Tower Crane - Margate, JAN 2012

[Ramsgatonion]

This crane is on the site of the partly redeveloped Royal Sea Bathing Hospital in Margate. The company responsible for the development went bust a couple of years ago, and since then the site has been a mix of abandoned hospital, occupied apartments in refurbished buildings, and concrete frames which were to be new apartments. The site has clearly been bought out by another company, because there are active security onsite. I don't know why they haven't resumed work yet.

After crossing a wall, I was inside one of the aforementioned concrete structures, and found my way to the base of the crane. The base is covered with hoarding, but another structure was being built around it. I went up a ladder, and ran across the roof of the building to where the crane emerged from it. After sliding through the bars, I began the ascent...

The first 50 feet or so were the worst, as I climbed up past occupied apartments. There was a man on his laptop the whole time I was up there, and I was praying he didn't turn around. One woman decided to hang out of the window for a smoke, luckily she waited until I was well hidden at the top before she did this!

Anyway, enough writing for now - enjoy the pictures. The whole crane was moving, so some of them are slightly out of focus...

The obligatory crane operator portrait!

As I was on the last rung before jumping back out onto the roof, someone looked straight at me and quickly drew the curtains - and almost straight after torch light was coming from the other side of the crane - the ladder to get down was just out of cover, and was lit up. As soon as the security guards starting moving towards me, I ran for the ladder, back through the building and across the wall. As I started up my bike to leave, I saw the crane still bathed in torchlight - perfect timing!

According to a sign, the road up the side of the site is due to be closed on the 27th January for 'Crane Operations' - so it looks like I may have got here just in time!

Thanks for looking!

 

[Wevsky]

Well you made the local isle of thanet gazette ,now charge them for using one of your pics mate

 

[Ramsgatonion]

I'm happy with the glory at the moment - at least it is a positive (or neutral at least) report. They actually used two pics, so I might invoice them. Don't know if I can be arsed with them giving the development company my details.

 

[Ramsgatonion]

And I did recce it by the way

 

[Maniac]

You just made the news on Academy FM in Thanet, lol.

 

[Ramsgatonion]

Oh god, wish I could have heard it!

 

[Obscurity]

I'm happy with the glory at the moment - at least it is a positive (or neutral at least) report. They actually used two pics, so I might invoice them. Don't know if I can be arsed with them giving the development company my details.

Well glory to those that dont do this sort of thing....general public.

To everyone else well...Why would you want to be in the papers for one of the smallest cranes posted on the internet? Well done for getting out and doing it but it is far from glory, more glorified publicity for something that has been climbed before but never posted purely because of its height and lack of views.

 

[Ramsgatonion]

I'm happy with the glory at the moment - at least it is a positive (or neutral at least) report. They actually used two pics, so I might invoice them. Don't know if I can be arsed with them giving the development company my details.

Well glory to those that dont do this sort of thing....general public.

To everyone else well...Why would you want to be in the papers for one of the smallest cranes posted on the internet? Well done for getting out and doing it but it is far from glory, more glorified publicity for something that has been climbed before but never posted purely because of its height and lack of views.

Exactly - to the many 'craners' this isn't much of a big thing. This is only my second crane though, and tallest so far. I decided to post on it because there were some decent views, and a good story to go with it. All of my friends and acquaintances who have seen it, however, think it is amazing, although I don't see the fuss. If I had to choose, I wouldn't want to be in the paper, because like you said this isn't the tallest crane. Also, to me, it wasn't much of a challenge, so I was surprised. I suppose I should have worded it differently, not really glory, more just something to have a laugh about amongst friends...