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Heritage Steamers Winter 2011 News Update

The talented Joe Marshallsay

Artwork for a Kingswear Castle badge created by Joe Marshallsay in 1984

Kingswear Castle lying half derelict after her withdrawal from service on the River Dart

The PSPS Collection includes a great deal more than postcards, handbills and old fittings from pleasure steamers of the past. During recent years, an effort has been made to collect and preserve material relating to the early preservation careers of our three steamer; Kingswear Castle, Waverley and Balmoral. A recent donation included some superb original artwork by PSPS member - the late Joe Marshallsay. Joe was the most perfect of paddle steamer enthusiasts. As well as cruising aboard the ships regularly during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, he also did something that helped them a great deal by designing posters, souvenirs and ephemera such as tickets. Joe created some wonderful evocative designs. The one above shows a design for a badge for Kingswear Castle in 1985. Do you have one of these badges? We would love to hear from you! Sadly, Joe died suddenly a few years ago at an early age. But, with his wonderful original designs, we are able to remember the special talent of a great paddle steamer supporter.

Waverley at Torquay in 1980

Since entering her preservation career, Waverley has travelled all around the UK. She now sails on a limited and regular pattern of cruises but back in the early and mid 1980s, she called at many places around the UK coastline that are now forgotten as calling points for paddle steamers. One of these places was Torquay and Waverley can be seen here at the famous Devon resort on 25 April 1980. The PSPS Collection is gradually building up its collection of photographs showing Waverley when she called at now lost places such as Torquay. If you have memories, cine film or photographs of Waverley at Torquay we would love to hear from you!

Royal Sovereign on the River Thames

This is another one of the treasures in the PSPS Collection. its a plaque from the lifeboat of the famous River Thames paddle steamer Royal Sovereign. It was purchased by the society during the 1960s along with material from the Belle Steamers and the General Steam Navigation Company. It is beautifully painted on wood and is in wonderful condition. Donations of fittings and furniture from the steamers is always wanted. If you have something that could be donated to a safe home where it would be admired by future generations then please let us know! Contact andrew.gladwell@hotmail.com .

One of our Victorian Treasures

Paddle box carving from the famous Thames paddle steamer Royal Sovereign

The PSPS Collection has been formed over the past fifty years. In the 1950s and 1960s, a small group of individuals managed to save many treasures from the scrapyard or from dealers. The wonderful carving shown above is the carved wooden paddle box emblem of the Royal Sovereign. It was saved by Harold Collard Stone who remebered trips aboard the steamer during its heyday on the River Thames. Nowadays, after a number of temporary homes it can be found at Felixstowe Museum. The carving is on loan from the PSPS and it shares its home with a number of other wonderful objects from the heyday of the River Thames steamer fleets. The museum is open from Easter until October. Why not pay a visit during the summer months!

Bristol Channel Memories

Campbell steamer from Castle Hill, Tenby

$Campbell steamer at Ilfracombe harbour from Hillsborough$

We now have a total of 68 postcards showing the well-loved post-war Bristol Channel paddle steamers Cardiff Queen and Bristol Queen. Sometimes it looks like you have every postcard showing a particular steamer and then another new one is donated. The three postcards shown above were donated this week and fill another gap in the PSPS Collection. They show those famous post-war paddlers at some familiar and beautiful locations. The top one shows a view at Tenby, the middle one shows a view from Castle Hill at Tenby and the bottom one shows Ilfracombe from Hillborough. its sad to think that just a few years after these images were taken the Cardiff Queen and Bristol Queen had gone to the scrapyard.

Tickets! Tickets! Tickets!

Recently donated tickets from the Firth of Clyde and Bristol Channel

Some of the tickets are quite rare and some of these are shown opposite. They are from the short lived River Thames career of the Queen of the South. We deal with a great number of enquiries about the Queen of the South but these are the first tickets that we have seen from this well-loved steamer.

Here are a few more of the tickets that have recently been dopnated to the PSPS Collection. This recent donation includes a great number from the Firth of Clyde and Bristol Channel from the 1950s onwards. Apart from tickets for cruises, many were for meals taken on the steamers.

...More Recently Donated Ephemera

Red Funnel tickets recently donated to the PSPS Collection

Work is progressing on cataloguing a large collection of ephemera and large objects that were donated to the PSPS Collection last month.

Each item is individually marked and then fully catalogued onto our database where two sides of A4 paper of information is recorded on each item. The task is huge but is worthwhile as the PSPS can then provide instant access to the material.

Recent material has included over 700 tickets. These date from 1897 up to 2010. The majority cover the Bristol Channel services of P&A Campbell although there is good coverage of other areas such as the Isle of Wight (opposite) and Cosens. In addition, there are some rare tickets such as a complete set of tickets for cruises aboard the Queen of the South on the River Thames during the mid 1960s.

A p&A Campbell pocket brochure that is over 100 years old

Make Your Own Medway Queen

We now have 654 items on the famous Thames and Medway paddle steamer Medway Queen in the PSPS Collection. The most recent item has been a plastic model kit complete with an electric motor to build a replica of the steamer. The kit includes click-together parts and the motor was powered by a battery. Apart from a model of the European paddle steamer Goethe, we have no other plastic model kits in the collection. Do you know of any? Has one ever been produced of the famous Waverley?

