Would you like some ice with that sir?. My god was it cold. Myself and Snappel arrived about 3 am on a cold December morning after visiting the mostly dissapointing middlesex hospital, our target for the morning was one of the old dockland cranes in the Royal Victoria Dock which have slept dormant on the waters edge for almost 40 years. What was once a thriving port of call for ships from around the world is now a small residential area with waterside appartments the only proof left now is the hulking dockland beasts.

Since the area had been redeveloped the builders had made special effort in securing the crane with overhanging barbed wire and mesh covering the first level and all ladders cut away till you got to the third. So looked like a bit of climbing was in order. Normally this would be no problem at all but the three factors of metal, ice and cold made things a little bit tricky. We gradually helped each other up platform by platform till we came to the first ladder. Since the cranes were built long before anyone gave two hoots about health and safety each ladder was overhanging a long drop and had no saftey cage.

We headed up the first ladder, constantly looking in a nearby house at a luckily vacant bedroom, must have been out. We were gripping the ladders with all our strength, I definantly didnt want to fall off this one. We came to the cab level, which sadly although open had more birds then your local sanctuary living inside and the slightest creak of the door let flocks of them loose. We headed up another level the ice and cold begining to show force. One more ladder to go. The crowsnest wasnt the biggest in the world so we played it safe and went one after another. 20 minutes later I was freezing and ready to head off we grouped up and set of downwards. A few ground shots and headed home.