Portsof Call

ports of call
AUDIOtrails
walks of art at
the royal docks
walk 1: the west silvertown trail
gunpowder, ﬁ re and ﬂ ood
walk 2: the asta trail, silvertown
trains, planes and grafﬁ ti walls
walk 3: the north woolwich trail
deep water

ports of call walks of art at
the royal docks
special thanks to
The aim of the Ports of Call project is to create walking
all the people that speak on the trails and agreed to
trails, artwork and historical interpretation with members
be interviewed, our funders at the Heritage Lottery
of the communities surrounding the Royal Docks in
Fund, the Royal Docks Trust and the University of
East London; the kind permission of the Museum in
London. The closure of the working docks, once the
Docklands and Eastside Community Heritage to use
busiest in the world, and ongoing redevelopment
their interview archives; the Ports of Call steering
has transformed the landscape and the population of
committee; Elahe Panahi and staff at the St John’s
communities such as Silvertown, West Silvertown and
Community Centre; John Marriott, Gavin Poynter,
North Woolwich. By creating online maps, public art
Andrew Blake, Mark O’Thomas, Jo Sherman, Pat
and ‘memoryscape’ audio trails with the involvement of
Clare and Sheila Johnson at the University of East
London, and staff at the London East Research
residents it is hoped that locals and newcomers alike can
Institute; Loraine Leeson at CSpace; Toby Borland
discover new ways of interpreting their surroundings,
at Magic Lab; Victoria Jeeves at City Airport;
and visitors can gain a deeper understanding of this
Community Links and Jason Forde at the Asta Centre
fascinating part of East London.
and the young people who took part in the Asta
project; Kathy Taylor, North Woolwich Old Station
TRAIL 1 AND 2:
This set contains three self-guided audio trails of two miles or less (allow
Museum, Phil Riley, Penny Marsh and Keeley Prowse
composed and
two hours for each walk) near the Royal Docks in East London. The trails
at Britannia Village Community Centre, Jasmine
produced by Jo
contain original interviews with dozens of people who have lived and
Allodi, Deborah Peck and Kris Krishnarajah at North
Thomas at Glitchwork
Woolwich Library, Annette Day, Claire Frankland
worked in the docks, factories and communities of Silvertown, West
Studios, London.
and Alex Werner at the Museum of London and the
Silvertown and North Woolwich. The walks include some of the most
jo@glitchworksmusic.com
Museum in Docklands, The North Woolwich Library
impressive and startling views in London, and each trail begins and ends
Reminiscence group, Bill Perry, Kevin Murphy,
TRAIL 3:
near a Docklands Light Railway Station.
Gemma Parkhouse, The Excel Centre, Linda May
Artist: Mark Hunter
Bingham, Britannia Village School, Andrew Mawson,
Sound design:
All you need is this CD set and map booklet and a portable CD player.
Judith Garﬁ eld at ECH, The Multi-media Production
Jasmine Allodi
If you would prefer to use an MP3 player, you can transfer the tracks
Centre at UEL, participants in the community history
from the CDs or download MP3s from portsofcall.org.uk
© University of
trail workshops; Mrs Thomas, Leigh and Pete for
East London 2008
listening. Extra special thanks to Phil Cohen, the
There are excellent cafés at the end of each walk that serve lunches on
master builder of the Ports of Call project.
Interviews © Museum
most days (Barrier Park, City Airport and UEL Docklands campus) and
of London, Eastside
shops on each route where you can ﬁ nd the ingredients for a picnic.
Design: boinggraphics.com
Community Heritage
Trails conceived and directed by
or the University of
More information, photographs and maps are available from the website
Toby Butler, memoryscape.org.uk
East London.
Museum in Docklands
Music © Jo Thomas.
portsofcall.org.uk
Ports of Call Project conceived by Phil Cohen

