PSPS Office Bearers from Inauguration to Date

Supporting the preservation and operation of paddle steamers Waverley and Kingswear Castle

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Our Founder was Professor Alan Robinson, who was our first Chairman in 1959-62 and then was our President until his death in 2019. However, the very first PSPS member was Mrs Eileen Pritchard who had a large influence on paddle steamer preservation in the 1960s.

President

DateName Notes
1962 – 2019Professor A R RobinsonFounder
2019 – PresentDouglas McGowan MBE

Vice President

DateName Notes
1968 – 1989Nick Knight
1976 – 2020W G Prynne
1988 – PresentNigel Coombes
1999 – PresentJ T Sylvester
2004 – PresentNick James
2004 – 2019Douglas McGowan MBEPresident from 2019
2017 – 2021John Anderson

Chairman

DateNameNotes
1959 – 1962Professor A R RobinsonUntil November 1962
1962 – 1963J D PotterResigned May 1963
1963Bill PrynneCaretaker role until November 1963
1963 – 1967Nick Knight
1967 – 1976Bill Prynne
1976Alan Peake Resigned due to ill health
1976 – 1980Victor Gray
1980 – 1982Douglas McGowan
1982 – 1988Nigel Coombes
1988 – 1991Jeremy Gold
1991 – 2004Nick James
2004 – 2012Myra Allen
2012 – 2013 Douglas McGowan
2013 – 2017Iain Dewar
2017 – 2019Paul Semple
2019 – 2020 Peter Morley Interim Chairman until March 2020
2020 – PresentJohn Allen

Vice Chairman

DateName Notes
1959 – 1962Captain L G H Thomas
1962 – 1963Peter Southcombe Until May 1963
1964 – 1965Victor GrayActing Vice Chairman.
Also Membership Secretary
1965 – 1967D V Wainwright
1967 – 1976John Millar
1976 – 1980Douglas McGowan
1980 – 1981Victor Gray
1981 – 1982Nigel Coombes
1982 – 1991Douglas McGowan
1991 – 1994Jeremy Gold
1994 – 2001Graham Hand
2001 – 2004Myra Allen
2004 – 2007 Alex Lewis
2008 – 2012David Haddleton
2013 – 2016Jeremy Gold
2016 – 2017Paul Semple
2017 – PresentGordon Wilson

National Secretary

DateNameNotes
1959Tony McGinnityResigned due to ill health
1959 – 1960Bernard Cox Acting National Secretary.
Also Assistant Secretary
1960 – 1962Victor Gray
1962 – 1964T G CadmanResigned May 1964
1964 – 1968W Blakeney
1968 – 1972Christopher J M Phillips
1972 – 1975Iain MacLeod
1975 – 1979Mike Hodges
1979 – 2017John Anderson
2017 – PresentAngela Johnson

Assistant Secretary

DateNameNotes
1959 – ?Bernard Cox
1962 – 1968V F Burrell
1968 – ?D K Jones

Treasurer

DateNameNotes
1959 – 1959Tony McGinnityActing Treasurer.
Also Secretary and Editor
1960 – 1961E T Y Randle
1961 – 1962V F Burrell
1962 – 1964D L Dougan
1965 – 1975Victor Gray
1975 – 1980Iain MacLeod
1980 – PresentMartin Longhurst

Membership Secretary

DateNameNotes
1962 – 1965Victor GraySubscriptions Secretary
1965 – 1969A P Clark
1969 – 1980David Swaffield
1980 – 1983John M Beveridge
1983A W McRobb
1983 – 1993Vacant
2000 – 2009Brian Whitmore
2009John Anderson Temporary
2009 – 2013Jon Joliffe
2013 – 2015Vacant
2015 – 2018Jon Joliffe
2018 – PresentGordon Wilson

Subscriptions Officer / Subscriptions Secretary

DateNameNotes
1975 – 1976Victor GraySubscriptions Officer
1976 – 1980G A LewisSubscriptions Officer
1980 – 1988P M ReidSubscriptions Secretary
1988 – 1989Leslie BrownSubscriptions Secretary
1989 – 2000Mrs G AndersonSubscriptions Secretary

Editor

DateNameNotes
1959 – 1961Tony McGinnityResigned 1961.
Also Secretary and Treasurer
1961 – 1962J H P Ellis
1963 – 1965J H Stay
1965 – 1966Dr Duncan Egdell
1966 – 1978 Russell PlummerPW27 – 74
1979 – 1980Ian MacLeod
Russell Plummer
Editor PW75 – 80
Layout & Design. PW75 – 80
1981 – 1992Russel PlummerPW81 – 126
1992 – 2022Myra AllenPW127 – 250

Other Postholders

DateNameNotes
1960 – 1975D L DouganAuditor
1960 – ?Capt. LGH ThomasRecords Officer
1962 – ?E A PeacockAuditor
1961 – ?Bernard CoxCurator
1979Basil CraggsSales Officer
1980 – ?Dr Joe McKendrickSales Officer
1994 – 2014Andrew GladwellMuseum Officer.
Collections Officer from 2004
2020 – 2011Malcolm PalmerPR & Promotions Officer
2014 – PresentDavid GreenArchivist
2014 – PresentDavid Green Data Controller

Patron

DateNameNotes
1960 – 1984Sir John Betjeman
2016 – PresentTimothy West CBE
Prunella Scales CBE