Dover

For anyone who thinks the saga of the Britannia has ended, I have some rather interesting news for you. Not that I know exactly what is going to replace the building yet, when I do that will be published on the other page.

However, the photographs shown below have all been submitted by Uwe Derkesen, who is involved in a project currently being carried out at the Dover Sorting Office and run by the Dover Arts Development Ltd. (DAD).

Apparently the timbers from the "Britannia" have been salvaged along with others from the now derelict Argo Wiggins (Wiggins Teape) Paper Mill at Buckland and are going to be transformed into a sculpture and table, which when completed will be situated for some time in the Market Square and moved at key times to celebrate the Olympiad events taking place under the big screen there. Later it will be moved to the Pharos Arts Foundation in Cyprus.

DAD says the table is a symbol of peace inspired by Brancusi's Table of Silence, built as a war memorial at Turgu jui Romania in 1937.

Demolition almost complete. More demolition work. The JCB doing its work Timbers being collected. More timbers. Model of the table. De-nailing the timbers. More de-nailing. Initial marking out of the table shape and size. Marking out the plan for the table. Setting out timbers. Laying out timbers ready for cutting. After treating the timbers with linseed oil they are cut to length. Checking for correct length after cutting. Table starting to take shape. Latest shot of the table.

DAD says the inspiration of the table has a long history in many different cultures and societies:- "Tables are used for dining, meetings, putting things on, playing games on and versions of games such as table tennis. It is a symbol for hospitality and friendship, a place where communities meet to eat and talk. A table is a place to share and create relationships. Tables are protective – one need only think of recent news images of earthquakes in various parts of the world – and the space under the table is also a favourite with children, a space of the imagination and play. - The term ‘table' is used in idioms in many languages and English idioms include phrases such as ‘lay one's cards on the table', ‘get someone around the table', ‘turn the tables', ‘drink someone under the table' ”bring someone or something to the table”.

Back to the "Britannia."