News Archive

2009

 

Thursday 15th October 2009 - Milestone reached for restoration of the Medway Queen

 

The restoration of the Medway Queen has now reached its first major milestone in Bristol. On Thursday 15th October the first section of the Medway Queen’s new hull was laid on the blocks in the dry dock belonging to 'Albion Drydock Ltd' inBristol. The first section consisted of the bow section and chain locker.

This first section and the sections of the hull to follow are of riveted construction and it has required adapted technology to be developed specifically for the project. The new hull is the first all-new ship, of this size, to be built in the United Kingdom for nearly 50 years so there have been periods of trial and error to ensure that an old principle of construction can be built now in the 21st century.

Although there has been a delay to the laying of this first section into the dock, the extra time has been ensured that the correct method of riveting is carried out and that the final look of the riveted sections is that of how the Medway Queen looked fresh from the yard in 1924.

Over the coming year the construction of the hull is expected to build up pace as more bulkheads and sections are built and lowered into place on dock bottom. Further hull sections are already in mid construction in the covered shed and will very shortly be added to the bow section sitting in the dock. Unlike the modern day practice of building a complete section and then lowering it complete into the dock the method of rebuilding the Medway Queen’s hull is of a more traditional method with each piece being manufactured in the covered shed, lowered into the dock and then riveted in situ on the hull structure. The riveting process, as previously mentioned, is being done in the traditional method by compressing heated rivets with the hydraulic ‘iron hand’ opposed to knocking them down with a pneumatic hand gun thus alleviating the health and safety factor of excessive noise levels for the operator and the surrounding environment. The rivets themselves are also being heated in a modern manner with an induction coil heater. This method is being used, apposed to heating in a forge, again because of health and safety reasons.

Despite Bristol being all the way down in the South West it is now possible to watch the rebirth of the Medway Queen online with a recently installed webcam that can be viewed online at www.medwayqueen.co.uk.

Simultaneously with the construction of the hull work has also been carried out on the Medway Queen’s engines under a separate contract with 'Albion Drydock Ltd' directly. The engines have been inspected and a criterion is being developed before a full restoration can be carried out to bring the heart of the Medway Queen back to life again.

In addition to the work being carried out in Bristol, restoration work continues at Damhead Creek in Medway where Medway Queen's Preservation Society's carpenters have ordered the wood and started work on the reconstruction of the ship's bridge. The metal work for the structure is also  being worked on by the society's boiler makers.

Although the society has £1.86 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund this will only provide solely for the rebuild of the hull. The engines are in need of restoration and an Engine Fund has been set to raise the funds needed with details and online donations available online at www.medwayqueen.co.uk.

Brian Burton
Vice Chairman MQPS

October 2009 - BACK TO SCHOOL

Full marks to the Educational Sub-Group and their offer to schools to give talks on the Medway Queen’s involvement at Dunkirk.  These talks fit nicely with the school curriculum on World War Two at both Primary and Secondary level.  The talks also give us the opportunity to bring children up to date on what they can look forward to in the future in the shape of school visits to the Ship.

Gill Ellen is our “school ma’am” and gives an excellent presentation using the most modern school computer equipment.  The diary is nearly full, with twenty schools already booked for the coming year.

This year has also seen a surge in bookings for talks to adults – retirement clubs, WI and Probus being among the most popular.  Our team is Brian Goodhew, Gill Ellen, Joe Stokes, but it is Mark and Pam Bathurst I would like to give a special mention to.  They live in Margate but are willing to travel to give their talks.  This year they have included Hertfordshire, Surrey and South Croydon in their travels, as well as their own area in Thanet.

The Medway Queen Archive Department is ably operated by John Chambers, and new premises were acquired recently for John to work from.  If you have any photos from the past taken on board the Medway Queen that you think would be of interest to John please contact him on 01634 252848.

 

Brian Goodhew

 

Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th October 2009 - Festival of Models and Medway Queen Draw

Festival of Models

The annual Kew “Festival of Models” was held at Kew Bridge Steam Museum on 3rd and 4th October.  Hundreds of people flocked to the event which is organised jointly between the Kew Bridge Steam Museum and the Medway Queen Preservation Society. The displays added some 70 tables of really interesting exhibits to what is already a fascinating place to visit. The show is by no means confined to ships although there were sailing barges, paddlers (of course), ocean liners, warships and much more. A large scale Noah’s Ark with parading animals and a mechanised swan dominated the central "Steam Hall", while elsewhere there were circus and fairground models, live steam miniature engines, railways and more. Naturally. Medway Queen was represented among the models.

Visiting exhibits included a magnificent collection of scale models of the royal carriages and 1/12th scale fairground living vans (a sort of doll’s house on wheels). Outside in the car park a full sized steam launch guarded the entrance doors.  The demonstration pool in the yard was kept busy with exhibitors showing their skill and visitors of all ages “having a go”. Full sized steam was demonstrated with the museum’s narrow gauge railway giving rides and the permanent exhibits including the “Maudslay” Cornish engine of 1838 being demonstrated at scheduled times throughout the weekend. The Maudslay is one of the museum’s medium sized engines with a 65 inch diameter cylinder and (only) a 20ton cast iron beam. In service it was capable of delivering 130 gallons of water per stroke and 2.5 million gallons in every 24 hour period. A number of PSPS members were among the exhibitors, thank you gentlemen, and also I am sure among the visitors, thank you also.

On the Saturday afternoon the Medway Queen Preservation Society’s annual draw was held. The winner of first prize (£1000) was a GMB Union member from Glasgow. Second and third prizes went to winners in Canterbury and Bournemouth respectively. The draw has raised several thousand pounds towards the rebuild of Medway Queen’s engines and a full list of winners will be available on the society web site by the time you read this.

For more information on Kew Bridge Steam Museum go to www.kbsm.org and for Medway Queen go to www.medwayqueen.co.uk

19th & 20th September 2009 - Salue to the Forties Weekend

Medway Queen members manning our publicity stand at the 19402 weekend in the Dockyard.

