"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 23/1/07 13:24, in article ,

One man is quoted as saying that there's a 'good wreck' roughly once every
25 years but that this is 'the best' ever. ;-((

--
Sacha

Funny how we seem to have different rules for different people. Wrecking and
harvesting of wrecks has been going on for years, just as some people keep
on harping on about 'We used to do this in the past' ' When I was in Jersey
......' ............ don't we?


Mike


--
.................................................. .........
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com

Dear all,

This is a fundamental misunderstanding of cultures - yes 'cultures', between
many of those who live by the sea and many, or most, who don't.

Wrecking is a time-old tradition whereby coastal dwellers have always
supplemented their often meagre earnings by salvaging items of value from
the shoreline at the time of a wreck.

Here in Dorset, often the whole community would venture out, often in
appalling weather to grab whatever was there for the taking.

Keith

PS It is said that ships were sometime lured onto rocks with judiciously
placed lights so that wrecking could take place.




"'Mike'" wrote in message
...
"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 23/1/07 13:24, in article ,

One man is quoted as saying that there's a 'good wreck' roughly once
every
25 years but that this is 'the best' ever. ;-((

--
Sacha

Funny how we seem to have different rules for different people. Wrecking
and harvesting of wrecks has been going on for years, just as some people
keep on harping on about 'We used to do this in the past' ' When I was in
Jersey .....' ............ don't we?


Mike


--
.................................................. ........
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com

"Keith (Dorset)" wrote in message
...
Dear all,

This is a fundamental misunderstanding of cultures - yes 'cultures',
between many of those who live by the sea and many, or most, who don't.

Wrecking is a time-old tradition whereby coastal dwellers have always
supplemented their often meagre earnings by salvaging items of value from
the shoreline at the time of a wreck.

Here in Dorset, often the whole community would venture out, often in
appalling weather to grab whatever was there for the taking.

Keith

PS It is said that ships were sometime lured onto rocks with judiciously
placed lights so that wrecking could take place.


Thank you Keith.

These landlubbers should stick to the soil ;-)

Mike


--
.................................................. .........
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com




"'Mike'" wrote in message
...
"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 23/1/07 13:24, in article ,

One man is quoted as saying that there's a 'good wreck' roughly once
every
25 years but that this is 'the best' ever. ;-((

--
Sacha

Funny how we seem to have different rules for different people. Wrecking
and harvesting of wrecks has been going on for years, just as some people
keep on harping on about 'We used to do this in the past' ' When I was in
Jersey .....' ............ don't we?


Mike


--
.................................................. ........
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com

Keith (Dorset) wrote:
: Dear all,
:
: This is a fundamental misunderstanding of cultures - yes 'cultures',
: between many of those who live by the sea and many, or most, who
: don't.
:
: Wrecking is a time-old tradition whereby coastal dwellers have always
: supplemented their often meagre earnings by salvaging items of value
: from the shoreline at the time of a wreck.
:
: Here in Dorset, often the whole community would venture out, often in
: appalling weather to grab whatever was there for the taking.
:
: Keith
:
: PS It is said that ships were sometime lured onto rocks with
: judiciously placed lights so that wrecking could take place.
:


Good luck to them I say. If someone has the cheek to put a ship like that to
sea, endangering our coast, then they deserve no compassion and their cargo
is 'fair game'. The only quite big problem I have with this ship's cargo is
that the redistribution is causing more damage to the beach than the
original containers were...

On Tue, 23 Jan 2007 Robert wrote:

: Here in Dorset, often the whole community would venture out, often in
: appalling weather to grab whatever was there for the taking.
:
: PS It is said that ships were sometime lured onto rocks with
: judiciously placed lights so that wrecking could take place.

Good luck to them I say. If someone has the cheek to put a ship like that to
sea, endangering our coast, then they deserve no compassion and their cargo
is 'fair game'. The only quite big problem I have with this ship's cargo is
that the redistribution is causing more damage to the beach than the
original containers were...

But that's hardly fair to those people who were entrusting their
personal belongings to a transport company and which were seen to be
stolen when reported on television as, for instance, the couple who had
emigrated to South Africa. Ok, so they were insured (I suppose) but you
can't replace something with sentimental value.

David

--
David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

On 24/1/07 09:04, in article , "David
Rance" wrote:

On Tue, 23 Jan 2007 Robert wrote:

: Here in Dorset, often the whole community would venture out, often in
: appalling weather to grab whatever was there for the taking.
:
: PS It is said that ships were sometime lured onto rocks with
: judiciously placed lights so that wrecking could take place.

Good luck to them I say. If someone has the cheek to put a ship like that to
sea, endangering our coast, then they deserve no compassion and their cargo
is 'fair game'. The only quite big problem I have with this ship's cargo is
that the redistribution is causing more damage to the beach than the
original containers were...

