1970s Chatham | Royal Navy | Submarines | Military | Kent | A town called...| 1977
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ย. 2024
- 'A Town called..' Presenter Monty Modlyn visits the maritime town of Chatham in Kent, where he gets to see the military at work
First shown in 1977
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Quote: VT16641
Medway has never really recovered economically from the closure of the dockyards
Prince Philip visited Chatham in 1977. He asked the Dockyard bos "how many dockyard mateys work here"? " "About 40% on a good day" was the reply
I was there as a boy the year before at the Navy open day , went on board the many ships including RFA Grey Rover which I re boarded in the Falklands in 87 during my tour there , my mates dad worked as an instructor on heavy machinery at the royal engineers depot & they had some great open days there too where you could drive a multitude of massive millitary vehicles & diggers or be given the chance to gas or arc weld , the H&S bods would poop themselves now if that happened, Chatham was a ghost town when the Navy & engineers moved out so very sad. Great to see the late great Monty Modlyn , a true gent.
Gosh, it's hard to believe how much went on in Dockyard and Chatham back then and how scruffy the area is these days. I first came to Chatham in 2017 for lecturing on Medway campus (shown from 17:01). I believe setting up 3 universities in the area was an attempt to revive the area but 20 years later I can't really say that they have succeeded, there's just never enough momentum.. It's very unfortunate that Medway hasn't been able to recover economically. In the lockdowns though londoners realised that this is the only affordable area left around London and started moving here causing house prices soar. Things are changing slowly.
Thank you for sharing the old footages, it really helped put things in context, and I now feel more respect for the area and it's past glory.
I've just watched my Dad PO Pusser Hill, as he was, serving aboard Hunter Killer HMS Sovereign.
Nice one Dad. 🫡
looks like they got the same amount of ships in Chatham then we got in the whole RN now
nice to see the old style navy uniform lot smarter then todays one
Agreed. The new one looks cheap. Same with every government department - cutting costs means crappy quality. Sad.
Reported by the likeable Monty Modlyn, he started at the markets and in his parents gown business and then a reporter, his Cockney accent caused him obstacles at the BBC but he was very popular in the 1970s. Hosted the Today program for a while from 1964. Do a search on his obituary in The Independent, his forte as you can see was interviewing everyday people. I would say this report is from a program he hosted "A Town Called....."
When the dockyard went so did Chatham.
Brilliant. I started off working life at Rosyth Naval Dockyard. Only Rosyth and Devonport left now, both much reduced in size and privatised.
My grandfather was a Major and my father was a Captain in the Royal Engineers.
You must be very proud. What fine men
@@hmq9052 Thank you. I am very proud of them.
All gone 7 years later…😢
What did they do with it?
@@Alfredromeothatsme tourist attraction you can walk round the old dockyard there’s also a shopping centre
@@rebeccajackson2238 Thanks Rebecca
The three giant basins where the warships were repaired and refitted are still in commercial use. One of them is now a busy marina with a capacity for 400 boats. Much original equipment, like cranes and mooring fixtures, are still there and well maintained. History is very much valued at Chatham.
(9:30) A quick job description :
"They bend 'em.
We mend 'em."
very suprised to see my father in this saying they bend them we mend them
The 'girls' lad could pick up an apple through a letterbox with those knackers.
17:20 Those buildings are now houseing Greenwich and Kent university.
fascinating video, thank you very informative.
Great history thanks for uploading
Awesome - more on the dockyard please
Can't help note the bitter irony of this piece against the dockyard closure being planned as this was aired and the death of the town that followed only a few short years later.
Triumph featured also but no mention of its planned destruction. I worked there in '81 and got on it but it was really a shell. Shortly thereafter shipped off for scrap in the ME IIRC.
Good to see HMS Triumph on view and being mentioned, though I don't think that she was ever in commssion again after this time.
Think you are probably right - I was on it in '81 and it was a shell. It was probably shipped there for decommission in 77.
The town where I was born--gone to the dogs now. funny to think i was only a couple of miles away at the time... wonder what i was doing??
8.25 to 8.46 Spot the 70's wrestler hardcase.Looks like he could be Arthur Mullard's brother.
I was there this evening, in the ropery basement, Chatham and district model railway club
Good old school interviewing, no fluff or guff. We've lost all that now to inane jabbering & interfering ethnicity tampering to the point of lunacy.
Excellent video, thank you 🙏🐨🐨🦘
The Admiral clearly didn't know what was coming just 4 years later in 1981 or 1982.
My Grandparents lived across the river. Whilst still active you'd be woken up in the morning by the hooters going off. Now all horrible tacky little houses. 🤮
10:20 where’s the jimmy’s chin?
- Never meet a Navy men that says something he miss is a woman touch.
BIG man , BIG m.a.n. - CRASS ??
So terrible all those men being shouted at...let's talk quietly..