3 October 2017
Over 40 visitors enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of Shoreham Port earlier this month. The tour was part of the national Heritage Open Days event. The event takes place every September where around 40,000 volunteers across England organise 5,000 free events to celebrate our fantastic history, architecture and culture.
Visitors were taken on a coach tour of the Port to areas that are usually off limits to the public. Led by Shoreham Port’s Director of Engineering, Tony Parker, the group visited key sites including the Power Station Quay, the newer warehousing on the Outer Layby and finally the Pump House.
Lucy Paget who attended the tour commented “Who knew that aggregate, grain and timber could be so fascinating? Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable covering everything from the history of the Port, its people and industries, to technical matters such as wind and gas-fired power and the working of the lock gates, cranes etc - all were explained thoroughly and without condescension. A very impressive tour. I loved it!”
Dianne Griffith commented “This was one of the best heritage visits I have ever attended, the weather was not in our favour but the warm welcome and the organisation more than made up for it. Tony was a true expert guide who told us so much about the history and importance of the Port in the past - and about the ambitious plans for the future. Thank you to the Port for such an interesting exploration and tour.”
Phillip Sear commented “Thank you for the excellent Shoreham Port tour. I really appreciated Tony Parker's knowledge and enthusiasm in taking us round. Although I have passed Shoreham Port by road many times, I had no idea of the variety of activities there. I was particularly fascinated by the procession of grain trucks heading into the terminal to unload, and the spraying of the woodchips to avoid combustion.”
Tony commented “I thoroughly enjoyed my role as tour guide for the Open Days port tour. We met some great people and it was fantastic to hear how enthusiastic everyone is about the Port and everything that goes on here. The Heritage Open Days event offers some really fascinating and unusual opportunities to visitors and we are delighted to be part of the programme.”
This year Regency House organised around 200 events centred in Brighton & Hove but stretching from Saltdean in the east, to Shoreham in the west and Ashcombe and Clayton in the north. If you would like to find out more about Heritage Open Days please visit www.heritageopendays.org.uk.
Category: Community
