The Co-op store in Chatham Maritime has added New Medway Steam Packet Co. to the list of good causes supported by their community fund. As a Co-op member, every time you shop at Co-op, 1% of what you spend on selected own-brand products and services goes to the local community fund.

The money raised by all the members in your community, together with money from shopping bag sales, helps to fund local projects in the area where you live. Since September 2016, Co-op have raised a total of more than £20 million.

You can choose which cause you want your own 1% to go to. Please register for the scheme if you use the Co-op and select New Medway Steam Packet Co. to help us restore this famous old ship. 

Any money raised by Co-op members who don’t select a cause is added to the money raised from shopping bag sales and shared equally between the causes in their local area.

More details on the Co-op website

Artist Mick Dean has generously donated two oil paintings to raise funds for Medway Queen. The paintings are mounted in impressive aluminium frames measuring around 46 inches across and both Mick and the Medway Queen Preservation Society are keen to raise as much cash as possible towards the next stage of Medway Queen’s restoration. The paintings show the ship in Bristol when she was being rebuilt in the project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and each will be accompanied by signed copies of the preservation society’s book; “Medway Queen – Rebuilding the Hull”, which describes the rebuild in great detail with many photographs taken at all stages of the project.
 
One painting depicts a paddle wheel prior to dismantling and rebuilding. The paddle wheels were badly corroded and distorted and had to be rebuilt around the original hubs and shafts in the workshops at the Albion Dockyard. An atmospheric image that captures the dirt and corrosion accumulated over many years. The other shows an early stage of the hull assembly in the Albion Dry Dock. An optimistic note from that stage of the hull rebuild. The structure of the ship is evident with keel and ribs clearly visible, hull plating is in progress mid-ships and an “iron hand” rivetting machine at work just forward of the engine room.
 
The pictures will appeal to anyone with a connection to or interest in ships or ship building and perhaps especially to those who were able to visit the dry dock while Medway Queen was being rebuilt. We have arranged with Bristol Auction Rooms (www.bristolauctionrooms.co.uk) to sell Mick’s paintings and the auction will now take place in Bristol on 26th April 2018. Details of the lots will be posted on the auction rooms’ website www.bristolauctionrooms.co.uk shortly beforehand. If you cannot attend in person the auction rooms will accept telephone, commission and online bids as well. Contact them for details at The Old Brewery, Baynton Road, Ashton, Bristol BS3 2EB. Phone 0117 953 1603 or email info@bristolauctionrooms.co.uk. Fitting out Medway Queen will cost almost as much as the hull rebuild so please dig deep and support us while acquiring a unique souvenir of this milestone in ship restoration. 

As you may have noticed our Reading Support Group is always ready to grab an opportunity to raise a few more pounds for the Medway Queen. The first such opportunity for 2018 is a quantity (300+) of model buses for N Gauge - to be sold well below normal retail prices.

The recommended retail price for these models is between £6 and £7. Reading Group made an advantageous bulk purchase in December and can offer these models at just £4 each! The buses are Oxford Diecast models in 1:148 scale, suitable for model collectors and as accessories for N Gauge railways. They are new, not secondhand,  bought from a trader's closing down sale.

Models available by post are as follows
NBL004 Bristol Lodekka W Alexander
NBS004 Burlingham Sunsaloon Whittles Coaches
NBS005 Burlingham Sunsaloon A & C McLennan
NBS006 Burlingham Sunsaloon Alexander Northern
NOWB003 Bedford OWB Portsmouth
NQ1002 Q1 BUT Trolleybus Belfast
NQ1003 Q1 BUT Trolleybus Newcastle
NQ1005 Q1 BUT Trolleybus Cardiff
NQ1007 Q1 BUT Trolleybus Cardiff (Streamline)
NQ1008 Q1 BUT Trolleybus Bournemouth
NQM003 Queen Mary A1 Service
NQM005 Queen Mary Bus Boro'line
NQM007 Queen Mary British Shoe Corporation
NRF003 AEC RF Metrobus Wealdsman
NTR006 Cardiff Tram

There are quite small numbers of some types so don't delay. Reading Group will sell them direct at the events they are attending - with a discount for multiple buys. By post the UK  P&P will be £3 per order but if you order 4 or more models to one address we will send them post free.

Send your cheque, payable to "R. Halton" please, to 21 Lakeside, Earley, Reading. RG6 7PG or send a Paypal transfer to mq.reading@ntlworld.com. Don't forget to tell us which models you want and include your address for delivery.

You may order and pay and collect from us at a show if you prefer. Details of events to be attended by the group can be found on the EVENTS PAGE.