News 03/01/2022:  

Upcoming, more days will be added courtesy of A2B via Sea. 

If you would like to contribute a photo, from a missing year, please let me know via the Contact (Link) page

Rgds Nigel T

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Seasonal Greetings

Every year we publish a thank you to those who have supported both our website and our online community and following the events of this year it feels that those little words of thanks take on an extra significance.

None of us could have foreseen that only a couple of months after celebrating the New Year that our lives would be turned completely and utterly upside down due to the pandemic which was spreading across the globe.  The words ‘unprecedented times’ and ‘extraordinary times’ have been used with wild abandon by the mainstream press but how else could we possibly describe an event which has changed so many of our lives over the past 10 months? Many lives have been lost, jobs have vanished and our freedoms have been curtailed through self isolation and lockdowns, life has been pretty tough for millions upon millions of people but at the same time it has brought out the best in people as well. Communities have rallied to help and support each other and there has definitely been the feeling of all being in this together.

Through this website and our Facebook group we hope we have given you a bit of an escape from the current situation and I hope that we have helped people remember better times and that things will eventually get better, however long it takes. It is easy to say that Christmas is going to be a very different experience for everyone this year but maybe, just maybe, it will make us appreciate what we have and to be grateful to those people who make up our lives and make it a better place.

So in the usual manner, we would like to thank all of our website visitors and Facebook group members for their patronage and many thanks to our numerous photographic contributions for always being there to support us with our endeavours. In addition this year, I feel that it’s only right that we also send thanks to the NHS, our emergency services, my fellow key workers from the transport, warehousing, distribution and retail sector and please lets not forget the seafarers, many of them have been away from their loved ones for a long time due to the worldwide nature of the shipping industry and the travel restrictions Covid has subjected all of us to this year.

It just leaves us to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and lets all hope for a better New Year.

Ray Goodfellow & Nigel Thornton.

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Christmas Past at the Port of Dover

This article was originally published on the 1st December 2012 and with the festive season rapidly approaching it’s time to resurrect an old website favourite. As can be seen below, the ferries have certainly changed over the years (in both number and in size) but there is still one tradition that remains and that is the local fleet’s official day of rest, Christmas Day.

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Christmas Trees on masts were clearly in vogue in 1967

 

 

Caesarea comes astern through the Western Entrance for Dover Marine Station © John Hendy.

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……Boxing Day 1979 – “the Free Enterprise I had finished service on Christmas Eve and was spending her last Christmas in the port before sailing for Tilbury to lay-up pending sale.” (and trees were still with us).

 

Free Enterprise I (left) and Free Enterprise III (right) © John Hendy.

The Lion and Free Enterprise I © John Hendy.

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A Splash of Colour Was Added in 1982

Dover Eastern Docks 1982 © Ken Larwood.

 

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1983…..It was back to Black & White and, just like in 1982, there was not a parking space to be had!

  

Dover Eastern Docks 1983 © John Hendy

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1984…Was when the pictures really started to be collected…

 

Roy Thornton Collection (all)

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1986……. Still a colourful sight!!

 

 

Roy Thornton Collection

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In 1991, at Folkestone, “The Anglo Saxon” twins rested

Stena Hengist and Stena Horsa © John Hendy

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1992…..All was blue!

 

Nigel Thornton Collection

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1993……..

🆕 Courtesy of  A2B via Sea

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1994……..

🆕Courtesy of  A2B via Sea

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1995………….

🆕Courtesy of  A2B via Sea

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1996.. Was the last time we had a full harbour?

 

 

 

1996, © Mike Jackson (all)

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1997…………..

🆕Courtesy of  A2B via Sea

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1998………

🆕 Courtesy of  A2B via Sea

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1999…..

🆕 Courtesy of  A2B via Sea

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2000… A lonely “Racehorse” in the P&O Stena Line herd

2000, © Mike Jackson

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2001………….