The 2009 carnival season proved to be very successful.  It peaked with the winning of a silver cup for us to keep, this being the first prize at Sandwich.  The last venue was the Salute to the Forties at The Chatham Historic Dockyard on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September.

The publicity Team of Angela Maybourne, Paul Maybourne, Oliver Field, Shirley Goodhew, Mike and Kathy Johnson and Gill Ellen all worked hard over the two days and many were dressed as sailors, wrens or in costumes from the 1940s.

The full “squad” was on parade at our restored funnel and fiddley, along with our display van, our carnival float and an information desk.

 

 

Summer Festivals 2009

Barry Ellen’s twelve-foot model of the Medway Queen made its appearance at the seaside carnivals this year being towed by our display van.

Whitstable Carnival was the first venue on 1st August.  The weather was not kind – it rained all afternoon and into the evening.  In true British fashion the show went on and the procession threaded it way past hundreds of rain-soaked people, the older members of the public giving nods of approval as they remembered their times on the Medway Queen.  Rain-soaked judges awarded the model second prize, which made all the efforts put in by our carnival team – Oliver Field, Paul and Angela Maybourne and Holly Bakerfield – worthwhile.  The local press published a picture of our entry.

The very next day, Sunday 2nd August, the venue was Margate – perhaps the largest carnival in the south of England with over seventy floats.  The weather was excellent with glorious sunshine, completely different from the day before.  Lucy Bakerfield joined the team.

The amount of publicity given in one day is uncountable.  Hundreds of pictures were taken and as many questions asked.  Women admired the clothes in the fashion of the fifties as worn by the models on the top deck, and the men asked questions about the engines and when is she coming back.

Saturday 8th August saw the team at Herne Bay, a port of call and perhaps the most important of the three carnivals in terms of publicity.  This time we were joined by Joe Stokes and Marion Heather, who helped us set up on the sea-front at the start of the procession.  Once again, thousand of people lined the route, sometimes leaving little space to get through.  Contacts were made with other preservation societies, including the Herne Bay Pier Trust, our two targets hopefully coming together in 2012.

This time the judges were kind and awarded us third prize, a fitting end to a week of three carnivals in which our team walked ten miles and people saw the Medway Queen return to the south coast in carnival spirit.

Brian Goodhew

MQPS Press Officer

 

Saturday 6th June 2009 - 'Unveiling of the Keel Ceremony' for the Medway Queen on the 65th Anniversary of D-Day.

June 6th 1944, the date the invasion started was a fitting date to start the next chapter of the story of the 'Medway Queen', the paddle steamer that has touched so many lives.

The 'Unveiling of the Keel Ceremony' was held at the Albion Dockyard, Bristol, among the pomp of an old fashioned occasion with a specially formed silver band and cheering crowds.

The unveiling was performed by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Bristol Councillor Christopher Davies helped by thirteen year old Oliver Field a junior member of the Sittingbourne branch of the sea scouts.

Other digneteries included Sheila Bearcroft (South West Regional President of the GMB and allso President of the TUC), Mr Bob Bewley (Director of Operations of the Heritage Lottery Fund) and Mr Leslie Wicks (Portfolio Holder for Education on Medway Council who all added their words of encouragement.

John Kempton, Chairman of the Medway Queen Preservation Society gave a speech of welcome to the large crowd which included people from the Isle of Wight, Liverpool and even Paris.

45 members from the Medway area travelled down by coach and stopped the night to carry on the celebrations.

Brian Goodhew
Press/Publicity Officer
Medway Queen Preservation Society

 

Friday 22nd May 2009 - An update on progress in Bristol and changes to 6th June Ceremony.

Bulkhead riveting and keel plating method has been resolved and now the flush riveting for the shell plating is nearly resolved. As you will appreciate this being the first fully riveted ship for 50 years, using new techniques, there has been some teething troubles, and as a result, the schedule has slipped by a few weeks but this is nothing uncommon with engineering. For this reason we can not lay the keel in the docks, so we are on the 6th going to unveil the keel.

Here at Chatham the paddle wheels have been dismantled to their component parts, and will be shipped to Bristol after the bank holiday, with some of the other parts and containers going to Damhead creek.  The next project the volunteers will be undertaking will be the re-building of the bridge and ventilators.

Regards

John Kempton,
Chairman of the MQPS.

 

Monday 23rd March 2009 - Black Cat brings good luck to Medway Queen

Jamie and Chris Richard, Directors of Black Cat PC Services, Medway City Estate, Strood ME2 4LT, donated a cheque for £1,000 to John Kempton, Chairman of the Medway Queen Preservation Society, at the Historic Dockyard.  The money collected by Black Cat was a donation of a pound from every job over the last two years.  Jamie Richard added that they were only too pleased to support the Medway Queen project and would continue to do so in the future.  John Kempton, for the Society, expressed his thanks and said the thousand pounds was a terrific boost to our on-going fund-raising effort.  He added that work on the Medway Queen is well on target in Bristol, but donations are always very welcome.

 

Brian Goodhew
Press/Publicity Officer
Medway Queen Preservation Society

9th February 2009 - The Medway Queen Preservation Annual General Meeting

The 2009 Annual General Meeting of the Medway Queen Preservation Society will be held on Saturday 25 July 2009.The venue this year is:

Rochester Baptist Church
The Moat House
8 Crow Lane
Rochester
Kent ME1 1RF
Tel:  01634 402268

This venue, as in previous years, is within walking distance of Rochester mainline station, along Rochester High Street.  Crow Lane is a turning left as you walk from the station, and the hall is 20 yards on the right and is fronted by an excellent tea bar for general refreshments for our travellers.  A Pay & Display car-park is nearby in Blue Boar Lane, just two minutes walk from the Hall.

Entrance from 1.45, meeting starts at 2 pm.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Kathie Clark
Hon. Secretary

 

February 2009 - ENGINE APPEAL LAUNCH

Our three Dunkirk Veterans, Les Wakinshaw, Frank Barton and Eric Woodroffe, were only too pleased to add their comments to the launch of the engine appeal.  They all agreed that these lovely old engines did their job well, especially during war-time when they were needed most, and they would love to see them working again.

