LONDON DOCKS WEEK

Hokitika Guardian, 27 November 1930, Page 2

LONDON DOCKS WEEK

LONDONERS SEE THE 111 PORT. An innovation in the form of a “London Docks Week’’ ha« recently provided Londoners, and indeed, hundreds of visitors from other parts of the United Kingdom, the Colonies and abroad, with a, unique opportunity of seeing the wonders of London’s mighty port. Seagoing tugs and motor launches were requisitioned to transport visitors from the City down the 30 mikn of river as far as the Tilbury Docks, the nearest’ port, to the sea. (Many of the biggest London shipping linos provided the visitors with the thrill of dining on large ocean liners and the opportunity of inspecting the interiors of these floating palaces. - A much-appreciated courtcpy was the provision 'by the Port of London Authority of guides on each of the excursions, who pointed out . the places of historical and commercial interest on the Thames and described the peculiar and . particular activities in the various docks viewed en route. DOCKLAND. Passing through Tower Bridge, with bascules raised as it were in welcome, visitors were introduced to Dockland and the guide pointed out the entrance to the London and St. Katharine Docks with their high ranges of warehouses, in which are stored in great quantities some of the most valuable commodities from all parts of tb e world. For example, over 80,0,00,000 fleeces of wqol parp through these Docks every year and the Port of London Authority keep a staff of experts to perform such necessary operations as weighing, lotting sampling, etc.. »o as to ensure for sellers on the London Wool Market, which ip international in character, the maximum of service and despatch.

Other goods stored in tlie.se docks include skins, wines, .spirits, spices, sugar, india rubber, ivory, drugs, coffee, cocoa, iodine, quicksilver, essential oils, canned fruits and fish, cocoanuts and other commodities too numerous to mention.

THE ROYAL GROUP OF DOCKS. The Royal Victoria and Albert and King George V. Docks, stretching, for three miles along the riverside between Blackwall and Gallions Reaches of the River Thames, presented an animated appearance as the tug, entering through the King George V. Entrance Lock, the second largest in the port, gave the visitors a full view of the largest sheet of enclosed dock water in the world. The Royal Group covers an area of 1,103 acres, of which 245 acres are water. The extensive tobacco warehouses, containing a stock of 48,000 tons of tobacco, valued including Customs duty at £60,000,000, and the Cold Stores, with a capacity of 250,000 frozen carcases, were viewed with interest. TILBURY LANDING STAGE,

Tilbury Passenger Landing Stage, the new facility provided by the Port of London Authority for overseas passengeys, was the point of disembarkation of some of the trips, Visitors just misled the fine spectacle of the passengers end baggage, of five vessels, representing 50,000 gross register tons, to or from Buenos Airee, Bombay, Beira amt Gothenburg, being cleared in a few hours, THE MARKET OF THE WORLD. It is not surprising that the opportunities of “London Docks Week” were dagerly taken advantage of by the public *since, in the growth of British trade during the past centuries, the Thames has slowly hut inevitably become the chief gateway of tlie Commerce of Great Britain, and London the clearing-house of the World. London is unique in being not only a great port, hut also the nerve-cen-tre of the 'World’s financial system. London leads to all nations. All nations send their produce to London. She has thus become the greatest of all markets in the World.