With the ship's return from Ramsgate imminent, but with an uncertain date, the Board have been forced to find alternative accommodation for the AGM. Changing the date was considered to be too much of an inconvenience for those who travel a distance and may have booked hotel rooms.

Work progresses and the deck railing stanchions should soon be ready for fitting. Hull painting is coming on as well.

Our thoughts are turning to the ship's return to Gillingham. The tide states are favourable on 12th and 19th October. The 12th is cutting it fine on work completion and 19th is the wrong side of the MQPS AGM which is on 16th October.

Even if the ship returns on the 12th, safe access will not have been established in time, so the AGM will have to move. The management committee are discussing alternative arrangements but if you are travelling a distance to the event please take note of the ship's status. We worry that the Medway Queen Visitor Centre is too small and the workshop is unsuitable so it is likely that a hall just a short walk from the pier may have to be used. More to follow.

There is movement on the group's sales lines too. The N gauge wagons are selling well, 00 gauge now sold out until the New Year. The Memories of Dunkirk book is still selling steadily and is available online. Stocks of the 1/1250 scale model of Medway Queen have all been transferred to the Medway Queen Visitor Centre, as have the few remaining jigsaw puzzles. Again, these too are available from the online shop.

Richard's long awaited book detailing the history of PS Ryde which served alongside Medway Queen in the 10th minesweeping flotilla in 1940 and again as an entertainment venue on the Isle of Wight in the '70s is almost ready. It has gone to the printer (at last!) and is now expected to be published around the end of this month, in time for Christmas (hint!). More details to follow.

The book will be available from our Medway Queen Visitor Centre, our online shop, direct from the author by mail order and from the publisher (Mainline and Maritime). MQPS will benefit from all sales.

Work continues on the ship and the prom deck railings should reappear shortly.

When Medway Queen went to the yard some railing stanchions were insecure, quite a few were not to the original design and many had water ingress problems resulting in rust streaks on the hull. The necessary replacement stanchions have been cast by Bridport Foundry in Dorset using a pattern made from one of the original stanchions. They should join the ship very soon now.
Photos left; mould for deck rail stanchion
below: casting in progress.
Courtesy of Bridport Foundry Ltd.

" 'T was on a Friday morning, the painter made a start ........."

Now, I don't know if that's strictly true but by Saturday 18th September there was definitely evidence of the painters' work at Ramsgate with primer having been applied.

Progress is being made but nobody is brave enough yet to predict a return date. As well as the remaining work, movement is not possible without a tug being available and with the right combination of weather and tides.

Get down to Ramsgate for the Royal Harbour 200th anniversary event this weekend (24th-26th) and talk to our "Saturday Team" who will be lurking somewhere near the slipway.

Photo: Brian Simmons