Launch and Career of a Clydebuilt Icon to be celebrated.

Thursday 9 September 2010

Launch and Career of a Clydebuilt Icon to be celebrated.

The 43rd anniversary of the launch of the iconic Queen Elizabeth 2 is to be marked by events at her birthplace of Clydebank.

Waverley and QE2 met many times during the liner's long and illustrious career and I hope that members will take the time to support this event.

Clydebank ♥s the QE2! is an event organised by clyde walking tours™, in association with QE2 website and forum theqe2story.com and will consist of a 90 minute walking tour of Clydebank including the former site of the world famous shipbuilders John Brown and the area formerly occupied by the very slipway on which QE2 and many other famous liners were built and launched.

In the evening a 1 hour presentation on QE2 will be delivered by the qe2story's Rob Lightbody in the Cunard Suite, Clydebank College (College Square, Queens' Quay, G81 1BF).

For more details and to buy tickets please visit http://qe2.eventbrite.com/

Visit the internet's premier QE2 website and forum at http://www.theqe2story.com/index.html where you will find many many interesting facts, discussions and features on the world's most famous ocean liner - including Q&A sessions with two of the QE2's former masters!!

QE2 on the Clyde for the final time Oct 2008 © G Stewart

The Society

The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS) is Britain's longest established, largest and most successful steamship preservation group.
A registered charity founded in 1959, we have over 3000 members and through our associated charitable companies we operate the only two working paddle steamers in Great Britain.
Without the PSPS there would no longer be the opportunity to sail on a Paddle Steamer in Great Britain.

Our aims
i) to preserve paddle steamers in sailing condition
ii) to educate the public in the historic significance of paddle steamers in the Nation's maritime and industrial heritage
iii) to acquire, preserve and exhibit a collection of equipment and material associated with paddle steamers.

Our Ships

Flagship of our fleet is Waverley the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world. Built in 1947 Waverley was gifted to the Society for just £1. As well as operating on her native Clyde each summer she visits other coastal areas around the UK during the spring and autumn each year.

Kingswear Castle is Britain's only operational coal-fired paddle steamer. Built in 1924 to sail on the River Dart she was purchased by the Society in 1967. From 1985 until 2012 she sailed the Thames and Medway. In 2013 Kingswear Castle returned to the Dart where she now operates public sailings during the summer season.

The society is composed of five branches: Scottish, London & Home Counties, Bristol Channel, Wessex & Dart and North England - all of which help raise money to keep our paddle steamers sailing.

The Scottish Branch

The Scottish Branch was formed in 1969 by Douglas McGowan, now our Honorary Branch President. In November 1973 Douglas was invited to attend a meeting with CalMac which resulted in Paddle Steamer Waverley being gifted to the PSPS for £1! It was then on 8th August 1974 that the PSPS took ownership of the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world and her second career in preservation had begun. Since 1974 the Scottish Branch has been directly linked to supporting Waverley.

The Scottish Branch is proud of its achievements. We are an active and forward thinking branch with a thriving membership of over 800 - we are proud to be the branch which secured an operational future for Waverley. Our members are regularly involved with voluntary work which helps ensure Waverley continues to sail. During the summer sailing season we help raise funds through the Society's Grand Draw and our annual fundraising cruise on Waverley. The Branch meets in Glasgow each month during the non-sailing season (October - April) and we extend an invitation to join the Society and indeed join the Scottish Branch.

Thursday 9 September 2010