But that's hardly fair to those people who were entrusting their
personal belongings to a transport company and which were seen to be
stolen when reported on television as, for instance, the couple who had
emigrated to South Africa. Ok, so they were insured (I suppose) but you
can't replace something with sentimental value.

David

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the ship, the shipping company, insurance
or the lack of it, it is NOT right to steal things that belong to others,
whether it's a couple moving home or a large factory in China. And this was
stealing, whether the law calls it that or not. The idea that the thieves
have 28 days in which to fill in a form and return it is just a piece of
passing the buck bureaucratic nonsense. The stuff taken from that beach is
already appearing for sale on eBay.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 24/1/07 09:04, in article , "David
--
Sacha


and here we have someone else who like to quote the past, wanting to change
the rules on the very old 'business if you like' of beachcombing.

Sacha you are either in the past or in the present. You CANNOT swap and
change around. Press your case to outlaw beachcombing and lets have no more
of 'when I was in Jersey .......' etc etc etc

Mike


--
.................................................. .........
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com

"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 24/1/07 09:04, in article , "David
Rance" wrote:

On Tue, 23 Jan 2007 Robert wrote:

: Here in Dorset, often the whole community would venture out, often in
: appalling weather to grab whatever was there for the taking.
:
: PS It is said that ships were sometime lured onto rocks with
: judiciously placed lights so that wrecking could take place.

Good luck to them I say. If someone has the cheek to put a ship like
that to
sea, endangering our coast, then they deserve no compassion and their
cargo
is 'fair game'. The only quite big problem I have with this ship's cargo
is
that the redistribution is causing more damage to the beach than the
original containers were...

But that's hardly fair to those people who were entrusting their
personal belongings to a transport company and which were seen to be
stolen when reported on television as, for instance, the couple who had
emigrated to South Africa. Ok, so they were insured (I suppose) but you
can't replace something with sentimental value.

David

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the ship, the shipping company,
insurance
or the lack of it, it is NOT right to steal things that belong to others,
whether it's a couple moving home or a large factory in China. And this
was
stealing, whether the law calls it that or not. The idea that the thieves
have 28 days in which to fill in a form and return it is just a piece of
passing the buck bureaucratic nonsense. The stuff taken from that beach
is
already appearing for sale on eBay.

But had the shipping company not overloaded the ship this calamity would not
have happened.

The blame lays fair and square with the company.

Alan

On 24/1/07 23:44, in article ,
"Alan Holmes" wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
snip Whatever the rights and wrongs of the ship, the shipping company,
insurance
or the lack of it, it is NOT right to steal things that belong to others,
whether it's a couple moving home or a large factory in China. And this
was
stealing, whether the law calls it that or not. The idea that the thieves
have 28 days in which to fill in a form and return it is just a piece of
passing the buck bureaucratic nonsense. The stuff taken from that beach
is
already appearing for sale on eBay.

But had the shipping company not overloaded the ship this calamity would not
have happened.

The blame lays fair and square with the company.

That may be so and I'm sure an inquiry will go into all that. But
regardless of that, people did not have to behave like pigs at the trough.
That was *their* choice, regardless of the causes and circumstances and what
transpired was genuinely indecent, IMO.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...


But had the shipping company not overloaded the ship this calamity would
not have happened.

The blame lays fair and square with the company.

Alan



Please show where you received information that the ship was overloaded.
First I have heard of this and I find it hard to believe.

Mike


--
.................................................. .........
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com

www.nsrafa.com
"David Rance" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 23 Jan 2007 Robert wrote:

: Here in Dorset, often the whole community would venture out, often in
: appalling weather to grab whatever was there for the taking.
:
: PS It is said that ships were sometime lured onto rocks with
: judiciously placed lights so that wrecking could take place.

Good luck to them I say. If someone has the cheek to put a ship like that
to
sea, endangering our coast, then they deserve no compassion and their
cargo
is 'fair game'. The only quite big problem I have with this ship's cargo
is
that the redistribution is causing more damage to the beach than the
original containers were...

But that's hardly fair to those people who were entrusting their personal
belongings to a transport company and which were seen to be stolen when
reported on television as, for instance, the couple who had emigrated to
South Africa. Ok, so they were insured (I suppose) but you can't replace
something with sentimental value.

David



and what about the owners of the cargos of old? The Whiskey Galores etc of
all sorts of cargoes through the ages?

Why should the rules 'suddenly change'? People keep on saying that 'things
were better in the old days', right, here you have a bit of 'old days'
thrust upon us, but it doesn't suit 'certain people'!!

Rules for some but not others?

:-(((

Mike

"David Rance" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 23 Jan 2007 Robert wrote:

: Here in Dorset, often the whole community would venture out, often in
: appalling weather to grab whatever was there for the taking.
:
: PS It is said that ships were sometime lured onto rocks with
: judiciously placed lights so that wrecking could take place.

Good luck to them I say. If someone has the cheek to put a ship like that
to
sea, endangering our coast, then they deserve no compassion and their
cargo
is 'fair game'. The only quite big problem I have with this ship's cargo
is
that the redistribution is causing more damage to the beach than the
original containers were...