Les repeated a comment he has made before – “The Medway Queen is the best little ship ever built, and she saved my life.”  He added, “The tremendous energy coming from those engines seemed to give energy to everyone on board.”

Frank said that the thing he remembers most is the sound of the engines.  “Every beat of those engines seemed to tell us we were getting nearer home,” he said.  Even though Frank says that he slept most of the way home the men could feel the throb of the engines through the decking and knew they were drawing closer to home.

Eric’s vivid memory is of the way the engine room crew worked until they literally dropped from exhaustion during the evacuation.  During the short breaks at Dover or Ramsgate for taking on stores and fuel, the engine room crew did not get a break because of the refueling.  “Several of the men did not make the final trip because they were on the point of collapse,” he says.  “Instead, others from ships who had finished their trips came on board for the last trip.”

BUT THE ENGINES NEVER GAVE UP!

The Medway Queen Preservation Society has to find the money to refurbish the engine room, not only the main engine but up to six auxiliary engines.

Donations can be sent to the MQ Project Office, 42 North Street, Strood, Rochester, Kent ME2 4SN.  A Certificate of Appreciation will be sent for all donations of £25.  Up-to-date totals can be seen on our website at www.medwayqueen.co.uk, and in Full Ahead.

Please give generously – many of those on the beaches did just that and never came home.

Brian Goodhew
MQPS PR Officer

 

2008

Friday 5th December 2008 - Engines on the move

Friday 5th December 2008 was the date for the next stage of the Medway Queen story – the giant engines were required in Bristol.  The engine and other parts had been stored and worked on in Chatham Dockyard by volunteers and now it was time for the next move.

Local popular firm Swain and Sons Ltd, Priory Road, Strood, were given the contract and provided two vehicles to carry the heavy machinery to its new home.  Drivers Alan Childs and Robert Williams departed at 5.30 a.m. on Saturday 6th December and after an uneventful motorway journey they arrived at Albion Drydock, Bristol, at 9.45, only to notice that the gates could prove to be a problem.  In their words, they entered the dock “with half an inch to spare each side” – well done, lads.

Preparations are going ahead in David Abels’ shipyard ready for the actual work to start in April 2009.  The completion date for the fully riveted hull is June 2010.

Brian Goodhew
Press/Publicity Officer MQPS

 

Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October 2008 - Medway Queen Draw at the Kew Bridge Museum in aid of the Medway Queen

On Saturday 4th October the draw, which over the past few months sold £4450 worth of raffle tickets. All towards the restoration of the Medway Queen. A complete list of winners is found here.

Friday 3rd October 2008 - Full Ahead for Medway Queen

The next chapter in the colourful story of the Medway Queen was written on Friday 3 October with the signing of the contract to start the building of the hull at the Albion Shipyard, Bristol.  The signing, held at The Historic Dockyard, Chatham, was by David Abels on behalf of the “Builders” and John Kempton for the New Medway Steam Packet Company, the “Buyers”.  The signing ceremony took place onboard the restored Victorian sloop, HMS Gannett.

Guests at the signing included Admiral Sir Ian Garnett, who spoke about the distinguished and sometimes chequered career of the Medway Queen, both above and below the water.  There had been great achievements in war-time and the ship had given great pleasure to many people in peacetime.  The Admiral said that he hoped she will be brought back to life in the near future and bring great pleasure to many more people in the years to come.

Brian Burton, Vice-Chairman of the Medway Queen Preservation Society, thanked everyone present, especially all those who had worked on the ship over the years.  He introduced the representative of the GMB Union, Mr Ted Purcell, who spoke about how the Union had been involved, and pledged that they will continue to support the project.  He said that the Union hoped to see the ship set sail soon.

Jonathan Shaw, MP for Aylesford and Chatham, said how thrilled he was because he knew of all the heartache, effort and energy that had gone into this project.  The Medway Queen has a very special place in the hearts of the people of Medway.  The contribution that this vessel has made to the country is considerable and it is that knowledge that has driven people on.  Many people have been involved but there have been a core number of people who have kept the project going.  It was good to see HLF money going to this project.

Councillor David Carr, the Worshipful Mayor of Medway, said that one of the joys of speaking last is that there is not much else to say!  He had looked at the website and found many interesting facts.  He spoke about the generosity of individual donors who had dug deep to make contributions, and how amazing it was to receive the £1.8M grant from the HLF.  He went on to talk about the dying art of riveting, and how despite this the ship will be fully riveted.  The Mayor then spoke of the passion of the members of the Society.  By 2012 we will be sailing on her again.

John Kempton, Chairman of the Medway Queen Preservation Society, thanked everyone for coming and for all the efforts of the members over the years.  He also thanked the HLF.  He asked everyone to remember the people who are no longer with us, and their efforts.  He thanked everyone for this fantastic day.

David Abels said that he had only one thing to add.  The document that had just been signed is a statement of trust and responsibility placed in his team.  The Medway Queen will be the 130th ship to be built at his yard.  It will be the most interesting and the most challenging.

Many members of the Medway Queen Preservation Society attended, including volunteers who had given many years of work to keep the project alive.  Work on the hull would start as soon as possible and we hope it will be completed late 2009 or early 2010.

Brian Goodhew
Press/Publicity Officer
Medway Queen Preservation Society

A recording of the ceremony, taken by a society member is available here. There are also links available to press coverage of the special event and these can be found in the media section of this site.

 

Sunday 21st September 2008 - Frank Barton visits the MQPS and the ship that saved him

On Sunday 21 September at noon at The Historic Dockyard, Chatham, the 1940s celebrations with events such as Workers' Playtime in full swing, a slight figure of a man will make his way through the crowds looking for his ship after 68 years.

Frank Barton, who will be 90 years old on December 17th, will be travelling down from Newbury accompanied by his daughter, Mrs Pat Ash. Frank's wish is to see the ship that saved him from the war-torn beaches of Dunkirk in 1940 - HMS Medway Queen.

