What shall we do with the Kingswear Castle? – Now that the River Dart Steamboat have announced PS Kingswear Castle’s withdrawal, the Society must face the question. The Central Committee will meet on March 11th and the size of the Preservation Fund on that day will naturally influence policy. If you want the Society to “have a go”, cheques please.

Queen of the South – We congratulate the Coastal Steam Packet Co. upon their choice of name for the former Jeanie Deans. She is to be called Queen of the South. If she succeeds the future for the paddle steamer is bright. She arrived at Chatham on November 11th. The voyage down was not without incident – she was caught out in a force ten gale midway across the Irish Sea. She was therefore forced to return and take shelter in the lee of the Isle of Man for a number of hours. She put in at Holyhead for bunkers and then proceeded en route, making further calls at Falmouth and Southampton on the way.

Westward Ho – Another famous name reappears this season, though not on a paddle steamer. Westward Ho! This spring, twenty years after the fine, fast paddle steamer of that name left for the breakers, another Westward Ho! will cleave the waters of the Bristol Channel. She is the former Vecta, and she has not come to replace an existing steamer but to augment services.

Portsmouth paddlers – PS Sandown, at present lying at Newhaven, is for sale. This announcement was not unexpected, but is none the less sad. She has been used less and less, culminating in laying up at Newhaven throughout the last two winters. However she was doing valuable work last season, particularly on peak Saturdays, and this is when she will be missed.

Scottish notes – After being slipped at the end of September, Caledonia, now our oldest paddler, stayed at Gourock until mid-December, doing two or three tenders, reliefs on the Holy Loch and Sunday runs to Millport. Talisman was slipped at Port Glasgow, returning to Albert Harbour, Greenock until 14th December when she changed over with Caledonia.

Humber ferries – On 23rd December PS Lincoln Castle and PS Wingfield Castle were maintaining the service. PS Tattershall Castle was lying in reserve at New Holland. No crossings were made on Christmas Day or Sunday 26th December.