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In 1977 we hired our first narrowboat from Anglo Welsh at Market Harborough.From that moment our destiny was set. In 2006 we finally purchased our own brand new 57' narrowboat which we named 'Free Spirit'. Our aim is to travel the length and breadth of all the navigable rivers and canals of the UK. This will be our story as it unfolds.

Sunday 28 June 2020

And the chimney falls.

So today we have lost one of our iconic landmarks on the Erewash. A loud explosion was heard around the Long Eaton area and all due to the demolishing of the previous Britannia and Portland mill chimney built in the early 1900s. A fire at the mattress warehouse owned by Elson and Robbins was the cause of the mill's demise and the chimney and a small part of the wall was the only remaining thing standing. Since we have lived here (2003) it had been utilised for telecommunications equipment. The land is to be developed for housing but why they couldn't incorporate the chimney in the design was very short-sighted in my opinion. Maybe the upkeep will just take too much money. Another structure of our industrial past to bite the dust!

(As I couldn't find one of my own photos I have taken this from the Nottingshire Live with the image credit to Joseph Raynor/Nottingham Post)


To see the moment of demolition click on this from Derbyshire Telegraph In the first video forward the bar to 26 seconds then once watched scroll down to see the second video from a drone.  There is also more on U Tube click on this link  You need to forward the bar to about 28 seconds.

Silly me but had a bit of a lump in my throat when watching it. Anyway, it's gone never to return and another reference point missing from our skyline!

More photos from Springwood Haven marina









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