Brian Goodhew, spokesman for the Medway Queen Preservation Society, says that showing Frank the Medway Queen has proved to be a problem as the paddler is in storage ready for the building of the hull in Bristol. For the two days of the 1940s celebrations we will have our Medway Queen Exhibition and memorabilia stand alongside the restored funnel and giant ornate paddle-boxes. Frank will be our guest of honour and we will make sure he enjoys himself.

More on Frank's story can be found here.

 

Thursday 11th September 2008 - Contract Signing Ceremony date announced

On Friday 3rd October 2008 a historical event will take place. The signing of the first contract for a fully riveted hull for nearly 50 years will take place at the Historic Dockyard in Chatham.

Invited guests include MP for Aylesford and Chatham, Jonathan Shaw; the Mayor of Medway; members of the Dockyard Trust. Also invited are Lottery Claim Officers and members of the GMB Union.

The main signatories will be Mr David Abels on behalf of David Abels (Shipbuilders) of Bristol, and John Kempton, Chairman of the Medway Queen Preservation Society.

 

Monday 1st September 2008 - Contract for a new hull at last.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has given permission to John Kempton, Chairman of the Medway Queen Preservation Society, to offer Mr David Abels the contract to build the hull of the Medway Queen.

Mr Abels owns the Albion Dry Dock at Bristol and trades as David Abels (Boatbuilders). He put in a quote to build the hull using traditional skills and following plans that date back to 1924 when the ship was originally built.

Special interest is expected as this will be the first fully-riveted ship to be built in an English shipyard for fifty years. Modern health and safety standards, of course, will be adhered to throughout. The little paddler has a famous neighbour in the shape of the SS Great Britain which is in the next dry-dock, within walking distance.

Brian Goodhew, spokesman for the Medway Queen Preservation Society, welcomed the excellent news. He said, “I believe that now things are happening after many years people will take a renewed interest. This is the first chapter in a new beginning.”

The St George's Church, Chatham

The church has many famous memorials that come together to form a large part of English naval history. Ships' names, such as Achilles, Ajax, Jervis Bay, Truculent and the mine-layer Welshman can be seen in the church. People such as Captain Robert Scott are mentioned and the names of many of the survivors of disasters and campaigns including the Korean War can be found in the Church.

The Medway Queen is well-represented by a model of the ship in her wartime guise as a mine-sweeper, and there are display boards telling the story of her nine-day campaign at Dunkirk.

Perhaps whilst visiting The Historic Dockyard at Chatham you might include a visit to St George's. Admission and car parking are free. The church is usually open only on Tuesdays so it's best to phone in advance (01634 818148). The church is to be found in the Pembroke Gate area.
Brian Goodhew, Press Officer.

 

Tuesday 12th August 2008 - MQPS Announces the bequest of Mr George Northrop

Mr George (Eric) Northrop and his brother David lived in South Cheam and were avid supporters of the Medway Queen Preservation Society in their quest to restore the veteran paddler.

David passed away in 2002, followed by George in 2007, leaving their entire estate to the funding of the Medway Queen. As with all donations, this is gratefully received and will go to the fitting out fund for the Medway Queen. This will make a huge difference to the Society.

Brian Goodhew, spokesman for the Society, said that this was a lovely surprise and a nice thought by the Northrop brothers.

This highly desirable detached three-bedroomed house is in South Cheam and can be found at 149 Sandy Lane.

The property is in the hands of Christie's Estate Agents at the asking price of £575,000 and full details can be obtained from them on 0208 770 1625 or on their website:
www.christiesproperty.co.uk.

Brian Goodhew
Press/Publicity Officer
Medway Queen Preservation Society

 

Saturday 19th July - Chairman's report from the Annual General Meeting of the Medway Queen Preservation Society

The latest on progress with the future of the
Medway Queen:

John Kempton reported that this had been a tough time for the Society: we had had a big splash of publicity two years ago with the announcement of the HLF award. He recounted that 52 weeks ago that we were about to sign a contract with A&P Tyne for rebuilding the hull. A&P's proposal had been rejected by the Heritage Lottery Fund, on the advice of the National Historic Ships Committee that the proposed welded structure did not meet appropriate heritage criteria. We had been obliged to go out to tender again, this time for a riveted hull built to the 1924 drawings.

Three bids been received. The bid from a Norwegian yard, at around £8 million, was far higher than the two UK based bids and had been rejected. It was planned to meet with representatives of the two UK bidders, one based in Bristol one based in Southampton, during the next week, with the intention of finalising a contract. Sadly it had not been possible to complete the contract negotiation process before the AGM.

Despite the apparent lack of progress during the year, members had been productive and innovative in generating support for the project. Jeremy Chamberlain had cycled 148 miles in a day and raised over £1000 in sponsorship. Richard Halton, who was currently operating a 'Medway Queen' sales stand at Henley, had so far raised £3,000 from this year's Grand Draw. Bob Doyle, from Doyle and Leigh Associates, had formed a consortium of local professionals (accountants, solicitors) who would donate a proportion of their fees to the project.

The project had received a major burst of publicity during June after Wyn Davies's stepson had contributed a piece to a Bournemouth local newspaper which had been picked up and featured in the Daily Mirror, Daily Mail and Independent. BBC Television's One Show had a piece on the Dunkirk Little Ships including an interview with Dunkirk survivor and hon. Member Les Wakinshaw, who was about to celebrate his 90th birthday.

Finally it was encouraging that Tim Corthorn, one of our newer members, was active in promoting a junior membership of the Society.
John Kempton, Chairman MQPS.
(unquote).

 

Tuesday 1st July - MEDWAY QUEEN FEATURED ON TV

Our paddle-steamer Medway Queen will feature on The One Show on BBC1 on Tuesday 1 July at 7 pm. The TV crew visited the reunion of the Dunkirk ‘Little Ships’ which took place recently in The Historic Dockyard, and they took up the Medway Queen story. Dunkirk survivor Leslie Wakenshaw, who was rescued in 1940 by the Medway Queen, was interviewed at his home and this interview will also feature in the programme.

