Early on a sunny, windy morning, RML 497 inches her way towards her new berth at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Hartlepool. A few hardy onlookers watch as she progresses gracefully up the road from Hartlepool Docks towards a special temporary facility, built to protect her from the wind and weather. It’s a slow but steady progress as the Fairmile – her graceful lines for all to see – moves along on the extraordinary ‘Self Propelled Modular Transporter’, carrying her without apparent effort in another totally new environment for 497 – a dual carriageway! The police escort, helping with traffic, seems a most appropriate honour for this WWII veteran. Walking backwards, constantly making fine adjustments, the SPMT operator shows all his skills, negotiating roundabouts and a hard turn to port onto the museum site. Safe home indeed!
ON THE ROAD
02 December 2019
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About Rob
Rob is a TV producer, reporter and camera operator with 30 years’ experience at the BBC, Channel 4 and ITN, in news, factual and documentary production. He is a four times award winner, whose awards include a coveted Royal Television Society award for his work on Channel 4 News. His association with The Maritime Foundation goes back to 1995, when he won the first Desmond Wettern Maritime Media Award for a series of reports that led to a major documentary on the loss of the bulk carrier Derbyshire.