Join us on Saturday 28th December for our Festive Cruise
Our festive cruise on 28th December which leaves Greenock at 1100. We cruise to Loch Goil with a call at Blairmore and should be back at 1530.
Supporting the preservation and operation of paddle steamers Waverley and Kingswear Castle
Our festive cruise on 28th December which leaves Greenock at 1100. We cruise to Loch Goil with a call at Blairmore and should be back at 1530.
Voyage of the Maid is a new DVD which tells the story of Loch Lomond’s last paddle steamer, Maid of the Loch. The DVD has been produced to help raise funds for the appeal to get the Maid back in steam and sailing on Loch Lomond one again. The appeal, launched just nine months ago,…
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In the final part of a feature on the River Clyde, BBC 2 Scotland programme Landward takes a journey down the River on Waverley. Dougie Vipond speaks with Waverley relief master Iain Jamieson and observes how the landscape of the river has changed with the demise of the Clyde shipbuilding industry.
Medway Queen has now arrived safely on the River Medway following her departure from Avonmouth.
On Friday 15th November Medway Queen departed Avonmouth docks to continue her journey under tow to the Medway after waiting for a suitable weather window. Chris Jones recorded the departure above and further photographs can be seen at http://www.channelimages.com. Since leaving Avonmouth progress has been excellent with the ship making way along the English Channel…
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Since Medway Queen’s departure from Bristol on Thursday 31st October several videos have appeared on YouTube.
One of Billy Connolly’s one-liners starts “In Scotland there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing.”
During August this year, the Friends of Wemyss Bay Station ran an exhibition of steamer prints and paintings, most of which were supplied by Ian McCrorie. The prints and paintings were then sold in aid of funds for Waverley. The remaining pictures have now been given to Waverley Steam Navigation Company to allow further funds to…
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On a wet Wednesday night Waverley passes Braehead at 20:00, 42 hours after leaving Weymouth, a voyage of about 560 nautical miles.
The Medway Queen preservation Society have issued the following press release: Following the re-dedication of the Medway Queen at the Albion Dockyard in July the workforce there has been busy with completion of the construction and finishing touches to our ship. Apprentices and instructors from the Medway Queen Preservation Society were also in Bristol for…
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On Tuesday morning (8th October) PSPS Chairman Douglas McGowan was interviewed by Chris Evans on the Radio 2 breakfast show. Douglas gives an excellent interview which last for about 4 minutes. The radio programme is available on BBC iPlayer for a week after broadcast. The following link will open up the broadcast on iPlayer. Douglas is interviewed…
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On Monday 30th September 2013 it will be exactly 40 years since Waverley was withdrawn from service with her future looking very uncertain.
The latest MV Balmoral Newsletter has been emailed to all those who signed up for it via the MV Balmoral website. To sign up for future editions just enter your email address at the bottom of the home page on the website.The latest MV Balmoral Newsletter has been emailed to all those who signed up for it via the MV Balmoral website. To sign up for future editions just enter your email address at the bottom of the home page on the website.
The current newsletter contains the following progress to date report:
The winter syllabus for the Scottish Branch will be sent out in the next edition of Paddle Wheels but advanced notice is given below for each meeting. Friday 18th October – S.S. Shieldhall Graham Mackenzie, MD of The Solent Steam Packet Limited, gives an illustrated talk on the history and preservation of the former Glasgow…
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Following the success of the Ship Ahoy Maritime Heritage Exhibition, which was held in April this year, the Ship Ahoy Team have decided to mount a similar exhibition, in a new venue, on Saturday 5th April 2014. The venue for Ship Ahoy 2014 will be The Tall Ship sailing vessel Glenlee, which is moored on the…
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Waverley has now arrived on the south coast having departed Glasgow on Monday 2nd September after making a brief call at Yarrows yard at Scotstoun to allow for her navigation lights to be replaced. The main Clyde summer season came to a conclusion after Waverley sailed back from Millport to Glasgow on Sunday (1st September). Overall the ship had…
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On Saturday 31st August at 2pm there will be a meeting held aboard Balmoral at her berth outside the M Shed in Bristol city docks. All supporters are invited to attend to hear of the latest developments for bringing the ship back into operation.
Our latest blog reports on an inland event. held by the Linlithgow Union Canal Society.
Well actually it’s almost certainly the same one. Thanks to Keith Robertson who, in response to our latest post, has sent the picture above. Dolphin lovers have only two Wednesdays left this year to see the Dolphin at Ardlamont Point from a Waverley cruise to Tarbert.
The forecast for 14th August was bright at first with cloud and rain later. It was perhaps not the most promising day for a sail on Waverley. Nevertheless over 400 were on board for the Wednesday trip through the Kyles of Bute to Tarbert. Waverley’s cruise that day started at Ayr but your correspondent joined…
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ITV News West Country have broadcast a news report on Balmoral’s appeal to raise £350k to ensure that Balmoral can sail in passenger service next season.
As some PSPS members will be aware Waverley Excursions Limited have a new website.
More photos from Sunday’s hospitality cruise. Thanks to PSPS member Roy Tait for supplying these photos.
Our hospitality cruise this year had a new feature as it took place on a sell-out Sunday which is now a regular event with discounted tickets, coach tours and good weather. Whilst it’s good to see the ship full, it is a problem for those of us used to a “turn up a go service”.…
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The Scottish Branch hospitality cruise will take place on Sunday 4th August as Waverley sails from Glasgow to Lochranza. Members are invited to join the Branch committee on-board and take the opportunity to visit the engine room and/or the bridge. In addition on Sunday there will be an auction held on the return journey to auction two…
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Waverley has continued to attract the crowds over the past few days. Between Friday and Sunday (19th-21st July) she carried around 2000 passengers. Both Saturday and Sunday were sold out in advance with Sunday having been sold out for a few days. The Sunday cruise to Campbeltown from Glasgow is the longest sail timetabled within the Clyde season.…
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The Society is looking to upgrade its use of digital communications to both attract new members and keep the membership informed. To achieve this we intend to modernise the principal PSPS website and develop our presence on Facebook, Twitter and other social media. While our ships are part of our heritage, our membership surely includes…
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Waverley made her first call at Girvan on Monday 15th July having sailed from Glasgow via Largs and Ayr to offer her usual Clyde Monday cruise round Ailsa Craig. The following few pictures show her approaching the harbour, berthing and then alongside. In total she is scheduled to make 4 calls at Girvan as she…
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In view of the 2012 result for the Branch evening charter the committee looked at possible alternatives to the Greenock, Helensburgh, Blairmore and Loch Long cruise which has been offered for a number of years. The main reason for looking at alternatives was the fact that Waverley was not due to return to the Clyde until the…
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This year’s Scottish Branch Evening Charter was a tremendous success, thanks in the main to the tremendous efforts of Paul Semple who organised it and promoted it to great effect …. okay maybe the weather helped a wee bit. If this was all that Paul did for the Mighty Paddler in the course of a…
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