walk 1:
the west silvertown trail:
gunpowder, ﬁ re and ﬂ ood
Commentary by Jo Thomas
❝ The area around the Royal Docks sings regeneration, energy and desolation.
When the Albert Dock opened in 1880 the Royals became the ﬁ rst docks to
be lit by electricity and for the next century most of London’s electricity was
generated in the Docklands area.
In my composition I have tried to weave a tapestry of mechanical and electrical
sounds that reﬂ ect the industrial revolution and its adoption of this vibrant
electrical power. The musical suggestion of trains, cranes and hydraulic power
work as transitions, movements in the history we experience through the
archive recordings and recorded conversations.
The role of the female voice is especially important within this score.
Women did not have a strong visual presence in the docks, but the
support of the mothers, lovers and wives of the men that worked there
was ever-present, and many women worked in the local factories. I wanted to
capture the delicacy and reﬁ ned nature of the voice of Anne Grifﬁ ths in track
two, the gentle tremble at the end of every sentence which captures a moment
of suspended time. The score starts with a single pitched micro-sound pulsing
gently and creating an intimate sound world that captures her presence.
Music by Machines (track three) is all about the sound of machinery. Bill talks
about the rollers and the mist created by the ﬂ our dust. The Mechanical sounds
were created through micro-sound impulse, counterbalanced with the lethal
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beauty of the mist.
1: green electra
The sound world in Barrier Park initially reﬂ ects the micro-climate of the low
Jo Thomas, Andrew Verner, Bill Perry, Alan Spong
2: vast nature, gentle voices
gardens of the Green Dock - an imaginary sound world of tropical animals,
Anne Grifﬁ ths, Bill Perry, Jo Thomas, Alan Spong,
micro-objects and micro-melodies. Next to the river the Blitz Memorial
Andrew Verner, Eileen Gibbons, Toby Butler, Kevin Murphy
reminds us of those who lost their lives in the terrible bombing here,
3: music by machines
Anne Grifﬁ ths, Bill Perry, Jo Thomas
reﬂ ected in a simple melodic line resembling a song blowing through
4: rule britannia
the wind over the docks.
Linda May Bingham, Stanley Rose, Keeley Prowse
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5: gunpowder explosion
With this music I wanted to capture a sense of vast riverscape,
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remembrance and voice. The melody ﬁ nally returns to the theme of
6: micro macro spaces
electricity, current and light while we consider Andrew Mawson’s vision
Phil Riley, young people from the Asta Centre
7: closing memories, future visions
for the this area as a water city. ❞
Eileen Gibbons, Andrew Mawson

walk 1: the west silvertown trail:
gunpowder, ﬁ re and ﬂ ood
VICTORIA DOCK Rd
1: green electra
Stand outside the main entrance of the
CUSTOM
PRINCE
Excel Centre. Play track 1.
HOUSE
REGENT
2: vast nature, gentle voices
SANDSTONE LANE
Stand in the centre of the Bridge. Look at
the docks in the direction of City Airport
WESTERN GATEWAY
1
EXCEL
and the Connaught Bridge.
LONDON
3: music by machines
Stand next to chimney at the top of Mill
Rd. Look at the wall of the old ﬂ our mill.
4: rule britannia
Stand outside Britannia Village
Primary School.
2
ROYAL
VICTORIA
5: gunpowder explosion
DOCK
Find the war memorial and the explosion
memorial that are set back from the road
(combined).
UGHT BRIDGE
6: micro macro spaces
Go into to café, look out through the
CONNA
windows and listen, or sit outside if it is
WESLEY AVENUE
closed.
3
UDLEY Dr
7: closing memories, future visions
A
Pass the London Blitz memorial to the
EVELYN Rd
edge of the river, where there are
4
great views of the Thames Barrier.
Walk and listen along the promenade
OOD Rd
or stand and listen.
T St
WESTW
FOR
SILVERT
MILL Rd
OWN WA
XLEY St
Y
HANAMEEL St BO
WEST
SILVERTOWN
NORTH WOOLWICH Rd
PONTOON
DOCK
5
6
ARRIER POINT Rd
B
7
RIVER THAMES
Museum in Docklands

