Memorandum submitted by Captain John Graham
Thompson (BW 75)
My name is Captain John Graham Thompson and
have been in the maritime industry, last 40 years first at sea
working my way up to captain in 1972. Part of this time was spent
on tankers sailing the Severn.
In 1975 acquired my own 750 tonne cargo ship,
this was to be the first of many. In 1975 founded Torbay Seaways
& Stevedores Ltd operating cargo handling at Torbay. 1978
started a freight services running from Torquay to Channel Islands.
1979 founded Thompson Ship Charters company which owned up to
33 vessels through its time. 1982 founded Torbay Seaways RO-RO
Passenger Ferries Service Torquay/Channel Islands. 1985 founded
Seaways Freightliner Ltd and started the first Channel island
Liner service running from Poole. 1991 I sold all the companies
except the stevedores which I still operate today.
1992 founded English Holiday Cruises and designed
and built the Oliver Cromwell, England's first inland cruise ship.
In 2000 I designed and commissioned the building of a new vessel
called Edward Elgar. Both these vessels are purpose built for
the Severn navigation they still operate under the new owner as
I sold the company in 2004 after 12 years.
The main reason for selling was to concentrate
my time into promoting freight traffic back on the Severn in line
with Government guide lines, in 1995 I formed a company Thompson
River Transport and purchased six 180 ton barges from BW and converted
three of them into motor barges. These undertook work transporting
dredged materials from Gloucester to Purton each winter. In 2005
we succeeded in obtaining the contract to transport RMC sand/gravel
on the river Severn.
It is also my intention to build with BW a new
wharf at Worcester to replace the one sold for development. BW
gave an undertaking to replace the facility lost with a new wharf.
I have over the past two years been finding a suitable site for
the port, also undertaking geological survey at our expense having
asked BW if they will honour their word but have still not received
an answer only they would back an application for FFG but knowing
that if they're not investing into this project we cannot rely
on them to maintain the navigation depths needed for the vessels
to sail to Worcester as we have seen in the past.
I have also undertaken to contact shippers/receivers
regarding possible cargoes and are happy with our finding having
interest up to 128,000 tonne p/a but all this has been put on
hold seeing we are the only persons interested in prompting freight.
BW has done nothing at all to help the promotion so much so a
copy email sent to me from Steve Dunlop states that they intend
to seek a revision to the requirements for depth required from
10ft down to 6ft. If this happens the navigation is closed to
all commercial shipping. So much for following Government guide
lines.
The potential growth for freight is there. But
there needs to be a will but at the present time there is no will
with the BW management team which is not fit for purpose. The
users feel we have gone backwards since the 1990 when a manager
asked how do you create slack water? That says it all.
Captain John Graham Thompson
March 2007
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