You can watch the feature about the Medway Queen on the "The One Show" website.

 

9th May 2008 - Members achievement in sponsored cycle in aid of the Medway Queen Preservation Society

Jeremy Chamberlain has cycled from Farnham in Sirrey to Newport in South Wales alone totaling a distance of 138miles in one day on the 9th May 2008 in aid of the Medway Queen Preservation Society.

"I started the ride from Farnham at 0530hrs on the 9th May and arrived in Newport, South Wales at 1910hrs a total of 13hrs and 40 mins averaging about 10 mile per hour. It was a tough ride, the weather was a little overcast at first which was good but by midday the skies cleared and it started to become rather hot, but I had huge satisfaction from completing the ride despite having many aches and pains but 24 hours later I was almost fully recovered!

The total amount sponsored is about £1,200 and I have already collected about £1,000, so hopefully in the next couple of weeks I would have received all the money and will be in a position to send it your way. Hopefully I will be able to come up in person to hand over the cheques.
Jeremy

Thanks Jeremy for your splendid achievement

 

 

4th April - Support by local paper

Local 'KM Extra' reported on the 4th April about the announcement that shipyards have been asked to tender for rebuilding the hull.

 

23rd and 24th March 2008 - Medway Steam & Transport Festival (Our Sales Team)

It is high time we recognised more the work done by Roy and June Sedge, that work away in the background to swell our much needed funds. I have managed to get a photo of them at the Dockyard event at Easter (gold dust), and a write up from the day, from a new member that helped, thanks Tim.

"The Easter weekend 2008 saw all weathers with sun, rain, hail and a first for the sales team ... SNOW". Both the Sunday and Monday saw a variety of people attending the ever-popular event at the Dockyard despite the adverse weather throughout. June and Roy Sedge (left and right) have attended this event and many others over the years but this was the first time for myself (Tim Corthorn, centre) having recently joined the society. I am a trainee deck officer, hopfuly bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience of the current maritime industry to the society."
Tim Corthorn.

Well done Roy and June and all those that help you.

 

Thursday 21st February - Recognised as of National Importance by Press

Members of the Medway Queen Preservation Society could not believe their luck as people looked at their daily papers on Thursday 21 February and read the Medway Queen story. Text messages were sent and phones rang as more papers were found to have taken up the story - the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror and The Independent.

Brian Goodhew, spokesman for the Society, said, "On a Press Officer's birthday what better present could there be than to see our story go world-wide? Since then, the phones have been ringing from press agencies and I realize we are reaching a new generation with our project."
Following a Lottery grant of £1.8 million the MQPS had entered into contract negotiations with A.P. Tyne (Hebben) but this was unsatisfactory from the Heritage Lottery Fund "heritage" viewpoint. The Lottery have since offered the Society other options but the one we all want is to build a ship that is exactly the same as the original.

 

2007

December 2007 - CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR MEDWAY QUEEN

The Medway Queen Preservation Society received a Christmas boost to its fund-raising effort when Miss Charlotte Walker, Manager of Chatham Maritime Marina, presented a cheque for £500 to John Kempton, Society Chairman.

The money was raised at the annual berth-holders' party organised by Chatham Maritime Marina for its customers, when items made from the original mast timber of the Medway Queen were auctioned. These items included a barometer and a thermometer, hand-crafted by members of the Kent branch of the Association of Wood-turners of Great Britain based at Aylesford Priory. Chairman John Kempton said,"The Medway Queen Preservation Society is very grateful to Chatham Maritime Marina for making the Society one of its charities to be supported at the berth-holders' party".

November 2007 - DONATION FOR MEDWAY QUEEN

Good news in the run-up to Christmas for the Medway Queen volunteers and supporters is that a Charitable Trust has donated £25,000 to the Medway Queen project. The Trust, who wish to remain anonymous for the time being, have made it clear that the money must be spent on the restoration of the famous paddler's engines.

Brian Goodhew, spokesman for the Medway Queen Preservation Society, says, "We are very grateful and it will be a terrific boost for our members who are working on the engines at two venues in the Medway area. This also ties up with the Heritage Lottery Fund releasing a small amount to help with the monies already spent by the Preservation Society."

Tuesday 30th October - MAYOR OF MEDWAY VISITS MEDWAY QUEEN OFFICE

The Medway Queen Project Office at 42 North Street, Strood, was officially opened on Tuesday 30th October 2007, by the Mayor of Medway, Councilor Val Goulden, accompanied by her husband, Councilor Tony Goulden.

Mayor Val Goulden, signing visitors book

Representing the GMB Union, the sponsors of the office, was Richard Ascough, Regional Secretary of the GMB Union. Mr. Ascough said that this was an important occasion as the Ship is important to the Medway area because of the opportunities for young people to be able to learn from the Ship. He said that it gave him great pleasure to hand over the keys to the Medway Queen Preservation Society. The keys were accepted by John Kempton, Chairman of the MQPS, on behalf of the Society.

John Kempton receiving keys from Richard Ascough

The Mayor thanked the Medway Queen Preservation Society for inviting her to open the Medway Queen Project Office. She talked about the Ship, which was launched in 1924, and said that the Ship was loved by everyone who had been onboard her. Her heroic record at Dunkirk is a story that children will be taught for decades to come. To see her restored will be very special to everyone who has good memories of her, and everyone in Medway. The Mayor thanked the GMB Union for sponsoring the Project Office, which will help to achieve so much more in getting the Medway Queen afloat again, and also the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Mayor then said that she hoped that in the not too distant future we will see the Medway Queen on the Medway where she should be, and this will bring back memories for the people of Medway and for the families of those whose lives she saved. The Mayor closed by wishing everyone at the Medway Queen Project Office every success.

John Kempton thanked the Mayor for coming to the Project Office and thanked the GMB Union for sponsoring the office. He said that the office is already proving its worth by becoming a focal point for fund-raising and he very much looked forward to restoring the Ship and seeing her back on the river.

