10th July: DP World!

Nowadays Southampton Container Port is run by “DP World” (where “DP” stands for Dubai Ports). On Wednesday 10th July I joined a party of NCI Watchkeepers on a visit. We were shown a video about the port and then taken on a minibus tour of the facility. The previous time I visited must have been sometime in the 1990’s as part of a Port Meteorological Officers’ meeting visit to inspect the met instruments on a container ship. In those days we could drive into the port and walk on the quayside (provided we were wearing high vis jackets and hard hats).

How things have changed! Those who work on the quay dart in and out of metal cages to perform their tasks. We were confined to the minibus which rather restricted the view since most of the container handling gear towered high above us. Still it was very interesting to see how the facility operates nowadays.

The photos below were taken by one of the watchkeepers who was able to take photos out of the minibus side door.