The History of Tattoos

History and origin of tattoos

Different Uses of Tattoos Today, people from all walks of life sport tattoos. They are seen as a form of self-expression and are generally considered an aesthetic choice. There are also other uses for them that have been developed in modern medicine. During radiotherapy. Marks are tattooed on parts of the body for the correct … Read more

What does HIAB mean and what is it?

A truck-mounted HIAB crane

For those within the transport industry, the word HIAB is synonymous with ‘loader crane’ but what does the word stand for and what does it actually mean? HIAB is an acronym. In other words, it’s an abbreviation of the full name of the company Hydrauliska Industri AB that manufactures this type of hydraulic crane. In fact, the … Read more

Steam Cranes – The Fairbairn Steam Crane, Bristol Docks

The Fairbairn Steam Crane at Bristol Docks

CRANES BEFORE THE STEAM ERA At the pinnacle of today’s modern mobile crane design we have obvious examples such as HIAB‘s hydraulic, truck mounted crane; but what about the pre-diesel, pre-hydraulic days? What source of power did they use to lift such heavy loads? Well, according to modern-day scholars, the very first use of cranes can … Read more

What (and where) is The Nore?

Red Sands forts protecting The Nore

If you live in Kent or Essex and live close to the water, you may have heard of The Nore. For those that haven’t, here’s a bite-sized insight into a bit of fascinating local maritime history. FROM SHOEBURYNESS TO SHEERNESS Since we regularly visit many of the ports and docks in the South East of … Read more

What is a derrick crane? (And the curious case of its name)

A two guy derrick

When most people hear the word ‘crane’, they tend to broadly define it as a device that’s able to lift things. While this is of course true, cranes come in a bewildering array of shapes, sizes and functionalities. There are also an equally bewildering number of terms used for the different types of crane types … Read more