Medway Queen Salutes the '40s

The Medway Queen Carnival Float was originally designed and built by Barry Ellen. In 1986 Barry’s son Jamie decorated his box cart in the shape of the Queen with the aim of joining Medway Carnival in order to raise people’s awareness of the preservation society.  This inspired Barry to make a replica which he could tow behind his car. Over the next few years, as materials and time allowed, the railings, seats, funnel and fiddley, captain’s cabin and purser’s office and bridge were added. Dolls were purchased and dressed as passengers and crew. 

It is now kept under cover at Gillingham Pier and in 2017 Andrew Haskell repaired the lighting system, added a smoke generator to the funnel and made other necessary repairs to the float. He has been taking the model to various local events with the assistance of members of the “Saturday Team” since then and the carnival float continues to do its bit for our ship.

​(From our members' magazine, Full Ahead, Autumn 2018 issue.)​

Besides conducting the ship tours and running the Visitor Centre and shop the Saturday Team still get out and about to promote the restoration project. Raising awareness of the ongoing work of the volunteers and our ship’s public opening times.

This last weekend they were out I force, flying the flag for the society, with the carnival float at Chatham Historic Dockyard’s “Salute to the Forties” event. The team comprised Martin, Joe, Brian, Andrew and Woody.
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Thanks to Brian and Martin Goodhew for the photographs.