The Project Office provides front-line information on the Medway Queen Campaign and is manned by Society members from
11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Phone: 01634 715090
Email: medwayqueen@btconnect.com

July 2007 - "An Appreciation of Service" - A DEDICATION to three retiring Committee members

Noreen Chambers has retired from the committee, also the position of Hon.Secretary and Publicity Officer of the MQPS.
Noreen, who is also a founder member of the Society, has served as Secretary for some twenty-three years. During much of that time she was also Membership Secretary and Publicity Officer.
It is due to Noreen, that the day-to-day working of the Society had progressed, and good relations between Members have been built up.
Due to Noreen's work as Publicity Officer the Society is known throughout the UK. The MQPS is known and recognised not only by local newspapers and TV but also by the national press and TV and by the preservation press both here and abroad. Connections with the Press, Councillors, and MPs, and our own members, has been of great value to the MQPS in its efforts to save the Medway Queen.

John Chambers has also stepped down from committee duties, John with Noreen, first set eyes on the Medway Queen, when she arrived back from the Isle of Wight on a pontoon in the mid eighties. When the'Queen' was final berthed at 'Damhead Creek' and had been raised once again, it was decided to do a daily boat watch with one person at a time, checking to see if the 'Queen' had settled down after the tide had receded.
John with others, started doing daily checks in all kinds of weather. At this stage, if the ship needed urgent repair, John would be included in the 'Gang' who would sit on board watching the tide disappearing through the ship bottom before starting work, often in late evening. As ever also rolling up sleeves to muck in when needed.

By this time, John also had taken over the job of Medway Queen's New Editor, from George Painter, a job that George had progressed basically from the start. Now John added his own personality and humour in the articles. He of course put much work with others, and time in to our last application for lottery funding, being successful at present

In recognition of valuable service the Annual General Meeting of 2007 voted that Noreen and John should be made a Vice President of the Society.

Mike Johnston also decided to step down from the committee. Albeit Mike was a later arrival to the Society, he soon made up for this. Mike life story could fill any archive radio office (Morse code etc) in local radio and having a very good input at Damhead Creek. Pumps and generator maintenance rewiring of these most essential equipment to keep the site and ship afloat. It all came under 'Send for Mike' and Mike always done his best to get on site. As well as helping on site with various jobs as needed, which was quite frequent.
The donation of the 'Publicity Van' by Mike, was a most welcome gift to our on going 'Access and Learning' project, as part of our requirement to obtain the lottery grant. This has since put many miles on the clock to support our quest, at fetes, carnival, and more so our schools, to get the younger generation involved. Mike was present with others to achieve this.

Albeit all three are no longer committee members, and we thank them for their much-valued input as such, they still wish to remain within the society as members, and want to take an active part in our future.

Thank you all for your possible future input, to the final launching of the PS Medway Queen.

 

JUNE 2007 - A New Book by the Medway Queen Preservation Society

JUNE 2007 - 22 Years to save a ship

In June this year, the Medway Queen Preservation Society will celebrate its twenty second anniversary. The first public meeting was held in the Corn Exchange at Rochester on 13 June 1985. There was a small steering committee and the first thirty or so members signed up that evening. We had no idea of the struggle that lay ahead, nor did we guess that we would still be hard at it in twenty years time.

The tasks ahead were many and varied. Good publicity was essential. Without the support of the local press to help spread the message "Save the Medway Queen" the project probably would not have succeeded.

We had three hundred tons of ship to look after. She was tied up in the Medway and submerged at every high tide. We were amateur volunteers and there was a lot to learn, very quickly!!

We needed friends - friends to join our new Society, friends who would lend their expertise, friends who would lend a shovel or bucket or type up a few letters, or who would take out a small sales stand to help spread the word and raise a few bob.

During the next couple of years we worked hard to refloat the ship, become a Registered Charity, and raise enough money to purchase the ship. It was a proud day in 1987 when we were handed the ship's logbook and could say that she was all ours, "free from all liens and encumbrances". With the help of P&O we revived the New Medway Steam Packet Company to own the ship on behalf of the Society.

The next big task was to find a safe berth for the ship. A new friend, David Dunwell, offered the site at Damhead Creek where the ship remains today. The day we towed the ship to her new home remains one of the most exciting in our twenty one years.

In the early days we wondered if we would ever have one hundred members, but our membership is now about one thousand strong, not only in Britain but all over the world. The eyes of ship lovers everywhere are watching the MEDWAY QUEEN story with interest.

We have had "highs" and plenty of "lows" along the way. We have met some lovely people, were privileged to get to know several of the war-time crew from the ship, and saddened to see so many of them pass away before we could complete the task of saving their special ship.

Artists and songwriters, jewellers and poets, even keen knitters, have all been inspired by the MEDWAY QUEEN. We have support from celebrities, from people of influence in all walks of life. We regularly get support from all parties in the House of Commons. Our Society was present at the London Boat Show for several years. We mounted a very successful exhibition in Chatham Dockyard and also in Dunkirk, we have featured in papers and magazines, radio and television, and our sales stand appears at fairs and rallies all over the South-east and beyond. The word has certainly been spread.

Twenty Two years seems a long time to remain with a project, but those of us involved feel that we are just custodians of this vessel. She was built before most of us were born and we fully intend that she will be around long after we are gone.

The MEDWAY QUEEN story isn't finished yet. As we look to a glorious future, we would like to thank all the friends and supporters everywhere who have helped us over the last twenty one years. We look forward to working with you long into the future.

Noreen Chambers
Hon. Secretary
Medway Queen Preservation Society

 

2006

The dismantling of the ship was completed on the 8th October 2006, now the renovation of some parts begin, no mean task, quite time consuming for the members, that are past their prime.

All savable parts are now at Chatham Docks, and cleaning is on going of all parts, this is going well, albeit the engine and rudder sections (bow and aft) are still to be off loaded from barges.

The saved decking is still at Damhead Creek, our carpenters are cleaning this and skimming to good wood, Plugging all old bolt holes as well, all ready for use, some 20% of this has been done.