walk 2:
the asta trail, silvertown:
trains, planes & grafﬁ ti walls
Commentary by Jo Thomas and Toby Butler
❝ The Asta trail was written in the summer of 2007 with the young
people at the Asta Centre youth club. The idea was to encourage the
young people to express personal narratives and narratives of place
through sound and music. After a number of group walkabouts the
young people chose areas that were important to them, wrote lyrics
around the chosen locations and spent two weeks in the summer mixing
their words with their own beats.
This commission was especially exciting to work on in regards to the
distribution of music via mp3 technology. Many of the young people had
mobile phones and were very adept at using them. Some chose to save
their music onto their phones and listen and share what they had created.
The music they wrote became mobile within Silvertown before the
project was actually ﬁ nished. This mobility of sound through the phones
in people’s pockets happily echoed the idea of a sound walk.
The young people were given mp3 players at the end of their project
so they all could play the music they had written along with other music
of their own choice. They also visited the music studios and the design
laboratories of the University of East London and had a chance to work
with the facilities there. This gave them the opportunity to ﬁ nd out what
happens on the new campus that is on their doorstep, and discover some
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of the more exciting aspects of university life.
1: song, voice and beats
With some professional guidance and tuition from a trained journalist on
Malcolm; Sydney; Brenda; young people from the Asta Centre
how to record interviews, small groups of young people armed with a
2: up and coming area
Malcolm , young people from Asta Centre, Mr Sriramamoorthy
digital recorder also went on visits to question people that had important
3: silver is as good as gold
roles in their community. These ranged from the local shopkeeper to Lord
Malcolm, Kathy Taylor (North Woolwich Old Station Museum),
Mawson (responsible for the future development of the area adjacent to
Toby Butler, young people from Asta Centre
4: pink hazes of sugar
Silvertown, near Pontoon Dock).
Toby Butler, Kathy Taylor, young people from the Asta Centre
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These interviews didn’t just give the participants the chance to gain some
5: vast skies of venture
Victoria Jeeves (London City Airport); Toby Butler;
conﬁ dence in oral skills (many spoke English as a second language); it
young people from the Asta Centre
also gave the interviewees a chance to meet and really engage with some
members of the next generation of Silvertown residents. ❞
Music was composed by the young people from the Asta Centre,
Silvertown and arranged by Jo Thomas

walk 2: the asta trail, silvertown:
trains, planes & grafﬁ ti walls
1: song,voice and beats
Use the map to ﬁ nd the Asta Centre on the
corner of Drew Road. This trail was made
in the studio inside. Stand outside and
play track 1.
2: up and coming area
Go through the alley way to get to the
precinct and shops on Constance St.
Opposite the grocers shop play track 2.
LONDON
3: silver is good as gold
CITY
HARTMAN Rd
AIRPORT
Cross at the zebra crossing on Albert
Rd. You will see a pedestrian bridge over
LONDON
the railway. Go up on to the bridge and
CITY
face the Tate and Lyle sugar factory. Play
CAMEL Rd
AIRPORT
track 3.
5
4: pink hazes of sugar
1
On the corner of Albert Road and
CONNA
HAR
Whythes Rd you will ﬁ nd a bench in a
DREW Rd
TMAN Rd
grassy area. Sit down opposite the Tate
UGHT Rd
ASTA
DREW Rd
and Lyle factory and play track 4.
CENTRE
2
5: vast skies of venture
t
Pass the primary school and head for City
Airport. If it is open, cross the check in hall
and go up the escalators.
ANCE St
P
ARKER S
NEWLAND St
Walk to you left. Look down over the hall
WYTHES Rd
and play track 5.
3
CONST
VILLE Rd
SA
4
LEONARD St
ALBERT Rd
Museum in Docklands

