Earlier this week I had an invite to go down to Woolwich to watch a BIG GUN being hoisted into public display. Sadly, unable to attend due to prior engagements such as earning a salary, I missed the chance to watch the event, but they did send some press photos this morning, so I thought I would put them here as the BIG GUN does look quite impressive.

Another advantage of not going is that the lift was due at 9am, but actually happened somewhat closer to 4pm and there would have been no way I could hang around for an entire day – and certainly not in Woolwich.

The 9.2 inch calibre gun is a rare surviving example of the large coastal guns installed throughout the British Empire in the early 1900s. This type of heavy artillery was used to protect strategically important coastal locations throughout the British Empire including Dover, Aden, Hong Kong, Singapore and Gibraltar where Firepower’s example was located for its service life. In the 1980s, the enormous gun was found in a Gibraltar scrap yard and was returned to Britain where it was made.

The 9.2 inch (23.37 cm) gun was first designed to be mounted on Royal Navy ships but was adapted for use on land to counter long-range attacks by enemy battleships and cruisers. It represents the pinnacle of coastal gun development in terms of accuracy and sophistication. Gibraltar’s 9.2 inch guns were first installed in 1902, could fire a shell weighing 380lb over a range of 16 miles (25.6 kilometres) and remained in service into the 1950s when they were finally replaced by guided missile systems.

With appropriate timing though, Diamond Geezer also comments this morning on other people with guns being very cross about the Olympics coming to the area, although their guns are somewhat smaller than the one lifted into place on Thursday.

Sadly the mouth of the gun has been sealed up – probably to stop pigeons using it as a toilet, and kids using it as a litter bin – so the map below of its theoretical firing range is sadly now just wishful thinking. I quite liked the idea of sneaking in one night and firing shells over Central London, or possibly taking out half the world’s supply of polyester clothing by targeting the Bluewater and Lakeside shopping centers.

The gun is on display outside the Firepower museum of military history.

Today was the completion of a DLR extension project which had taken the light railway down towards City Airport – and after a short hiatus for tunneling work – under the River Thames to Woolwich town centre.

I had planned to be particularly geekish and catch the very first train to Woolwich at about 5:30am, but the temptation to finish off an opened bottle of Port the night before proved too difficult to resist, so with a slightly heavy head I caught the train at a far more reasonable hour.

As we headed out towards King George V station, which had been the temporary end of the line for the extension, the train progressively emptied until we got to the station and there were about 4-5 people on the train. I actually got off here as I wanted to get a photo of a DLR train approaching the station with a display board showing the new destination.

Catching the following train, we drop steeply into the tunnel – which I noticed has a pedestrian walkway along the entire length – and thence to Woolwich. A couple of air vents towards the end give you glimpses of the construction techniques used, and then a very sharp curve brings us to the new station itself.

The station has two exits – one which maintains a clinical grey colour leads to the existing overland station – and the other exit, with somewhat garish artwork leads to the town centre.

The Costa Coffee shop was unfinished as the station opened – someone probably screwed up there, but the station itself was fully completed including all the posters and signs which, ahem – enhance the decor.

As part of the opening day celebrations, a brass band marched through the town centre and the council had set up some trestle tables to promote the regeneration of the area.

When I arrived, the bulk of the few passengers around seemed to be fellow geeks with cameras – and when I left it was a mixture of geeks and locals out to explore the “shiny new thing” with their kids.

There is an interesting historical parallel here.

In 1902, a foot tunnel was opened under the Thames at Greenwich – and in 1999, the DLR dug a tunnel in almost the same spot (just deeper) to run though Greenwich to Lewisham.

Ten years after the original Greenwich foot tunnel was opened, a second almost identical tunnel was opened in Woolwich – and with quite spooky timing, ten years after the DLR opened its Greenwich tunnel – they also opened a tunnel at Woolwich.

Back to the station opening though – and the place was packed full of smiling DLR staff – and the trains themselves seemed to have a lot of staff around. All smiles and helpfulness – except one smiling chap who warned me that photography would only be tolerated on the first day.

Here we go again – yet another damn jobsworth with a photo-phobia.

I presume that as photography is acceptable on Saturday 11th January 2009, but will be frowned upon on Sunday 12th January 2009, that some mysterious change will occur to the building overnight which renders it suddenly a security threat of some sort and hence photography will be banned?

Nope – just damn stupidity from a jobsworth who wants to spoil a harmless hobby.

A bad way to end the morning.

The next “big change” will be the oddly little published opening of an entire new line on the DLR – running between Stratford and Canning Town stations. Before that though, a lot of stations are being upgraded to support 3-car trains which will offer an effective 50% increase in capacity along parts of the line, and a redesigning of the junction by West India Quay to take out a bottleneck at that point.

The ever cynical Diamond Geezer has a sadly accurate report on the delights at Woolwich – and as I used to live nearby, I never failed to marvel at how a town centre can feel like it is perpetually stuck in a wet autumn, even in the height of a hot summer. The town centre has some amazing heritage, but a lot of it is frankly being left to rot. Hopefully, the link to Canary Wharf and the restoration of the Arsenal will bring in the money to improve the town centre and restore those grand old buildings.

I have uploaded the rest of my photos to the usual Flickr location.