All this is time-consuming work, and far from easy, we could do with a few more volunteers to help on these two projects.
Albeit we have no ship to maintain at present, we still have need for help, physically and financially, to further the final restoration of the Medway Queen.

Good news is the HLF has now released our grant, of 1.8 million pounds. Quotes are in from respective shipyards for rebuild.
2007 could see the rebuild of the hull, and hopefully the future of our "Dunkirk Veteran" is underway.

Lets not get carried away, more funds still need to be raised to progress stage two, the refit of the vessel, lets not relax on our laurels just yet, much work and help is yet to be needed to see our ship in service.

If you can help please, view 'Contacts Page', for our relevant people.

15th July 2006 - The Annual General Meeting

The AGM was held on the 15th July 2006 at Rochester, Kent, some 50 members plus committee, designated councilors, and the Chatham and Aylesford MP Jonathan Shaw were present.

The main points were progress in the restoration of the hull.
As follows:
To be cost effective the hull will be dismantled on site, owing to the existing fragile condition of the hull that is sunk at present. This work will be done by (GPS) General Port Services Marine Contractors Ltd, they are a local marine contractors based at Chatham Docks, for £280,000, it will include removal of all usable components including the main engine and auxiliaries and also the timber deck planks.
The placing of these into a barge and container, the towing of them to a secure yard at Chatham Docks, the disposal of any ship parts that can not be used in accordance with environmental rules.

The onward transport and treatment of the components will be down to the society to organise. All this needs to be carried out as soon as possible; delay will only allow more deterioration of the ship. Three Shipyards have shown interest in the rebuild of the hull, these will now be invited to tender for the final rebuild.It must be pointed out that albeit we have been granted £1.861 million, this still left a short fall.

What may not have been made clear in the past, is that even after the HLF grant we are still £225,000 short of the amount needed to re-build the hull. Although we have taken the view that that should not jeopardize the start of the project. The recipient must provide the rest; HLF will grant 75% of the required amount to finally provide this grant. In light of this urgent need.

It was put to the members that the "Plate Fund" monies should be release so as not to delay this project any more than is necessary.
This motion was passed.

The monies ex the Plate Fund will be replenished and thus used in the hull re-build as anticipated, we simply needed the cash now, as the HLF funds will not be released until November.

Hopefully the dismantling of ship, will be started in August 2006, it will soon be full steam ahead.

Update 20th January 2006, from the GMB .
The GMB takes the fight to save the Medway Queen to the European Parliament
The GMB Brussels Office are now working with MEP's including Peter Skinner MEP to source funding and support from the EEC for the survival of this historic paddler.
Brian Burton, GMB rep & Vice chair MQPS.

The Medway Queen Preservation Society were delighted to receive a highly-prize donation in the form of an ex mobile dental surgery. Now converted and highly decorated with Medway Queen designs and logos, the van was handed over by its donor, Mike Johnson, who is also a committee member. The van was officially accepted by Brian Burton of the GMB Union, who is Vice-Chairman of the Society.

The van is an integral part of the Medway Queen Lottery claim and is important in the Access and Learning Programme. The GMB Union have offered help in fitting out the interior with educational IT equipment and this will be the next stage. Fully fitted, it will be ideal for use as a mobile classroom, visiting schools and colleges, bringing the story of the Medway Queen to the next generation.

The brightly-coloured van will be seen at shopping centres, fetes and fairs throughout the year, and should prove to be a great asset to the Society.

2005 - The Year of the Sea

22nd september 2005
Dunkirk Battle Honours Presented to
PS Medway Queen by the GMB Union

At 11 a.m. at the Damhead Creek base.
A press-call was held regarding the Medway Queen, with a chance to view the Ship and to meet personnel. Those invited included Wyn Davies, Maritime Consultant for the Frazer Nash Group who are handling the Claim for Lottery help on behalf of the Medway Queen. Others present included Mary Turner, President of the GMB; Paul Maloney, Lead Officer, GMB Southern Region; John Kempton, Chairman of the Medway Queen Preservation Society; Brian Burton, Vice Chairman of the Medway Queen Preservation Society.

Also present were journalists from five local newspapers, and Jeff Moody, TV journalist, with a camera crew from Meridian Television.

1 p.m. at The Historic Dockyard, Chatham.
The party met at the restored Medway Queen funnel and paddle-boxes, where the GMB presented a replacement Dunkirk plaque, the original having been stolen when the Ship was on the Isle of Wight. Those attending the presentation included Mr Bill Ferris, Chief Executive for The Dockyard Trust; The Mayor of Medway, Mr Ken Webber, and his wife, Anita; Mr Paul Clark, MP for Gillingham; Mr Jonathan Shaw, MP for Aylesford and Chatham; Mr Paul Skinner, EMP; Mary Turner, President of the GMB; Mr Keith Hazelwood, National Secretary of the GMB; Mr Paul Kenny, Acting General Secretary; Mr Paul Maloney, Local Lead Officer, South-east.

Mr Ferris said that The Historic Dockyard fully supported the Medway Queen Project and that he was pleased to have the funnel and paddle-box display there. He wondered if the Medway Queen was slowly being moved into the Dockyard "by stealth"!

Brian Burton stated that the Medway Queen is our legacy. He felt sure that people would not begrudge lottery money being given to this Project, and that we appear to stand on the threshold of success. He introduced John Kempton and other members of the Medway Queen committee.

Mary Turner said that she is proud of the work done by the GMB members, who have given so much support and are prepared to come forward and show skills to younger people. On behalf of the Union she presented the Dunkirk Battle Honours to John Kempton, "with great pride".

Jonathan Shaw, MP, a long-time ardent supporter of the Project, thanked the GMB for the plaque and pledged his continued support.
At 2.30 pm the GMB invited the party on board the Kingswear Castle for a two-hour cruise, during which two Union members were presented with long-service awards.

The whole day was a momentous occasion, topped off by blue skies and sunshine. A brilliant time was had by all and much good-will was engendered.

