#silvertown

[londonedge]

The Tate and Lyle sugar refinery and its jetty in Silvertown as seen from the other side of the River Thames.

Apparently approximately 25% of the UK's sugar is offloaded and refined here. Inside there is a huge secret sugar mountain.

[aneverydaything]

Day 2099, 22 March 2024

[haxanbroker]

Thames Barrier Park, East London, August 2023.

[d00mbandit]

Millenium Mills in Silvertown, London.

[lookingupatthesamemoon]

imagine visiting your f/o's hometown with them for the first time. what kinds of old haunts do they show you? do they take you to their favorite local restaurants, rattling off their recommendations as you scan the menu? maybe to their favorite shops, buying you a little trinket at each one? do they bring you to abandoned places, too, telling you pleasant stories of their past? what kinds of sights are you seeing?

and vice versa, imagine your f/o visiting your hometown with you for the first time? what kinds of things would you want to show them?

proship dni !

[dugaodna]

fucking HELL the royal docks are awful for pedestrian traffic. idk ive taken it for granted that major thoroughfares mostly have good pedestrian amenities in london but here you just have a footpath along 4 lane roads

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible

This 1953 Muntz Jet convertible underwent a three-year custom build under previous ownership, and it was purchased by the seller in 2021. The car is powered by a fuel-injected 5.7-liter LT1 V8 engine paired with a four-speed automatic transmission and a Ford 9″ rear end, and it is finished in Apple Pearl with a white Carson-style removable top over gray snakeskin-style Naugahyde upholstery. Features include custom bodywork, an Art Morrison frame, power-assisted steering, four-wheel disc brakes, airbag suspension, Painless Performance wiring, and more modified and fabricated details. This custom-built Muntz is now offered with a copy of Rodder’s Journal magazine featuring a story on the build and a clean California title in the name of the seller’s business.

Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible

The steel, aluminum, and fiberglass body is mounted on an Art Morrison ladder frame that was boxed and finished in semi-gloss black, and the floor was raised 3″. The exterior was repainted in a Sherwin Williams two-stage Apple Pearl mixed by the late Stan Betz. Features include a chopped Duvall-style windshield, 1950 Chevrolet headlights, dual Appleton spotlights, 1951 Ford Victoria side windows, and a white removable Carson-style top fabricated to match the height of the chopped windshield. Additional equipment includes color-matched rear fender skirts and chrome bumpers. Wear from fitting the top is noted on the rear deck.

Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible

Steel wheels sourced from a 1976 Dodge measure 15″ and are mounted with Cadillac Sombrero-style covers and whitewall tires. A matching spare fitted with a BFGoodrich Silvertown tire is mounted within a rear-mounted Continental-style chrome carrier. A Mustang II front end accommodates power rack-and-pinion steering , and the car rides on an electronically-adjustable Air Ride Technologies airbag suspension system along with 2” lowered front spindles, Strange Engineering tube shocks, a rear Panhard bar, and front and rear sway bars. The seller reports that the front control arm bushings were recently replaced.

Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible

Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible

Braking is handled by GM G-body-sourced calipers matched with Ford Granada discs up front and Ford SVO-specification calipers and discs at the rear.

Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible

The cabin was customized by Jim’s Auto Trim of San Diego, California, and features Glide bucket seats and a rear bench trimmed in gray snakeskin-style Naugahyde upholstery, along with matching treatments for the dash trim, headliner, and door panels. Additional equipment includes a 1952 Lincoln steering wheel mounted to a shortened Lincoln steering column, gray cut-pile carpet, and a Pioneer stereo housed within a custom center cubby.

The engine-turned “Hollywood” instrument cluster houses Stewart Warner gauges consisting of an 8k-rpm tachometer, a 160-mph speedometer, and auxiliary readings for fuel level, battery charge, oil pressure, and water temperature. The five-digit odometer displays 25k miles, though total chassis mileage is unknown. A Lokar pedal assembly was fitted during the build.

Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible

The Corvette-sourced 5.7-liter LT1 V8 features a polished fuel intake manifold along with billet aluminum valve covers, and additional features include an Opti-Spark distributor, a Griffin aluminum radiator, and a wiring loom sourced from Painless Performance Wiring. A set of long-tube headers are connected to a 2.5″ exhaust system equipped with dual Dynaflow mufflers. The seller reports that the oil was recently changed.

Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible

Power is routed to the rear wheels via a four-speed 4L60E automatic transmission and a Ford 9″ rear end with with 3.55:1 gears and Strange Engineering 31-spline axles. Additional photos of the underside, drivetrain, and suspension components are presented in the gallery below.

Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible

The car was featured in issue #36 of Rodders Journal magazine

[have-you-been-here]

Silvertown Tunnel, Newham and Greenwich, London, UK

[londonedge]

The predominantly blue and yellow coloured Tate and Lyle Sugar refinery in Silvertown, London

This is actually a different site to the white coloured Tate and Lyle Golden Syrup factory which is also in Silvertown.

This photo was originally posted by me as Day 2099 on An Every Day Thing.

[wankerwatch]

Lords Vote

On: Great British Energy Bill

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering moved amendment 40, after clause 7, to insert the new clause Duty of Great British Energy to meet environmental criteria. The House divided:

Ayes: 106 (93.4% Con, 1.9% XB, 1.9% UUP, 0.9% PC, 0.9% LD, 0.9% Green) Noes: 120 (92.5% Lab, 3.3% XB, 3.3% LD, 0.8% DUP) Absent: ~633

Likely Referenced Bill: Great British Energy Bill

Description: A Bill to make provision about Great British Energy.

Originating house: Commons Current house: Lords Bill Stage: 3rd reading

Individual Votes:

Ayes

Conservative (99 votes)

Altrincham, L. Ashcombe, L. Barran, B. Bates, L. Bellingham, L. Bethell, L. Biggar, L. Blencathra, L. Booth, L. Booth-Smith, L. Borwick, L. Brady of Altrincham, L. Bray of Coln, B. Bridgeman, V. Browning, B. Caine, L. Camrose, V. Coffey, B. Courtown, E. Davies of Gower, L. De Mauley, L. Douglas-Miller, L. Dundee, E. Effingham, E. Elliott of Mickle Fell, L. Evans of Rainow, L. Forsyth of Drumlean, L. Fraser of Craigmaddie, B. Fuller, L. Gascoigne, L. Godson, L. Goldie, B. Goodman of Wycombe, L. Hamilton of Epsom, L. Harding of Winscombe, B. Henley, L. Hodgson of Abinger, B. Hooper, B. Howard of Lympne, L. Howard of Rising, L. Howell of Guildford, L. Hunt of Wirral, L. Jamieson, L. Jenkin of Kennington, B. Kamall, L. Laing of Elderslie, B. Magan of Castletown, L. Mancroft, L. Manzoor, B. Markham, L. McInnes of Kilwinning, L. McIntosh of Pickering, B. McLoughlin, L. Meyer, B. Minto, E. Mobarik, B. Monckton of Dallington Forest, B. Morris of Bolton, B. Mott, L. Moylan, L. Moynihan of Chelsea, L. Moynihan, L. Murray of Blidworth, L. Neville-Jones, B. Neville-Rolfe, B. Nicholson of Winterbourne, B. Northbrook, L. Norton of Louth, L. Offord of Garvel, L. Petitgas, L. Porter of Fulwood, B. Porter of Spalding, L. Reay, L. Redfern, B. Robathan, L. Roborough, L. Sanderson of Welton, B. Sandhurst, L. Scott of Bybrook, B. Sharpe of Epsom, L. Sherbourne of Didsbury, L. Shinkwin, L. Smith of Hindhead, L. Stedman-Scott, B. Stowell of Beeston, B. Strathcarron, L. Strathclyde, L. Stroud, B. Sugg, B. Swire, L. True, L. Udny-Lister, L. Verma, B. Waldegrave of North Hill, L. Wharton of Yarm, L. Williams of Trafford, B. Wyld, B. Young of Cookham, L. Younger of Leckie, V.

Crossbench (2 votes)

Alton of Liverpool, L. Cromwell, L.

Ulster Unionist Party (2 votes)

Elliott of Ballinamallard, L. Empey, L.

Plaid Cymru (1 vote)

Wigley, L.

Liberal Democrat (1 vote)

Teverson, L.

Green Party (1 vote)

Bennett of Manor Castle, B.

