Hello Mr. Witts, Very interesting video and for me, who lives in landlocked Austria, in the state of Styria, it is very amazing to see how a river so close to the sea and, as you say, with the second highest tide change in the world can change its appearance depending on the season! It must be very nice to be able to witness the arrivals and departures of the ships in Sharpness; here in Austria we are more photographing and filming trains and so all I can say is, it must be very nice to ride on this train from Gloucester to Cardiff, thanks for showing it! Have a nice week ahead! Many greetings from Deutschfeistritz, Styria, Austria 🇦🇹, Christoph G. 😊🚢🤝
Many thanks Christoph, one problem, we locals don't appreciate what is on our doorstep thus not taking advantage of doing what you suggest, the train ride from Gloucester to Cardiff.
@@ChrisWitts That's actually a shame, because a train journey can be a very nice experience! We here in our "Übelbachvalley" are already waiting very hard for the renovation work due to the flash flood from June 8th, 2024 to be successfully completed and for our "Übelbacherrailway" to be able to run again! 😊🙏🌊🚧🚋
0:02 In 1960s Berkeley Castle had gone. The Sharpness pilot boat stationed at Portishead then was 'Alaska'. The pilots and apprentices were housed ashore in a two room brick building on the wall outside the lock entrance. Accessed the 'Alaska' using a rowing (sculled) boat. I seem to remember hearing from them that Berkeley Castle had been taken over privately by one of the ex pilots and taken somwhere up the canal. Not sure about this now.
@@DavidGarfitt I was a frequent visitor, having ideas of applying to be an apprentice. Often went out to Walton Bay on Alaska, boarding or disembarking pilots. There were two apprentices, Richard Morgan and the other's name I have forgotten.
@@DavidGarfitt I remember those names, but they must have been the previous apprentices. Or maybe one was Keith Hadley. My memory for names is fading. I'm 72 now, and my time of hanging around the pier was in my teens. I went to sea in 1970, aged 18. Remember using the 'punt' to scull out with a pilot to board "Reginald Kearon" just off the pier.
Hello Mr. Witts, Very interesting video and for me, who lives in landlocked Austria, in the state of Styria, it is very amazing to see how a river so close to the sea and, as you say, with the second highest tide change in the world can change its appearance depending on the season! It must be very nice to be able to witness the arrivals and departures of the ships in Sharpness; here in Austria we are more photographing and filming trains and so all I can say is, it must be very nice to ride on this train from Gloucester to Cardiff, thanks for showing it! Have a nice week ahead! Many greetings from Deutschfeistritz, Styria, Austria 🇦🇹, Christoph G. 😊🚢🤝
Many thanks Christoph, one problem, we locals don't appreciate what is on our doorstep thus not taking advantage of doing what you suggest, the train ride from Gloucester to Cardiff.
@@ChrisWitts
That's actually a shame, because a train journey can be a very nice experience! We here in our "Übelbachvalley" are already waiting very hard for the renovation work due to the flash flood from June 8th, 2024 to be successfully completed and for our "Übelbacherrailway" to be able to run again! 😊🙏🌊🚧🚋
Very interesting...Thanks for sharing...☘️
My pleasure
For shipping heading upstream from Avonmouth, it's a 270 degree turn into Sharpness.
0:02 In 1960s Berkeley Castle had gone. The Sharpness pilot boat stationed at Portishead then was 'Alaska'. The pilots and apprentices were housed ashore in a two room brick building on the wall outside the lock entrance. Accessed the 'Alaska' using a rowing (sculled) boat. I seem to remember hearing from them that Berkeley Castle had been taken over privately by one of the ex pilots and taken somwhere up the canal. Not sure about this now.
I think I was the last Apprentice on the Berkeley Castle, then spent the last 2 years in the building by the pier !!
@@DavidGarfitt I was a frequent visitor, having ideas of applying to be an apprentice. Often went out to Walton Bay on Alaska, boarding or disembarking pilots. There were two apprentices, Richard Morgan and the other's name I have forgotten.
@@richardwakeley2192 I was there with Peter Tippet and then Keith Hadley !!
@@DavidGarfitt I remember those names, but they must have been the previous apprentices. Or maybe one was Keith Hadley. My memory for names is fading. I'm 72 now, and my time of hanging around the pier was in my teens. I went to sea in 1970, aged 18. Remember using the 'punt' to scull out with a pilot to board "Reginald Kearon" just off the pier.
@@richardwakeley2192 I'm guessing Richard Morgan was pobably related to the Pilot Ron Morgan ?
Excellent video. I assume that the ships use the incoming tide to sail up to Sharpness and then sail away on the ebbing tide.
Ships arrive off Sharpness about 30 mins before high water and depart roughly the same period.
@@ChrisWitts Thanks for the information.
Does anyone watching this site know what happened to the Berkely Castle that was stationed at Portishead ??
Shame about the music
sorry