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Old 30th December 2017, 16:29
Lucy Knight England Lucy Knight is offline
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Join Date: May 2017
Location: Plymouth Devon
Posts: 116
More updates in last few hours on p74. Bar lightship impounded thread Thunderboats site.

It sounds as if Sharpness Shipyard are determined to sell Planet at all costs abd keeping the veasel well guarded.

http://thunderboat.boards.net/thread...terday?page=74

On top of all this the owner, Alan Roberts, before the vessel was snatched has suffered severe health problems caused by the stress. Just after the actions of C and RT brought on a painful autoimmune inflamation condition which requires steroids etc daily. Also his bowel burst just after his vessel was seized. He had to be operated on for dangerous life threatening condition and ended up with a colostomy bag. In this coming January he is booked in to have his gut going into stona bag connected back up to his colon. An operation is just what he needs now the litigation is getting very intense and court case on his hands. All brought about because he was trying to save Luverpool's Historic Planet Lightship from being cut up. It is classed as part of Luverpool's heritage and mentioned in Liverpool's Unesco bid. The charity C and RT which evicted him have Prince Charles as their sole Patron.

All this came about because Alan Roberts, a Liverpudlian, the son of a Vindi (those that attended Merchant Navy training ship Vinducatrix, that was based Sharpness) and went on to be Merchant Navy Liverpool seaman (still living) . His son Alan wanted to save a piece of Liverpool's Maritime heritage. Alan.who worked for 30 years as ships steel specialist and welder UK, abroad and offshore wanted to save the famuliar historic ex Liverpool Bar lighship.

Perhaps an article in Union newspaper/Daily newspaper/Sunday supplement warning others off from private purchase of hustoric vessels and suffering tbe same fate might be appropriate.

Alan Roberts (Stan Macnally's pal) sold his Liverpool taxi fleet to finance this project. He let the public go onboard for FREE. Volunteers eg Stan the Man and other ex Merseyside area Radio officers gave their time for free, showing the public around abd exolaining tbe heritage. Alan lost his wife because of this appalling treatment, his seven bedroom house, nearly his life and is now at riskof bankruptcy.

The only gain Alan Robert's received was a permanent autoinmune health condition brought on by the stress and needing daily medication for his condition that in itself causes more health problems.

Contrast this to Ambrose ligjtship in Southside street NewYork.

Ambrose lightship is part of Maritime museum New Yorj and hefty entrance ticket cost for entrance package. No free viewings onboard viewibgs of lightship.

Articles on internet stateAmbros e
received 4.5 mullion dollars in grants. Ambrose was donated by USCG to maritime museum.

Rtrd Marconi radio Officer and Marconi shoreside Liverpool Marconi service eng has a site. His radio group are now on 1930s barge Frsncis Haywood in Liverpool docks.


http://www.mrmsw.co.uk/

If you read main page and then click on left side menu News label there is history of earlier goings on re the Planet saga

While you are on the site, there are some interesting sea storues under stories label left hand menu on main page. Stan in early fifties when on Monarch shipping line vessel British Monarch sailed with 2nd eng Victoria Drummond. An eventful trip. The 2nd mate fell overboard at end of his 12 to 4 am watch in sharks infested waters. After Brekkie they realised he was missing and retrieved him after 8 hours swimming time. Sadly they weren't so lucky when later in the same trip two cadets jumped in to save a couple of ladies in distress and one of them wasn't a good swinmer. Sran M went back to visit the gravestone abroad with his family a few years ago. Both stories on the site under stories label.
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