Noes

Labour (111 votes)

Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent, B. Anderson of Swansea, L. Andrews, B. Armstrong of Hill Top, B. Ashton of Upholland, B. Bach, L. Barber of Ainsdale, L. Beamish, L. Beckett, B. Berkeley, L. Blake of Leeds, B. Blower, B. Bousted, B. Bradley, L. Brennan of Canton, L. Brown of Silvertown, B. Browne of Ladyton, L. Campbell-Savours, L. Carberry of Muswell Hill, B. Chakrabarti, B. Chandos, V. Chapman of Darlington, B. Clark of Windermere, L. Collins of Highbury, L. Cryer, L. Curran, B. Davies of Brixton, L. Donaghy, B. Drake, B. Eatwell, L. Elliott of Whitburn Bay, B. Evans of Sealand, L. Faulkner of Worcester, L. Glasman, L. Goudie, B. Grantchester, L. Gray of Tottenham, B. Griffin of Princethorpe, B. Gustafsson, B. Hannett of Everton, L. Hanson of Flint, L. Hanworth, V. Harman, B. Harris of Haringey, L. Hayman of Ullock, B. Hazarika, B. Healy of Primrose Hill, B. Hendy of Richmond Hill, L. Hendy, L. Hermer, L. Hollick, L. Howarth of Newport, L. Hughes of Stretford, B. Hunt of Kings Heath, L. Jones of Penybont, L. Jones of Whitchurch, B. Jones, L. Katz, L. Keeley, B. Kennedy of Cradley, B. Kennedy of Southwark, L. Khan of Burnley, L. Knight of Weymouth, L. Lemos, L. Lennie, L. Leong, L. Levitt, B. Liddle, L. Lister of Burtersett, B. Livermore, L. Mann, L. McIntosh of Hudnall, B. McNicol of West Kilbride, L. Merron, B. Monks, L. Moraes, L. Morris of Yardley, B. Murphy of Torfaen, L. O'Grady of Upper Holloway, B. Osamor, B. Pitkeathley of Camden Town, L. Pitkeathley, B. Ponsonby of Shulbrede, L. Ramsey of Wall Heath, B. Raval, L. Reid of Cardowan, L. Robertson of Port Ellen, L. Rooker, L. Sahota, L. Shamash, L. Smith of Basildon, B. Smith of Malvern, B. Spellar, L. Stansgate, V. Taylor of Bolton, B. Taylor of Stevenage, B. Timpson, L. Touhig, L. Tunnicliffe, L. Twycross, B. Vallance of Balham, L. Warwick of Undercliffe, B. Watson of Invergowrie, L. Watson of Wyre Forest, L. Watts, L. Wheeler, B. Whitaker, B. Whitty, L. Wilcox of Newport, B. Wood of Anfield, L. Young of Old Scone, B.

Crossbench (4 votes)

Clark of Calton, B. Finlay of Llandaff, B. Hayman, B. Vaux of Harrowden, L.

Liberal Democrat (4 votes)

Humphreys, B. Pinnock, B. Russell, E. Stoneham of Droxford, L.

Democratic Unionist Party (1 vote)

Weir of Ballyholme, L.

[haxanbroker]

West Silvertown station, East London, August 2023.

[thedeadleafs]

Goodrich Silvertown Cord Tires, 1919

[lookingupatthesamemoon]

F/Obruary Day 6 - Cuddling

pairing: RyeJoe :)

summary: Rye and Joe search for the perfect cuddling position.

word count: 794

divider by @/saradika :3

Rye and Joe had been officially dating for about a week now, and they were happier than ever. They felt like they were hitting the stereotypical relationship milestones rather quickly, but they didn’t mind – their trajectory from friends to lovers made things make a lot more sense to them, anyway. Tonight was no different, either, as Joe was spending the night at Rye’s for the first time since they made things official. They had slept over at each other’s places in Silvertown before, whether Rye crashed on the couch at Joe’s, or he spent the night in and out of sleep on the loveseat in her usual bed-and-breakfast room. Now, though, they were laying side by side, under the covers of her ever-so-often rented queen bed.

They had cuddled before – well, sort of. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder on the couch before, and they had gotten rather cozy during their movie marathon on Valentine’s Day. But, admittedly, this was new. There was something rather daunting about sharing a bed with him, sleeping in the same little bubble. It felt so intimate, so vulnerable. Despite their rather long history of being close to each other, both emotionally and physically, tonight they were almost too shy to even wrap their arms around each other beneath the sheets.

Joe glanced over at her, the dim light of the television illuminating her face. The blue light almost hid the fact that a blush covered her cheeks – almost. He couldn’t help but chuckle, causing her to turn her head, making her blush turn an even darker shade of pink. “I don’t bite, you know,” Joe joked.

“I know,” Rye said softly, her eyes almost unable to handle the intensity of his gaze. “I just… I can’t believe we’re just, like, sleeping in the same bed. And we get to keep doing that.”

Joe smiled. “Yeah, we do… Did you wanna, like, get closer? If you want your space, that’s cool, but…”

“No, I do,” Rye assured him. “It’s just that… I mean, I don’t know what to do, I guess?”