Aboard the Cardiff Queen for the 1953 Coronation Naval Fleet Review at Spithead

Cardiff Queen's menu cover for the Coronation Naval Review

The menus for luncheon and supper aboard Cardiff Queen during the 1953 Coronation Naval Review

A quantity of material relating to the 1953 Coronation Naval Review has just been donated to the PSPS Collection. The material was distributed aboard the Cardiff Queen which took part in the review at Spithead on 15 June 1953. The above souvenir menu was placed on each place setting as a momento of the day. Another document with the donation outlines the timetable for the day as well as travel arrangements. The day started with a 8.05am steam train departure from London Waterloo. Passengers finally arrived back in London as scheduled at 3.30am the following day! Were you aboard the Cardiff Queen on that special day?

Badges & Matches!

Recently donated badges and matchboxes to the PSPS Collection

A recent and large donation to the PSPS Collection included 57 examples of match boxes and button badges!

Matches were a commonly bought item on a pleasure steamer up to the time when smoking was banned in public places. Our own steamers, Waverley and Balmoral as well as the short-lived Prince Ivanhoe all sold various attractive designs in their outlets. Other businesses have also used paddle steamers. This included the Ship Inn at Rochester. This hostelry was owned by Don Rose who attempted to operate the Queen of the South on the RIver Thames during the mid 1960s. Another matchbox shows P&A Campbell's Waverley. This was used to advertise the Waverley public house at Ilfracombe.

One of the most popular items that has been sold over the years in the souvenir shops aboard our steamers has been the humble button badge. Countless thousands of schoolchildren have purchased a badge as a souvenir of their cruise. The selection opposite also shows examples of a badge made as a souvenir of the Prince Ivanhoe. So far we have 60 badges and 53 match boxes in the PSPS Collection!

Matchbox showing the Queen of the South advertising the Ship Inn at Rochester

$Matchbox advertising the Ilfracombe Inn at Ilfracombe$

Memories of the Duchess of Hamilton

Duchess of Hamilton souvenir pin cushion

its quite rare to be able to acquire souvenirs from well-loved Firth of Clyde steamers but this lovely pin cushion was recently donated to the PSPS Collection. It shows the famous pleasure steamer the Duchess of Hamilton and was sold aboard the steamer during the 1950s. We're lucky as it is in excellent condition and is still in its original box. Were pin cushions produced for sale aboard the rest of the Clyde fleet or just aboard the Duchess? If you would like to donate please contact andrew.gladwell@hotmail.com .

The Duchess of Hamilton cruising on the Firth of Clyde in her heyday

PSPS Acquires Cardiff Queen's Telegraph

Bridge telegraph from the Cardiff Queen that was recently donated to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society

The PSPS has just acquired the splendid and iconic bridge telegraph from the well-loved Cardiff Queen. The telegraph had been in a private collection for some forty years after being rescued from the scrapyard whilst the steamer was being scrapped. The donor kindly donated the telegraph to ensure that it had a safe and permanent home where future generations could enjoy it.

The telegraph is now in need of a lot of polishing to return it to its former glory. Eventually, it will be placed on display to show the fine heritage of P&A Campbell pleasure steamer cruises on the Bristol Channel and South Coast.

More amazing items from this important donation will be displayed on this website over coming months!

The well-loved Cardiff Queen

A Souvenir from the Well-Loved Royal Sovereign

The three post-war motor ships on the River Thames are remembered with great fondness. The Royal Sovereign, Royal Daffodil and Queen of the Channel took several generations of Londoners for a day at the seaside from the late 1940s onwards. The Royal Sovereign was always a particular favourite of those that enjoyed a day at Southend, Margate and other seaside resorts.

I wonder how many young passengers went to the souvenir shop to buy a reminder of the trip? The doll opposite has just been acquired by the PSPS Collection and on its cap has a gold label stating that it was purchased on the Royal Sovereign. Were these dolls sold aboard the pre-war favourites such as the Golden Eagle, Royal Eagle and Medway Queen? Were they also sold as souvenirs aboard steamers around the rest of the UK such as the Firth of Clyde and Bristol Channel?

Heritagesteamers News Archive

Have a look at some of our past articles.
Click on the image to see our latest acquisitions
and paddle steamer heritage news since 2008.

Remember to visit this page each week to view our latest news!

Our Collection Needs You!

WE NEED YOUR DONATIONS!

We have a great collection but with your help we can make it even greater! Donations are always welcome!

The PSPS is a registered charity (No 298328) with a core aim of preserving historic material relating to paddle steamers and educating the public on their heritage. Its collection is managed under UK Museum Association guidelines. Any material donated would therefore find a safe and permanent home where future generations will be able to enjoy and use it.

If you would like to donate material to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society Collection please direct your enquiry to:

PSPS, 31 Meadow Road, Gravesend, Kent, DA11 7LR
or email: andrew.gladwell@hotmail.com

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