walk 3:
the north woolwich trail:
deep water
Commentary by Mark Hunter
❝ North Woolwich: Deep Water is a journey through
North Woolwich past and present. Constructed
around interviews from both the Eastside Community
Heritage archive and the Museum in Docklands oral
history collection, this sound walk brings together a
wide range of ideas, attitudes and memories through
the voices of local people.
You will not hear my voice on these tracks; my aim
was to gather the materials and work them into a
soundscape that represents itself without my voice
intervening. In this way I play the role both of curator
- carefully selecting and editing material from the
hiting
catalogue of the archive recordings, and sculptor
- constructing a sonic monument of and to the people
Steve W
featured in the recordings.
1: king george v DLR
Charles Beck
The trail is also an investigation into the performance
2: woodman street
of memory in Newham in 2008. The complex and
Gertie Duffy; Victor Pardoe; Alex Collyer
overlapping contexts of ‘regeneration’ that are
3: the royal oak
Alex Col yer; Doreen Harvey; Roy & Marion Cable; Stanley Morris
present in the 2012 Olympics and the Thames
hiting
4: royal victoria gardens
Gateway development sit in stark contrast to the
Owen Macomish
immediate surroundings of North Woolwich.
5: north woolwich pier
Steve W
Roy Cable; Victor Pardoe
The redevelopment zone surrounding North
6: bargehouse road slipway
Woolwich offers a very speciﬁ c narrative of place
George Gibbs; Doreen Harvey; Lottie Lowry
7: harland & wolff
that, I would argue, does not account for the history
Owen McComish; Roy Cable; E. Glibbery
or people of the area.
8: bascule bridge
This sound walk is an attempt to map the stories and
George Gibbs; Owen McComish; Ada Tebb
9: dockside, royal albert dock
memories of the local people onto the terrain of North
AS Ellis; George Gibbs; Lottie Lowry
Woolwich, offering an experience where the ‘here
10: university of east london campus
and now’ of the walk is contested by the ‘there and
Eileen Brome; Paul North; Harold Morison
11: cyprus DLR
then’ of the stories you will listen to. ❞
Charles Beck

