New video captures the demolition of 100-year old fuel tanks in Portland, Dorset.
These old naval oil tanks have dominated the entrance to Portland for 100 years. The last one was demolished May 2008.
To celebrate the demolition of the last of these tanks, 99 years-old Portlander George Davey – born the same year the first tanks were built for the Royal Navy – got behind the levers of the excavator charged with the demolition. The video captures superbly the ease with which the excavator slices through the skin of the tanks.
The area was previously a natural tidal flat land “The Mere” which was later filled in to become Europe’s largest Naval Helicopter base, which closed in 1999. The entire site is now “Osprey Quay” and includes the National Sailing Academy. This site is being cleared as it is the venue for the 2012 Olympic games sailing events.
DEMOLITION – Portland’s Last 100-year-old Fuel Oil Tank – Click here for this week’s top video clips