But that's hardly fair to those people who were entrusting their personal
belongings to a transport company and which were seen to be stolen when
reported on television as, for instance, the couple who had emigrated to
South Africa. Ok, so they were insured (I suppose) but you can't replace
something with sentimental value.

Then, hopefully, they willsue the transort company for the loss, and for
compensation.

Alan



David

--
David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

On Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:26:17 -0000, "Keith \(Dorset\)"
wrote:

Dear all,

This is a fundamental misunderstanding of cultures - yes 'cultures', between
many of those who live by the sea and many, or most, who don't.

Wrecking is a time-old tradition whereby coastal dwellers have always
supplemented their often meagre earnings by salvaging items of value from
the shoreline at the time of a wreck.

Here in Dorset, often the whole community would venture out, often in
appalling weather to grab whatever was there for the taking.

Keith

PS It is said that ships were sometime lured onto rocks with judiciously
placed lights so that wrecking could take place.

In the mid 16th century, the impoverished tin miners of west Cornwall
had a fearsome reputation as wreckers. It is recorded by a local
historian of the time that they could strip a wreck between tides (say
12 hrs), leaving little trace. Many hundreds would descend on the
wreck, equipped with axes, saws etc. Even the ship's timbers would go.
Hapless survivors were lucky to keep their clothes, let alone their
possessions.

Wrecks were regarded as fair game and sent by God. A prayer apparently
offered up by a vicar on the Isles of Scilly when times were
particularly hard, went something like this: "O Lord we pray, not that
wrecks should happen, but if they do, let them happen on Scilly"

A sailors' prayer from the time, when in the waters off south Cornwall
(there are several versions):

"From rocks and shoals and shifting sands
And Breage and Germoe mens' hands
Good Lord, deliver us."

Breage and Germoe are two local mining villages; I live more or less
between them.





--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Hi Chris,

You Kerns are indeed a brutish lot!

Having said that, whatever valuables I ever find here at Portland Bill, or
Chesil Cove - (some chance). I'll keep.

As for the police trying to keep people off the beach here... that does make
me crease.

What police? ... I once saw some on telly. ;-)

Best wishes,

Keith



"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:26:17 -0000, "Keith \(Dorset\)"
wrote:

Dear all,

This is a fundamental misunderstanding of cultures - yes 'cultures',
between
many of those who live by the sea and many, or most, who don't.

Wrecking is a time-old tradition whereby coastal dwellers have always
supplemented their often meagre earnings by salvaging items of value from
the shoreline at the time of a wreck.

Here in Dorset, often the whole community would venture out, often in
appalling weather to grab whatever was there for the taking.

Keith

PS It is said that ships were sometime lured onto rocks with judiciously
placed lights so that wrecking could take place.

In the mid 16th century, the impoverished tin miners of west Cornwall
had a fearsome reputation as wreckers. It is recorded by a local
historian of the time that they could strip a wreck between tides (say
12 hrs), leaving little trace. Many hundreds would descend on the
wreck, equipped with axes, saws etc. Even the ship's timbers would go.
Hapless survivors were lucky to keep their clothes, let alone their
possessions.

Wrecks were regarded as fair game and sent by God. A prayer apparently
offered up by a vicar on the Isles of Scilly when times were
particularly hard, went something like this: "O Lord we pray, not that
wrecks should happen, but if they do, let them happen on Scilly"

A sailors' prayer from the time, when in the waters off south Cornwall
(there are several versions):

"From rocks and shoals and shifting sands
And Breage and Germoe mens' hands
Good Lord, deliver us."

Breage and Germoe are two local mining villages; I live more or less
between them.





--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

On Tue, 23 Jan 2007 22:21:25 -0000, "Keith \(Dorset\)"
wrote:

Hi Chris,

You Kerns are indeed a brutish lot!

Having said that, whatever valuables I ever find here at Portland Bill, or
Chesil Cove - (some chance). I'll keep.

Same here. If one of those oak wine barrels drifts onto our beach I'll
have it (except I'd have to be up very early to beat the rush!).

On SW ITV1 on Tuesday of this week at 7.30pm you may have seen the
programme 'A Westcountry Childhood: The Lure of the Sea', in which two
or three 'old salts' recalled their childhood memories of the twenties
and thirties. There was some fascinating B&W cine film, including a
very timely short piece on wrecking. Pictures of crowds of people
including children hauling stuff away from a wreck in handcarts etc,
just as they are at Branscombe now. It was ever thus!

I can remember as a child rummaging over a wreck in St. Ives Bay (a
large timber-built fishing boat, I think) and coming away with some
trivial item of no value (nothing else was left!). The authorities
eventually burnt the boat, as I remember, as it was beyond salvaging.

But I feel sorry for the individuals who lost personal property,
especially as they actually saw it disappearing, or so I understand.




--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net