# Can you identify this building in Northern France?



## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

Can you identify or recognize this building in Northern France?






Many of you may have been inside the building in its heyday but it 
was closed for business in 1993.

I hope it's not too easy to identify!


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

No chance, there are so few clues that it will remain a mystery to me.....

Dave


----------



## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Having looked at the UTube clip - why on earth would you *want* to know where it is :?: :!:


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Old supermarket like Auchan or Wine Where house.??

Ray.


----------



## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Gare Lille Flandres

Dave


----------



## subfiver (Oct 15, 2011)

Hoverport terminal building at Boulogne-sur-Mer, I think ... services on that route ceased in 1993. I remember the big plate glass windows and watching the seemingly huge hovercraft come hurtling up the beach at low-water ...


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Well done subfiver, you have hit the nail on the head

Boulogne Hovercraft derelict building










Dave


----------



## subfiver (Oct 15, 2011)

In my youth I broke a Landy's half-shaft driving up the hovercraft ramp; no problem as we had a spare - and a spare Landy, too... 8O


----------



## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Also identified on U tube clip comments section :wink: 

tony


----------



## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

Give those men a pat on the back!

Also - 




I well remember the Hovercraft service from Dover to Calais, we never used the Boulogne route, using it about half a dozen times when we went by car.

As soon as the bar opened drinks were brought round and as the Hovercraft bounced from wave to wave the froth on our drinks and the spillage increased dramatically.

We went back to the Ferries after one rough crossing when we were battered and bruised by the time we reached port.

Happy days!


----------



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Those big hovercrafts were some machines.

I remember we did a school trip to France with Hoverspeed in the early 70's

Us lads all had too much cheapo wine in Calais and I have the dubious honour of chucking up all over (The) Princess Anne on the way back.

ukeright: 

Those were the days.

Pete


----------



## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

I've travelled to France from Dover many times by ferry and often in quite rough seas. I've never had the slightest twinge of sickness. 

I've travelled the Hovercraft route 6 times and felt very queasy on 2 of them.
It was not my favourite way to travel to France.


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

But that wonderful moment when it trundled up the beach
...never ceased to make us laugh.

G


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

We used both routes, one time we had spent 4 weeks camping in the Med - using my wife's Mum's Mini laden with camping gear....

Got to Boulogne and had a puncture, that was sorted (although the plastic bag with wife's unmentionables suffered a terminal failure as the mechanics ripped it out.... :lol: ).

Got back there and the seas were horrible...... we were early but they said they would "squeeze us in".....

which they did by picking up the car and putting it crossways in the hovercraft - it was one of the few that did not move during the journey.

The supposed journey time (25 minutes?) took 2 1/2 hours and every person (including crew) was sick.....

It could not hover as the seas were too big, so went across as a very slow displacement unit....

We arrived at Dover and the Customs wanted to search our car - until they bent down and saw my wife's face - then it was "drive on, we don't want to delay you as clearing up would take too long...."

Good memories of a great way to travel, but sadly it all stopped inn 2001.......

Dave


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

They were not user-friendly in Force 4 upwards - fine for lakes and rivers but not the English Channel.

Although it was fun to drive a small one across a field and a lake.  

Geoff


----------



## hulltramper (Nov 2, 2013)

Hi.
Would i be right in thinking that if you walk from the Aire at Le Portel ?,towards the beach,you end up looking over where it used to land/dock ?
Nice walk over the hill down to the beach with the growler.
hulltramper


----------



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

> *hulltramper wrote :-* Hi.
> Would i be right in thinking that if you walk from the Aire at Le Portel ?,towards the beach,you end up looking over where it used to land/dock ?
> Nice walk over the hill down to the beach with the growler.
> hulltramper


Yes, that's it.

The Calais one is just to the east of the ferry docks, you can see the old buildings on the right of the A26 just off the last roundabout. Always thought it would be a good place for an aire for the ferry.

Pete


----------



## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

When we lived down south there was at least one "parked" at the Lee on the Solent naval airfield HMS Daedalus although we missed it arriving there.

Someone had plans to open a museum.

Were they broken up?

We once crossed on the Newhaven Dieppe catamaran that wasn't pleasant either as it was running on one engine I think and took ages.

Steve


----------



## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

Memories from Boulogne.






Can you see the 'illegal' making a run for it (2.17mins)?

Thanks for all the replies and participation.


----------



## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

Darn, I thought maybe it was Chateau Penquin, I'm so disappointed. :lol:


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Now then Tuggers, the graffiti is different here and we have kept our windows open rather than putting big concrete blocks in them - I suppose that stops it cooling down.....

The hovercraft were incredible machines though - as already commented when they came out of the sea and up the slope was stunning and the noise was awesome.....

Dave :lol: :lol: 8O


----------



## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

> When we lived down south there was at least one "parked" at the Lee on the Solent naval airfield HMS Daedalus although we missed it arriving there.
> 
> Someone had plans to open a museum.
> 
> ...


Steve,

http://www.hovercraft-museum.org/finding_us_14.html

Dave


----------



## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

What amazes me is the vast amount of idle land in Calais 8O 

tony


----------



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

> *homenaway wrote :-* When we lived down south there was at least one "parked" at the Lee on the Solent naval airfield HMS Daedalus although we missed it arriving there.
> 
> Someone had plans to open a museum.
> 
> ...


There is an SRN 4 on display at that very museum you mention Steve..

http://www.hovercraft-museum.org/index.html

I think i'll pop in and have a look if we ever use the nearby Portsmouth ferry.

Pete

_edit - Dabs beat me to it_


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Pete

Just in case you missed it, you cannot just 'pop-in' - they want a week or two's notice according to their website.

Geoff


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Not brilliant quality (too many bits of seat back video :lol: ) but a view from the cockpit of the hovercraft as it goes across the channel;

Cockpit view

5.35 as it arrives at Calais...... superb control of something that is not easy to control.....

Dave


----------