🆕 Courtesy of  A2B via Sea

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2003…… the “Racehorse” loneliness continued……

 

© Mike Jackson (left) and © Nigel Thornton (right)

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In 2004 the Pride of Calais hid in the Cruise Terminal car park

Pride of Calais (2004) © Nigel Thornton

 From Left to Right: Pride of Aquitaine, Pride of Kent and Pride of Canterbury © Mike Jackson

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and 2005….. Was Nigel’s first real attempt at digital….

 

2005, © Nigel Thornton (all)

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2006… Nigel tried photographing the port from different angles

 

2006, © Nigel Thornton (both)

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… 2007 was “Gloomy”

 

 

2007, © Nigel Thornton (all)

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and……Everybody went home for Christmas in 2008….

   

2008, © Nigel Thornton (All)

(SELENE PRAHM, CORALWATER and CLIPPER BORDEAUX)

🆕 Courtesy of  A2B via Sea

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…….which was followed by 2009 and….

 

 

2009, © Nigel Thornton

 

© Mike Jackson (all)

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……2010. The seagulls decided Christmas Day, for Dover Ferry Photos, had finally become boring!

 

© Nigel Thornton (all)

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….but no! A selection from the port in 2011!

 

 

 

 

© Nigel Thornton (all)

 

© Ed Connell (26/12/2011)

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What would there be in 2012 ?????? Errr…these

 

 

 

© Nigel Thornton (all)

 

 

© Mike Jackson (all)

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Well 2013, the sun (remember that?) was in the wrong place!

 

 

© Nigel Thornton (all)

© Andrew Smith

 

 

© Mike Jackson (all)

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2014: Well, less ships and very quiet!

 

 

 

© Nigel Thornton

 

 

 

© Mike Jackson (all)

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2015: Blue is the colour

 

© Mike Jackson (all)

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2016: Here we are again, the annual pilgrimage, still going strong! 

  

  

  

© Nigel Thornton (all)

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2017: Mike, Ray and Julien got in on the act…….

  

  

  

Sincere thanks and © Mike Jackson

  

© Ray Goodfellow

  

Calais © Julien Carpentier

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2018: We had Calais, Dunkerque and Dover covered…….

  

© Julien Carpentier (Calais 25/12/2018)

© Julien Carpentier (Dunkerque 25/12/2018)

  

  

  

  

© Nigel Scutt (Dover Strait Shipping)

  

  

© Nigel Thornton (Dover 25/12/2018)

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2019: Before those ‘Unprecedented’ times……..

 

 

© Mike Jackson (All)

 

 

 

© Nigel Thornton (All)

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2020: Well, …………..

…………. the Coronavirus Pandemic restrictions scuppered most of our attempts to witness a bit of history.

For the first time (in my memory at least) the port was operational with sailings to Calais and Dunkerque after France closed its borders (21/12/2020) with the UK for 48 hours.

Behind this apparent peace and tranquility, a massive operation was taking place to repatriate the thousands of HGV and other drivers who were unable to travel. 

Drivers were only allowed to travel on the condition they tested negative for Covid-19 before boarding. 

Nigel T

 

 

 

 

© Mike Jackson (all) “Sincere thanks Mike!”

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2021:……. 🆕 So……the “mutual space charter agreement” previously (May 2021) agreed between P & O and DFDS was under investigation in December 2021.  It didn’t look if they were friends at Dover. Ho, ho, ho. The newly arrived “Irish Ferries” decided to stay in Calais and the Pride of Burgundy took a well earned rest in Dunkerque (at this time who knows what her future is?).

NB to photographers: Having experienced the weather conditions in Dover, foggy, wet a bit breezy, I’m afraid I had to do a bit of Photoshop” basic enchancement”. Apologies.

                                                                                                                         © Dave Standen       

                                                                                         © Mike Jackson                                                                                   

(Calais)

   

© Julien Carpentier (Calais) (All)

Dunkerque West & Dunkerque East

Dunkerque (West) 

© Julien Carpentier (All)

Thanks to all for braving the conditions!

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We would like to thank: A2B via Sea , Julien Carpentier, Ed Connell, John Hendy, Ken Larwood, Mike Jackson, Nigel Scutt (Dover Strait Shipping) and Andrew Smith for their assistance in producing this feature.

Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)