Blog Archives

MQ closed to Visitors on April 2nd

30/3/2022

We are sorry to have to tell you that due to several of our volunteers contracting Covid and self isolating it will not be possible to open the ship to visitors this coming Saturday, 2nd April. We do not have enough volunteers in the Saturday Team to enable safe opening of the ship without those affected.

We sincerely hope that this is for one weekend only and that "normal Service" will be resumed on the following Saturday; 9th April - by which time Wheels of Time should once again be fully functioning.

SWSS 2022 - not long now

28/3/2022

A quick reminder that Medway Queen West will be at the South West Ship Show on Saturday with the full range of "Medway Queen" books, the PS Ryde book (of course) and other selected items. We are reducing our range of seaside souvenirs so ornamental model boats etc. will be available at tempting prices. We have a few second hand maritime books and the GSN 00 wagons. We also have a quantity of Atlas 1/1200 warship models for sale.

Come and see us at:
SOUTH WEST SHIP SHOW
Saturday, 2 April 2022 10.00am - 3.30pm
BAWA Social Club, 589 Southmead Road, Filton, BRISTOL, BS34 7RG

If you are a MQPS member and would like to help at occasional events this would be an ideal time for a chat!

2022 Wheels of Time launch

25/3/2022

The Kent based Wheels of Time scheme launched their 2022 programme on March 18th at Crabble Corn Mill, Dover. Pam Bathurst and Martin Goodhew were there on behalf of the Medway Queen Preservation Society. Of course, Medway Queen is taking part again in 2022, digitally and for “real” visitors to the ship.
Children, led by Joshua and Erica Stanley, announced the start of the Scheme when they let off party cannons to mark the scheme’s start in 2022. The principal guest was Deputy-Lieutenant of Kent, Kate Fenwick DL, who was presented with a posy of flowers on her arrival by Charlotte Davis.

Other guests including the Mayor of Dover, Cllr Gordon Cowan and Town-Sergeant Mr David Hunt-Cooke; The Mayor of Swale, Cllr Paul Stephen and the Chair of the River Parish Council Clive Taylor and his wife Jill, participated in the 2022 launch. The guests were able to meet with representatives of many of the 53 Museums and Heritage sites that are now part of the scheme at stalls they had set up over two floors of the Crabble Corn Mill site; who are one of the participating sites.

The sites collected supplies of Roamin' Rex's 2022 Map (now a 12-page booklet) and supplies of badges and lanyards. Children visiting a site can collect a badge and can earn Roamin’ Rex’s ‘Bronze Award Badge’ by collecting 10 badges from different sites, a ‘Silver Award Badge’ for 20, the ‘Gold Award Badge’ for 30, the ‘Platinum Award Badge’ for 40 and for those that collect all 53 badges there’s a special 2022 Wheels of Time Award Badge. Visitor badges are FREE. Normal entry fees apply to each museum or heritage site. Medway Queen is open on Saturdays from 11am to 4pm (last admissions 3pm) Opening dates and times and entry costs for all sites can be found on the website: https://wheelsoftime.uk/

Wheels of Time is a partnership of the participating museums and heritage sites developed to encourage children and their families to explore heritage sites in Kent. Comments from parents include “We have all learnt so much and explored places we didn't know existed”.

The scheme receives valuable support from Kent Children’s University (KCU) through many of the sites being accredited as Learning Destinations and inclusion of visit a Wheels of Time site as an activity for KCU challenges. Children registered with Children’s University can collect 0.5 to 1 Learning Credit at any Wheels of Time site and more at those that are validated Learning Destinations.

South West Ship Show

14/3/2022

SWSS Details

A new venue/event for Medway Queen West (aka Reading Support Group) will be the South West Ship Show due to take place at the BAWA Social Club, 589 Southmead Road, Filton, BRISTOL, BS34 7RG, on Saturday, 2 April 2022. The show will be open from 10am to 3.30pm.

MQW is having a busy start to 2022 with 3 model railway events in March (Swindon, Basingstoke and Abingdon) and the SWSS in April. Two down, two to go at the time of writing! Among the items on sale from MQW will be a collection of Atlas 1/1200 scale model warships as well as signed copies of the "Medway Queen" and "PS Ryde" books, souvenirs and other items.

If you are going there stop by our stand and say hello.

A second hand read

9/3/2022

Hurry, they're nearly all gone!

The Medway Queen Visitor Centre has a number of second hand maritime books for sale but they are going fast. If you are interested get down there on Saturday and take a look before they sell out!

I was lucky a couple of weeks ago and bought this copy of A. D. Devine's book "Dunkirk" published in 1945 in "conformity with the authorised economy standards". No illustrations but a fantastically detailed work containing multiple references to HMS Medway Queen and to HMS Queen of Thanet (another NMSPCo paddler) among many others. Once I have finished the book I'll put a piece together for Full Ahead.

Medway Queen West (Reading Support Group) have also received a donation of railway books including early back numbers of the "Southern Way" series and a number of similar titles. These will be on sale at the Basingstoke model railway show at the weekend but if you are interested in these email richardhalton1502@gmail.com for more details. These are in almost "as new" condition and have been priced at a bit below half the cover price. If you are interested in Southern area railways get in touch ASAP!

Richard Halton