walk 3: the north woolwich trail:
deep water
1: king george v DLR station
6: bargehouse road slipway
CYPRUS
This station is named after the old dock
A ferry has been crossing here at least as far back
11
and is situated on the dockside. The new
as the earliest record of it in 1308. The ferryman
concrete wall running along the DLR is a
lived in the Bargehouse which gave the road
ROYAL ALBERT WAY
physical barrier to dockside access, just
its name. Children have long played along the
UNIVERSITY
as the old dock walls once were. Singer
Thames foreshore and some have even swum
OF EAST
Charles Beck worked as a docker.
across the Thames, despite treacherous currents.
LONDON
Please take care if you walk down the slipway, it
UNIVERSITY WAY
2: woodman street
can be very slippery.
This is the heart of North Woolwich:
10
GALLIONS Rd
surrounded by water on all sides, when
7: harland & wolff
the locks and bridges were open this was
Galleons Point Estate is a new housing
ROYAL
9
effectively an island. Hear Victor Pardoe
development built on the site of the Harland &
ALBERT
list the names of the factories and works
Wolff ship repair yard: one of the most important
DOCK
along the main road, which along with
employers in North Woolwich. The original
the docks made North Woolwich such a
works gates are displayed in Lyle Park, West
busy place.
Silvertown.
AY
3: the royal oak
8: bascule bridge
W
The Royal Oak is one of the last remaining
The Bascule Bridge can lift up to allow access into
pubs in North Woolwich - go in and have a the dock for larger ships. These locks were the
drink, the landlady is expecting you! There gateway to the tidal Thames and the world. Stand
used to be dozens of pubs in the area,
on the steps overlooking the locks to escape
the trafﬁ c noise. See if you can spot the Gallions
KING
serving the thirsty local workforce.
GEORGE V
WICH MANOR
Hotel, a listed Victorian pub now surrounded
DOCK
4: royal victoria gardens
by a new housing development; cruise ship
OOL
8
A popular pleasure garden since 1851,
passengers rubbed shoulders with dockers here.
W
day-trippers would come here by train
and steamer to enjoy entertainments
9: dockside
KING GEORGE V
here, such as acrobats, hot air balloons,
Thousands of men would gather at the
1
ﬁ reworks and dancing. The gardens have
Connaught Bridge to get a day’s work - you
more of a park-like feel today, but they are
can see this bridge today if you look right,
RYMILL St
2
towards Canary Wharf; this was called ‘going
3
still well used by people of all ages. Owen
WOODMAN St
McComish’s story is a memorial to a sad
on the stones’. The dockers (in the docks and
event here over ﬁ fty years ago.
warehouses), stevedores (who loaded the ships)
and crane drivers were employed to move
d
5: north woolwich pier
the cargo in what was once the busiest port
Climb the steps to get a good view of the
in the world.
GLENISTER St
A
Y
WAY
old pier, the free ferry and the Thames
10: university of east london campus
d
T Rd
W
ARD
7
across to Woolwich. If you wish you can
ALBER
WICH
FISHGU
ride on the free ferry (established 1889);
The university is on the site of warehouses 5,
7, 9 & 11, where goods from around the world
PIER R
4
OOL
Roy Cable worked as a stoker when the
ARGEHOUSE R
6
arrived by the ton, ranging from bananas to mail.
W MANOR
B
ferry was powered by coal. At low tide
UEL has 20,000 students from all corners of the
NORTH
you can gain access to the foreshore,
WOOLWICH
RIVER THAMES
and the old railway station here is now
world. The Docklands campus opened in 2000
a museum, and well worth a visit if it is
and was short-listed for Building of the Year for
its energy efﬁ cient design. There are cafés and
5
open (weekend afternoons and school
holidays). There is also a half-kilometre
toilet facilities here.
long, public foot tunnel here connecting
11: cyprus DLR
North and South Woolwich which until
The end of the trail. The DLR and local buses go
WOOLWICH FOOT TUNNEL
Museum in Docklands
1965 were both part of the county of Kent. from here to North Woolwich and beyond.
WOOLWICH FERRY

portsofcall.org.uk
toby butler (project director)
Toby Butler is a visiting fellow and project director at the London
East Research Institute, University of East London. He has worked
as a tour guide, journalist and editor before entering academia,
where he has published work in the ﬁ elds of cultural geography,
oral history and museum studies. The Ports of Call audio trail
programme is a community-based development of his earlier
work on ‘memoryscapes’ which integrate sound and oral history
recordings. Toby has published two more trails, Dockers and
Drifting (available from memoryscape.org.uk) in a collaborative
project with the Museum of London and Royal Holloway,
University of London.
jo thomas (composer)
Jo Thomas lives and works as a composer in East and North
London. She lectures in electronic composition and sound design
at the University of East London. Her composition research
work concentrates on the development of micro-sound, glitch,
technological artefacts and their relationship to human utterance
and the human body. Her music is released by NMC Recordings
and is distributed by the British Music information Centre. The
music for these trails was composed and produced at Glitchwork
Studios, London. jo@glitchworksmusic.com
myspace.com/jothomaselectrosound
mark hunter (artist)
Mark Hunter is a senior lecturer and programme leader of the BA
(Hons) Community Arts Practice programme at the University of
East London. He has worked in public and community settings
over the past ten years, often utilising walking as a means of
investigating the history, memories and archaeology of different
locales. Mark has led projects and walks for Birmingham Museum
front cover images:
& Art Gallery, Lickey Hills Country Park, the Live Art Development
Museum in Docklands
Agency, and Mineﬁ eld amongst others. m.hunter@uel.ac.uk or
(background)
Toby Butler
visit uel.ac.uk/ipad/.
(inset)