With only just over a week to go, now is the time to get your exhibits ready for the Heritage Open days event on board Medway Queen. Entries can be any form of art or photography, preferably on a "maritime" theme and should be brought to the ship on the afternoon of Friday 8th September.

Reading Group's new canvas prints of "The Paddle Wheel" will go on sale at this event and a range of mounted prints, ready for framing, will also be shown. These prints are leading to another Reading Group initiative which will make the Medway Queen subjects a regular sales line. The prints are 10" x 8" photographs in 14" x 11" mounts. This is still in the development stage but the prints will retail at just £10 each. Advance enquiries to Richard on mq.reading@ntlworld.com please. Further exhibits are expected from the students at MidKent College and entry is open to everyone. The exhibition will be open for viewing and purchase of exhibits on both Saturday 9th September and Sunday 10th. Admission on these 2 days is free of charge to everyone.

​Our 2nd Fun, Food & Craft Day on 19th August was even better than the first one, with over 250 visitors. This time we had many more stalls including Jungle Jockeys (mechanical ride on toys for children and adults), a Prossecco stand, ceramics plus poets and musicians. More crafts more food more fun!

There will be a similar event billed as a "Well-being & Craft Fayre" at the Chatham Suburban Club on Saturday October 28th and then back again at the Gillingham Pier site on December 16th to close our season. Santa has offered to come along to see this famous old ship for himself!. 

​The project is funded and managed by our “Reading Support Group” and all profits from sales will be donated to society funds. The prints will be produced a few at a time in a rolling programme to a maximum of 50 items using an online printing service. This minimises capital outlay and makes little difference to overall cost. Numbering will be sequential as the prints are received. The basic retail price is £18 per print. Prints nos. 1 and 50 will be £28 each, prints 10, 20, 30, 40 will be £23 each. Items will available initially from the Medway Queen Visitor Centre and Reading Support Group exhibition stands. Later they will also be available by post (plus £4 UK P&P). 

All enquiries to Richard Halton please on mq.reading@ntlworld.com

Our next "event" at Gillingham Pier is the "Radio Controlled Trucking Day" on Saturday 12th August. The usual admission times apply, with free site admission and a £5 adult charge for ship tours. Displays of Radio controlled models in 1/14th scale, a real Dennis Sabre fire engine to inspect and all the usual attractions including our famous Dunkirk veteran paddle steamer!