so that the entire 10 foot high stacks collapsed with distressing results.


The RSPCA were called (not sure of the legalities but who cared) and instructed the whole shipment be offloaded pending wooden crates or lower stacks.


At which point the tortoises starting waking up in the ambient temperature and looking around for what was on offer by way of food, etc. I have an abiding memory of the offload bays turned into a sea of tortoises scampering around and doing those kind of intimate tortoise things that should really be done in private.


Rather a few were 'liberated' by the wharfingers and Her Majesty's finest.

Offline Nemo

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Re: Dover Eastern Docks
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2019, 02:31:59 PM »
A range of solutions over the years, from selling it to the NAAFI, auctioning it to the public, using it as fertiliser and simply destroying it.

Offline Smiffy

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Re: Dover Eastern Docks
« Reply #2 on: September 19, 2019, 02:00:42 PM »
What happened to all the confiscated booze that went to the Queens warehouse?

Offline Nemo

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Dover Eastern Docks
« Reply #1 on: September 19, 2019, 08:00:50 AM »
One of the things I recall about working in the Eastern Docks during the late 70s was the difference in handling imported booze between East B (the Preventive/passenger station) and East A (the commercial imports station).


Booze in excess of tourists' allowances invariably ended up in the Queens Warehouse, making East B a 'dry' station. East A was somewhat wetter.


There were several trades in bulk wine, imported in roadtanker for bottling here, and whose duty depended on quantity and strength. Now the strength was determined in those days by taking a bucket of wine and putting brass instruments in it, before tipping the bucket back into the tanker. The Revenue Assistants tended to be ex-servicemen and polished the brass. After a couple of incidents where the Brasso contaminated whole tankers of Blue Nun or whatever, the importers pleaded that the buckets should be tipped away. And so the sampled wine went down the common sewer. Via the large and small intestines.


(Wine was stored in buckets under the Sample Room sink pending 'disposal'. Sadly Nemo spilled some Heavy Oil he was sampling into a bucket of Nuits St George and wasn't terribly popular for a while.)