14 D Cl'O HER M E E T Il I Q 1 st Talk ------Thirty Years of Bower on the Hover A talk by Captain Brian Laverick Smith reported by Ibrry Sutton

he autumn and winter programme Captain Smith demonstrated with film T of talks and other events kicked off why it was necessary for the 300-ton in fine style on Monday evening, craft to arrive in harbour at speed. October 22nd, with a witty presentation If the craft came into the £15 million by Captain Brian Laverick Smith who hoverport at a slower speed it created a was one of the pilots who used to "fly" far greater wash that was liable to out of Dover. damage yachts and other craft.

His talk, Thirty years of Bovver on the One amusing incident was when young Hover, described the birth of hovercraft passengers on the craft, concerned about and the first hovercraft Channel the safety of a resting seagull on the crossing by an SRN1, the Tbwnsend hoverpad in front of the craft, demanded Thoresen passenger-only venture from delay in departure until the bird had the Camber at the Eastern Docks, the been shifted. This delayed other arrival at Dover of the SRN6 craft to be movements throughout the port and, he succeeded in 1968 by the car-carrying suggested, cost the company £500 in the SRN4, The Princess Margaret. useless burning of fuel. Trips to the Goodwin Sands, by hovercraft, were also "I had great fun working on the recalled with one occasion when they hovercraft. There was a great social feared they had left a member of the atmosphere on the fun craft. We, the Women's Institute stranded on the sands. pilots, thought we had died and gone to But the flap was over when it was heaven," said Captain Smith. discovered there had only been a miscount in numbers who had gone out He recalled that at one stage it was on the trip. planned to build a bridge from the international hoverport at the western Captain Smith regretted the ending of end of the harbour across the harbour hovercraft operations at Dover, blaming waters to link with the railway (near the increasing fuel prices, inflation, the Marine Station) to provide speedy opening of the , the 1990 passenger access to the craft. He also arrival of the Seacats (Hoverspeed Great recalled the noise from the hovercraft Britain and Hoverspeed France) and lack drifted from the hoverport over the of investment by the owners. The former town resulting in complaints from Dover craft are now laid-up in a museum residents of The Gateway. That at Lee-on-Solent where, he said, the prevented the introduction of night pilots meet each year for a reunion and flights. the telling of yarns about the old days.