“It don’t gotta be too complicated,” Joe chuckled.

“I know that, you dork,” Rye laughed. “I just mean… I’m so used to sleeping alone, you know? So I don’t know what’s gonna be comfortable for both of us.”

“Well… We got quite a while to figure it out, don’t we?” Joe remarked.

He scooted closer to her, pressing his chest into her back. She tensed up a bit at the close contact – she was still getting used to it – but began to feel her body relax as he wrapped an arm around her. It was almost like her body was being engulfed by his, as if the two of them would fuse into one if he squeezed her hard enough. She liked that. Still, though, she wasn’t sure this was the position she was looking for. She liked it, sure, but after a few minutes she almost began to feel suffocated and restless. She shifted around, trying to get comfortable, but couldn’t quite get there.

“You okay?” Joe asked her, lifting his head.

“Yeah,” Rye replied. “Just can’t get comfortable.”

“Well… You wanna try switchin’? I don’t mind bein’ the little spoon.”

The pair rolled over in tandem, Rye draping an arm over Joe and burying her face in his shoulder. It still didn’t feel quite right to her. Their height difference was minor, and Joe was skinnier than she was, but still, she felt like she had to contort herself too much for a comfortable cuddle. She sighed, pulling away from him ever so slightly. Joe, always observant and in-tune, noticed immediately.

“Still not workin’?”

“Not really…”

Joe rolled over again, this time remaining on his back. Rye watched as he did so, perched up slightly on her elbows, waiting for him to signal for her to join him once more. 

“Come on, lay down right here,” he suggested, patting his chest with his hand.

Rye nodded, burrowing herself further underneath the covers, gently resting her head on his chest. It felt a little odd at first – he wasn’t quite as soft as a pillow. She shifted her body a bit, wrapping a leg around one of his, and placed a hand on his torso, running her fingers along his bare skin. This… This she really liked. She was still figuring out what to do with her other arm, but she decided that she enjoyed hearing his heartbeat and his breathing more than enough to deal with one misplaced limb. 

“Is this the one?” Joe asked her.

“I think it is,” she confirmed, nuzzling against him. “It feels right, I think. Feels natural.”

“Yeah? I think so, too,” he agreed, planting a kiss atop her head.

[sourcreammachine]

AMY’S BRIDGES

how are you supposed to cross the river in east london?

tower bridge is the last bridge over the thames until the big ol’ suspension bridge way further out. everything else here is tunnels (mostly)

for road tunnels, there’s the rotherhithe tunnel - the tenth most dangerous tunnel in europe due to lax safety features, where large vehicles including busses are banned, and “a rare example of a road tunnel where traffic, pedestrians and cyclists all share the same bore”. for the love of sin, don’t go in that hole. then there’s the blackwall tunnel for road traffic only, which only one bus route uses, and it’s under-construction neighbour the silvertown tunnel, the road traffic-only worst tunnel ever that’ll increase congestion in the docklands, won’t benefit drivers with an easier route, and won’t ease congestion out of blackwall due to not offering alternative modes bar busses

so, then there’s the tunnel of the windrush line, crossing from rotherhithe to wapping and connecting to the DLR and the jubilee. but this line serves central-south london, not south east, where it doesn’t connect to anything. its utility as a crossing in-and-of-itself is really only for the people very close to it anyway. but there’s the jubilee - when approaching from waterloo way on this is a good connection to canary wharf and the dlr. but its last station before the tunnel is at canada water, over a kilometre before the river. it’s worthless as a crossing. out of north greenwich (aka Dome) it’s got two tunnels to canary wharf and canning town - but the only reason you’ll have to cross the river there is if you happen to find yourself on the peninsula. which is why it’s fucking ridiculous that mayor disgraced journalist racist cunt built his zip line there - basically fucking mirroring a route between two tube stations. there is the elizabeth at the end of the docklands, but i don’t know if anyone would use it for the only purpose of crossing the river there, because it’s served by the only ray of hope, the DLR, which plugs greenwich into canary wharf and woolwich into the royal docks. and that’s yer lot

SO

with such awful crossings, the two halves are totally blown apart. road traffic needs to happen, yes, but in a dense cityscape people need to be on the transit systems to reduce the burden. what can we do?