The thought of showing the press around the Medway Queen in her present state after last winter's cruel seas filled me with horror. Meridian Television had previously used archive film showing her in different stages of distress. The GMB offer of the presentation of the Dunkirk plaque gave us an excellent reason to try to bring her back to life, perhaps for the last time.
Enthusiasm once again drove the small band of members to turn out with their paint-pots to paint the lower decks and also to hang over the side to paint the hull, but on the day, with flags flying, she looked as well as anyone could expect. A few members were quite surprised. There is life in the old girl yet, and this proved it, even at 81!

The press turned out to take up my invitation - five newspapers and a television crew! I was pleasantly surprised as it could have been just the parish magazine, and that's that!

Mr Wyn Davies did interview after interview and different members of the society and union took their turn.
The press in turn treated us well, with headlines like "Much-loved Queen wants to be crowned", and "The steamer that saved thousands of troops is lined up for crucial £2m Grant".

The Dockyard gathering and speeches were excellent, most with the common theme of the enthusiasm that is found when people talk of the Medway Queen. Mary Turner presented John Kempton with the Dunkirk plaque, who gave a few words of thanks.
The cruise on the Kingswear Castle rounded off an excellent day. Thank you to the GMB Union for sponsoring this day - it is a day that will be remembered for a long time.

Saturday 16th July - Jonathan Shaw, MP at the MQPS AGM

Jonathan Shaw, MP for Chatham and Aylesford South, was guest speaker at the 20th Annual General Meeting of the Medway Queen Preservation Society, held at the Princes Hall in Rochester High Street on Saturday 16 July.

Mr Shaw stated that he had become wedded to the Preservation Society and the Medway Queen, whose members show the same zeal and determination that won this country two World Wars. Congratulating the Society for being given the Lottery award, he said he was constantly being asked, "How is the Medway Queen?", "What is the latest news?", "Can she be saved?"

The restoration of the ship will include using many old trades and comes well in line with the Government's Access and Learning Scheme.
Mr Shaw pledged his continued support, which was gratefully received by the fifty members of the audience.

Tuesday 15th March - Adjournment for Medway Queen debate

Labour MP Jonathan Shaw (Chatham & Aylesford) was successful in the ballot for an adjournment debate on the Medway Queen.
Jonathan held a debate on the important subject earlier today (Tuesday 15th March 2005) in the House of Commons.
Jonathan who has previously tabled Early Day Motions, arranged meetings with Ministers and supported funding applications for the Medway Queen said,

"The Medway Queen Paddle Steamer is the only remaining estuary paddle steamer in the UK and should therefore be preserved. She carried over 7,000 allied troops to safety during the evacuation of Dunkirk during the Second World War. Not only is she part of Medway's heritage - she is part of the nations. I will continue to do everything within my power to ensure she is fully restored and today's debate provides another opportunity to raise the profile of this cause and to move closer to our goal of a fully restored ship."

2004

25th September - A case of arson on our site

It seems lady luck is not on our side at present. On Saturday September the 25th, 2004 our Visitors Centre on site, which contained many artifacts, our shop and many other irreplaceable items, was completely destroyed by fire.

We have reason to believe this was not accidental, as our Caravan used as a mess room had been tampered with, and left in some disarray. Our key store was smoked damaged, and some gear inside damaged by heat.

What ever have we done to deserve such treatment, other than try to save part of our heritage, obviously this means little to some, who do not seem to retain the brains that they were born with. This does little for our ego, having suffered knock after knock.

The ship, and new paddle boxes are at present safe and undamaged, The site has been vandalised many times in the last 15 years, but never as devastating as this; the cost in time as well as money can well be done without.

12th and 13th June - Reading Sales Group

The model Boat Show organised jointly with Kew Bridge Steam Museum took place over the weekend of 12/13th of June. Despite clashing with the start of the Euro2004 football tournament the event proved successful and a good time was had by all. The boats on show ranged from miniatures less than ½” long to a replica of Medway Queen herself, built by Brian Eaton and measuring in at 6ft long. Scratch built to 1/32nd scale, with lights blazing and paddles gently turning she was a magnificent advertisement for the object of our society’s efforts. Brian deftly managed to lead many interested visitors from the intricate detail of his model to the adjoining sales table where painless cash extraction could be undertaken!

Our thanks go to Kew Bridge Steam Museum, to Pathtrace Engineering Systems for sponsorship and to all the exhibitors and visitors. Preliminary discussions are taking place with regard to repeating the event next year. Watch this space for further announcements!If you can help out on stands within 50 mile or so of the Reading/Wokingham area, please give Richard Halton a call on 0118 961 4292.

11th February - Meeting with Estelle Morris, Minister for Heritage and Culture

Estelle Morris, the Minister,agreed to meet a delegation from the Medway Queen at the Ministry in Westminster on the 11th February. Present at the meeting were Kevin Curran, General Secretary of the GMB Union; Jonathan Shaw MP; John Chambers, Chairman MQPS; Brian Burton and Mick Laws,GMB; and John Kempton Vice Chairman MQPS. John Chambers outlined the proposals for the restoration of the Medway Queen and then Jonathan Shaw and Mr Curran spoke strongly in support. The meeting went on to discuss the nature and purpose of the Historic Ships Committee and the recent government consultation paper 'Ships for the Nation' to which we had responded. The Minister talked with us for about an hour.

2003

2002

10th December 2002 - 'Early Day Motion'

Johathan Shaw MP put down an 'Early Day Motion' in the House of Commons on the 10th of December 2002, on behalf of the Medway Queen Preservation Society supported by the GMB Union.

To ensure the "Medway Queen" is placed on to the "Core Collection" for preservation.
Johnathan Shaw has now e-mail all MP's on this quest, this shows dedication on this project on our behalf.

That this House notes that the Medway Queen is the only estuary paddle steamer left in the United Kingdom; further notes that she played an historic role during the Second World War evacuation of Dunkirk, where she carried 7,000 allied troops to safety; and believes that the Medway Queen Preservation Society's ambition to restore her fully to good working order would be greatly advanced if the National Historic

Ships' Committee would reconsider its decision and place her in the Core list of historic ships.
Please contact your local MP, if they have not backed this motion yet.