Celebrating 65 years of the Port of Milford Haven
A film by the Milford Haven Port Authority.
During the evening celebrating 65 years of the port, attended by over 200 guests, a short film was launched which captures the organisation's rich history, alongside a glimpse into the promising future that lies ahead, rooted in the evolution of the nationally critical assets along the Milford Haven Waterway and green industries.
During the evening celebrating 65 years of the port, attended by over 200 guests, a short film was launched which captures the organisation's rich history, alongside a glimpse into the promising future that lies ahead, rooted in the evolution of the nationally critical assets along the Milford Haven Waterway and green industries.
Transcript
00:00 The Dockyard had employed hundreds, earning good money in return for skilled work.
00:11 Then suddenly, there was nothing.
00:13 It all changed dramatically for the town in 1926 when the Dockyard closed, turning a very
00:18 prosperous town into one within a few years of near destitution.
00:23 Conversion to oil was too expensive and Milford Haven began to decline.
00:27 It used to keep all the Pembrokeshire going practically.
00:30 But how many does it employ now?
00:32 Very few.
00:33 Oh, very few now.
00:34 Very few.
00:35 They realised the remarkable potential of the Haven.
00:37 We've had so many instances in Pembrokeshire's history where that promise had been undelivered.
00:44 Places like Haverford West is the typical market town right in the heart of Pembrokeshire.
00:49 Agriculture and tourism were absolutely predominant.
00:54 That all changed of course with the arrival of the oil industry in the 1960s.
01:03 Sixty-five years ago in 1958 was a seminal moment for us as a port.
01:10 Let's remember that that was two years after the Suez Crisis.
01:13 It established us as a key feature of the energy security landscape of our country.
01:21 When they created the Milford Haven Conservancy Act in 1958, they completely changed the fortunes
01:26 of my family.
01:27 The Port Authority came, the Chokes came, you had the boat runners, there was a lot
01:33 more work on the river.
01:35 Having the opportunity to work where I grew up has always been part of what I wanted to
01:40 do.
01:41 If the Port Authority hadn't have been here, we probably as a young man's family wouldn't
01:44 have been here either.
01:45 We would, there wouldn't have been nothing.
01:46 We've got the tanker boys coming in now.
01:52 They don't stop a long time, but the time they do stop they spend quite a few bob.
01:58 I like them.
02:01 For generations my family farmed this land.
02:05 When the refineries came, I made my living from the jetty, from the sea, from working
02:11 on the refineries.
02:13 And it made a huge difference to my life and to my family's life and to a load of my friends
02:18 and people that I know.
02:20 It's been really good for us.
02:22 It was an extremely busy port.
02:23 We had a turnover of 60 million plus tonnes.
02:26 I felt that I was extremely fortunate to be appointed to be a pilot here.
02:31 Very lucky and always have done.
02:34 During that period since 1958, it hasn't all been plain sailing and there have been ups
02:39 and downs during that period and we as a port have absolutely felt that.
02:43 Earlier on the weather and tide had shown no mercy as winds of up to...
02:48 The port took on board the lessons from the Sea Empress and it actually became quite well
02:53 known around the country, if not around the world for the high standards of training we
02:58 do for the pilots in Northern Haven.
03:01 We are an NG port, but we now find ourselves today as an organisation that is, yes, primarily
03:07 moving large vessels up and down the waterway, but also connecting communities, sustaining
03:12 communities, providing opportunities for business.
03:14 And we ourselves diversifying as well as we have got into solar energy, into retail, into
03:20 hospitality and tourism.
03:22 Who knew?
03:23 Building hotels and creating major marine renewables capability at Pembroke Port.
03:28 The port has actually been a great friend and a great support to lead mechanical engineering.
03:34 What it gives families like myself who are from Pembrokeshire, the opportunity to still
03:38 work in productive, in well paid and skilled jobs.
03:43 They approach everything with quite a strong stance on ethics, on longevity.
03:50 It's not purely about profit.
03:53 So LNG came to the port because of what we've done in the past, the history we have and
03:58 experience, the professionalism.
04:00 It wasn't by chance, it was very much a choice to bring it to a port that could operate those
04:04 sorts of vessels.
04:05 That trust port status means we are at the heart of this community and it's given us
04:10 the opportunity to actually make sure it's sustainable.
04:13 It actually reinvests everything that we do into the future for generations to come.
04:19 If you'd have told local residents 20 years ago that it was going to be a flourishing
04:25 destination, welcoming visitors from across the world, they probably would have not taken
04:30 you very seriously.
04:31 And as we reflect on our needs for energy security today, just as we did 65 years ago,
04:38 it has never been more important for us as a waterway to respond and respond we will.
04:45 Opportunity presented by future fuels and renewable energy and floating offshore wind
04:49 in the Celtic Sea is once in a generation and I think we should all be hugely optimistic
04:54 about what the future holds.
04:57 With our collaborative partners, we now have the opportunity to be the net zero energy
05:03 capital of Great Britain.
05:07 It is a generational opportunity that we're talking about here and if we can get this
05:13 right then this is game changing for future generations.
05:18 I think the opportunity is so huge and we are perfectly positioned here in Pembroke
05:22 Port to capitalise on that opportunity for the greater good of everyone.
05:31 I know that in this room tonight, we have the people that can make this happen.
05:37 Let's look at each other in the eye, let's think about what we want to achieve and fundamentally
05:41 let's go and do it.
05:43 [Music]
05:47 [Music fades]
05:51 [Music fades]
05:54 [Music fades]
05:57 [BLANK_AUDIO]