Weymouth: 'Tom' the torpedo

The coast path that runs along the edge of Portland Harbour by the marina is littered with a diverse range of objects and signs. This is one of those. 

As the writing on the sign may not be easily readable in my photo, I've transcribed it below:

"Tom" the torpedo

Robert Whitehead became interested in remotely controlling and detonating underwater explosive charges, and in 1868 had successfully demonstrated a practical torpedo design. The British Navy became interested and after purchasing some of the torpedos, encouraged Whitehead to set up a manufacturing facility in England.

Whitehead bought an eight acre site at Ferry Bridge, and built a factory which produced torpedos, using Portland Harbour for testing. Before the turn of the century he was manufacturing 14 and 18 inch diameter units with a range of 1000 yards and a speed of 20 knots.

The arrival of Whiteheads at Wyke Regis meant a considerable influx of skilled engineers and tradesmen, all of whom needed houses, schools and places to relax. Over the following years streets of red bricked terrace houses appeared alongside the cottages of old Wyke, as well as a new school and pubs and clubs.

After Whitehead's death, production carried on day and night to support World War I, but after the war demand fell and the factory shut down. In 1923 Vickers bought the site, and in response to threats from Germany a massive modernisation of the works was initiated, and by the start of the Second World War some 1500 men and women were employed.

When peace was declared in 1945, the yard again found itself in difficulties and although production reduced substantially, design and development work carried on including wire-guided and rocket propelled units. The last test firing of a Whitehead 21 inch torpedo produced at Ferry Bridge took place in Weymouth Bay in 1966.

The torpedo on display was donated to Portland Marina by the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport www.submarine-museum.co.uk and it is a Mk 8, which was the mainstay submarine torpedo of WW 2 being responsible for the destruction of over two million tons of enemy shipping. The propulsion unit is a radial four cylinder semi-diesel engine, developing 350 BHP, giving a range of 5000 yards at 45.5 knots.

Weymouth: Bloody Assizes plaque

Installed in September 2025, this plaque is a new addition to the many that mark various aspects of Weymouth's history and can be viewed as part of the town's heritage trail. Today, Greenhill Gardens is a manicured park, with a café and benches where visitors and locals alike can sit and enjoy the expansive views of Weymouth Bay, but it is a location with a bloody history. 

Back in September 1685, twelve local men were hanged, drawn and quartered at Greenhill because of their participation in the Monmouth Rebellion. The plaque explains:

The Bloody Assizes

The Monmouth Rebellion of 1685 followed the death of Charles II and was an attempt to put his illegitimate son on the throne in place of James II. The uprising failed and hundreds of rebels were sentenced to death by the infamous Judge Jeffries [or Jeffreys]. Twelve rebels were hanged, drawn and quartered on gallows erected at Greenhill and their body parts then displayed in the nearby towns and villages.

Weymouth: Communication Board

I'm probably a bit behind the times here but I'd never seen one of these communication boards until this week as I was walking along the beach-side promenade in the seaside town of Weymouth on England's south coast, and I didn't initially understand what its purpose was.
 

Now that I've goggled and read some of the web pages I think it's a brilliant idea. In case you're also in the dark, as you can see from my image, a communication board is illustrated with symbols and images that are used to explain words. Those people who find verbal communication difficult, like children or adults with disorders that affect their ability to speak or those whose first language is not English, can point to symbols to ask questions or explain what they are looking at or tell a story. More formally, a communication board is a form of AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) for those among us who are non-verbal.
 

According to an article in the Dorset Echo, this communication board was installed in August 2025, and the BBC website reported, in March 2025, that boards have also been installed in several locations in Lyme Regis. I look forward to finding many more of these boards in other locations.