{"id":2976,"date":"2022-03-18T00:08:05","date_gmt":"2022-03-18T00:08:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worabia.com\/news\/top-trends\/2976\/"},"modified":"2022-03-18T00:08:05","modified_gmt":"2022-03-18T00:08:05","slug":"orford-ness-former-military-site-needs-ferry-operator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worabia.com\/news\/top-trends\/2976\/","title":{"rendered":"Orford Ness: Former military site needs ferry operator"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A “rare opportunity” has arisen to become the sole ferry operator to a former nuclear weapons testing island.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Orford Ness, a steak house off the Suffolk coast, was used as a secret military test site during the Cold War.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It is now a National Trust coastal nature reserve with test site buildings that people can visit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The role of the ferry operator would involve operating the ferry, a powerboat, and a rowboat across the Ore River.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The National Trust said this “rare opportunity” was for an “experienced” sailor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The National Trust said it was one of the few sites in the UK where facilities were built for the purpose of testing nuclear weapons components.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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However, the work that was carried out on the island by the military remains secret, he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Orford Ness was used by the military from 1918 through the 1980s, said Glen Pearce, the site’s property operations manager.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    The Atomic Weapons Research Establishment on the island used to test nuclear bomb casings, he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    It’s “a pretty dangerous place,” said Guy Brown, supervisor of the Orford Ness ship.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    He said that Orford Ness was used for “environmental testing for nuclear weapon triggers, to make sure they didn’t fire when they weren’t supposed to.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    “There’s still a huge amount we don’t know about the site,” Brown said, and “we’ll probably never know” what work the buildings and infrastructure on the island were involved in.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    The ferry operator is expected to help keep the listed buildings and scheduled monuments on site through the winter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    \u201cYou have to have a sense of humor to deal with the weather, keep your spirits up when the waves crash in your face, but if you treat it like a roller coaster ride, then it really isn’t that bad,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    The site required the new ferry operator to be an “all-rounder,” Pearce said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    “One day he could be operating the boat, the next day he could be chasing our rare breed sheep, he could be helping to repair some of the buildings. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    “You have to be prepared to work here when the wind is blowing, it’s -4C, and horizontal hail on the face.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    “It’s a privilege to work here,” he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Applications for the position close on March 27 and the successful applicant will start work in April when Orford Ness reopens to visitors for the season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Find BBC News: East of England on <\/i>Facebook, <\/i>Instagram and <\/i>Twitter<\/a>. If you have a story suggestion email <\/i>eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk<\/p>\n<\/div>\n