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Our
Recent Acquisitions and News in 2009...
The
Changing Faces of Ryde
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The
PSPS collection has acquired a number of glorious
colour photographs this week that include a series
showing the PS Ryde during the 1960s. Enjoy
these images of her in happier days.
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Caledonia
becomes the RMS Caledonia in 1969
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The
PSPS collection has had a number of glorious colour
photographs donated this week that include a series
showing the PS Caledonia when she became the
RMS Caledonia in April 1969. They show her
carrying the Royal Mail around the Firth of Clyde.
Do you remember the event?
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'Doon
the Water' to Rothesay in 1957
Paddle
Steamers 1966-67
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A
collection of colour postcards and slides have just
been donated to the PSPS. They all date from 1966-67
and cover paddle steamers on the Firth of Clyde, Humber
and Thames. Hopefully, they will bring back some happy
memories!
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Paddle
Steamers in the 1960s
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A
collection of superb colour photographs and slides
have just been donated to the PSPS. They offer us
a fascinating glimpse into the decade when most paddle
steamers were scrapped. In fact three of the four
paddle steamers shown below were lost during that
decade. The photographs are at present being catalogued
and will then be stored in archival conditions ready
for researchers to use in the future.
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Firth
of Clyde Paddle Steamer Cutlery
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The
PSPS Collection has recently acquired a large collection
of cutlery used aboard Firth of Clyde paddle and pleasure
steamers.
The cutlery dates back to the days after the First
World War and was used by the Caledonian Steam Packet
Company and Williamson Buchanan Steamers on their
Clyde services.
The
cutlery is important as the PSPS has very little material
relating to the Firth of Clyde steamers. If you would
like to help us to preserve paddle steamer heritage
for future generations to enjoy please contact the
Collections Manager; andrew.gladwell@yahoo.com
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1920s
Paddle Steamers - A Photographic Legacy
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A
collection of several fine images taken by a renowned
pre-war maritime historian from Kent were recently
donated to the PSPS. They offer us a fascinating glimpse
into life aboard a paddle steamer at the time along
the coastline of Dorset and Sussex. The photographs
are at present being catalogued and will then be stored
in archival conditions ready for researchers to use
in the future.
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Queen
of the South Ephemera
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collection has been donated covering the
short career of the Queen of the South
on the Thames between 1966-67. It includes
menus, handbills, photos and cuttings that
record the rapid and sad end of this fine
paddle steamer that had a previous career
as the Jeanie Deans on the Clyde.
Do you have any material on the Queen
of the South that you would like to
donate to us? |
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Cosens
China
 The
PSPS Collection has just acquired two plates that were once
used by Cosens of Weymouth aboard their steamers.
These plates
were found by a diver whilst doing an equipment check off
of Totland Bay Pier in April 1986. The pier was seen as
a relatively safe dive at the start of the season. They
were found along with more broken crockery. Presumably,
the plates were deposited by a galley boy not wishing to
do the washing up!
The Paddle Steamer
Preservation Society would like to thank the diver for kindly
donating these plates to the PSPS Collection and for helping
us to build up our collection of material relating to Cosens.
PS
Bournemouth Queen
 The
PSPS Collection has just acquired two fine chairs from the
Lower Saloon of the PS Bournemouth Queen that was
operated by Red Funnel until being scrapped in 1957.
The two chairs
still have the original 1920s fabric on the seat
pads and were later owned by Mr Payne the Managing Director
of Red Funnel. Both chairs are heavily stencilled on the
underside of the seat pads to give their location aboard
the steamer.
The seats now join the fine plaque from the Bournemouth
Queen that was acquired by the PSPS in 2007 along with
a growing amount of paper ephemera such as handbills. It is
hoped that both chairs will go on public display in the near
future.
 Do
you remember these chairs or do you have photographs of them
in the saloon? We would love to hear from you!
Wartime service
plaque from the Bournemouth Queen acquired by the PSPS in
2007
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WE
NEED YOUR DONATIONS!