the pool of london is dead. big ships do not need to go up there. london bridge has a clearance of ~9m for river boats, so any bridge we build further out doesn’t need any more clearance. this does mean the Belfast will have to move, unless we’re okay with trapping her in. the top of rotherhithe to limehouse is the best place for a mass transit-only bridge, it may be narrower than tower bridge, and connect two areas that are totally splayed open. there should be some sort of transit mode going vertically from limehouse (for the dlr), up mile end and forking to either hackney or stratford, and down to surrey quays, and then forking to greenwich for the dlr there and west laterally, either north-ish up to elephant & castle or south-ish to brixton, or better yet, both. i say mode because a lot of things could work here, but the best would be a mix of things. here’s my idea

amy fuck presents the Limehouse Bridge

with a length-over-water of 250m, this carfree bridge connects a major transit avenue to an area prime to host connections for the people of southeast london. from the centre of limehouse, exactly where the rotherhithe tunnel’s bendy route emerges, the road south intersects with Cycle Superhighway 3. from CS3, we’ll bulldoze the tired-looking building blocking the view, and fly over to rotherhithe, bulldozing some gentrified townhouses to cut past a playing field to have plugged in to both rotherhithe street and salter road

i propose two primary pubtrans modes using the bridge: the dlr, and trams. expanding the heavy tram network, often more akin to light rail, will be vital to making the transit of central-south london as good as the north, and connecting up the dlr will cement its use in the southeast as well as the northeast

i’ll cover my dlr proposals first, though, perhaps the name docklands would have to be dropped at this point. with possibly a light rail route up north, from the limehouse bridge the light rail network can return round surrey quays to connect into greenwich, creating a vital and necessary corridor. in addition, from greenwich the route can continue to woolwich and the thamesmead extension, creating a lateral backbone to ensure usage of the dlr’s tunnels rather than the road tunnels. in addition, the lateral routes can provide vital transport for the greater southwark area with two branches, one forming a new corridor to elephant & castle, through an area with appalling connections relative to its centrality, maybe even continuing onwards to waterloo or vauxhall, or even to parliament itself. the second is to serve as an area backbone for communities, through bermondsey, peckham, camberwell and brixton, perhaps continuing to battersea or closing the loop at vauxhall. the limehouse bridge will be the linchpin of this new system, its connectivity bringing rotherhithe and the surrey quays to life, becoming a counterweight of humanity against the looming towers of canary wharf

the heavy tram systems i propose, however, i will not illustrate. because i believe they should spread out from their start in wimbledon, croydon and beckenham to form a much larger network for south london, replicating, surpassing the north’s tube, much larger than i can draw today. from limehouse bridge, the heavy tram network can integrate the areas south of the brixton spoke: crystal palace, dulwich, norwood, streatham, clapham, tooting, bromley, lewisham

all of which leaves limehouse bridge: pedestrians, cycle superhighway, light rail, heavy tram, no motor vehicles. a triumph of modern planning, the aorta of the east

so with the dlr from this bridge serving the greenwich and deptford regions, no more crossings will be needed here due to the dlr’s tunnel at the end of the isle of dogs. it’s all plugged in - and the dome has the jubilee tunnels, which could be co-opted by any new over-ground “underground” lines to serve the area if they are needed. destroy the fucking cable car. fell it. yell timber

prioritising those heavy trams now, we can connect charlton through silvertown and eastenders with a new tunnel. with the unnecessary silvertown road tunnel opening 2025, more road connections aren’t needed. so - pubtrans from charlton to newham - then heavy trams in the tunnel like it’s a miniature channel tunnel. also feature pedestrian and cycle access, obviously

there had been suggestions that the suffragette line (formerly the goblin) after barking riverside might cross the river to thamesmead, where that dlr extension might go. do it. this has to be commuter rail now, as we’re threading suburbs together. after that, we’re probably well served enough until the dartford suspension bridge

but… cars and road traffic are an unfortunate reality. with ground broken (or water broken?) on the silvertown tunnel, unholy amounts of heavy traffic are going to be funnelled through greenwich and poplar. removing passengers who can be removed can only help us so much. the unfortunate truth is a woolwich road bridge, replacing the ferry, is a good idea. toll it to high hell obviously, but it should help ease congestion that has now been caused by the silvertown. with plentiful other passenger connections, and ensuring anti-car policies are kept up to make sure only people with a damn good reason are driving through the area, this bridge could be helpful. but of course, without any of that, it would be a polluting, congesting disaster. but we were on a spending spree anyway

anyway. bridges

[konstskvaller]

The worst of the London Blitz was centred on the East End, and this painting shows a street in the Silvertown area, close to the docks. The area was devastated and Sutherland found it ‘tremendously moving... mysterious and sad’. Though the houses were mostly abandoned, a few people continued to shelter in the wreckage during a period of social unrest.

Gallery label, May 2007