Chairman's Blog No 15 - An Opportunity to Say A Heartfelt Thanks.

Scottish Branch Hospitality Event - Waverley - Sunday 7th August

I think it is fair to say that all parties are not joking when they say that this season is "Make or Break" for Waverley and Balmoral - but when looking from the outside in it is not immediately apparent how much volunteer work goes on behind the scenes by PSPS members (and non-members as well of course!) to keep our ships sailing - through thick and thin. Just being able to sail on the ships during the season is reward enough for our willing band of volunteers but it is nice to be able to offer our thanks in a small way when we can.
The Scottish Branch will be holding their annual Hospitality Event on board ps Waverley as she sails to Tarbert, Loch Fyne on the above date. This event is our way of saying thanks to our ever loyal members for their ongoing support of Waverley and the PSPS in general.
Arrangements have still to be finalised but we hope to include a Welcome presentation by our Branch Chairman (me!) in the ship's Lower Bar followed by a few words from Waverley Excursions Director and Volunteer Liason James McMillan, after which an AV presentation will be shown whilst members relax and chat over a cup of complimentary tea or coffee. Events in the lower bar will be followed by visits to the Engine Room and Bridge.
Whilst there is no charge for the actual Branch event you must purchase a cruise ticket from either the Waverley Excursions Website, by phoning 0845 130 4647 or from the Ship's Purser on the day.

Proceedings should begin just after Waverley has sailed from Rothesay and will come to a close to allow members to view the approach to Tarbert so if you want to come along make sure you join the ship at or before Rothesay -the timetable can be found here

This event is restricted to members only but if you want to join you can do so by following the link to the application form on the left hand column of the blog or you can join on board at the ship's shop. Why not join on the day and come and meet us?

Fancy it ? See you on Sunday 7th August then!!!

Gavin Stewart
Scottish Branch Chairman

Chairman's Blog No 14 - Winter is Upon Us! (in more ways than one)

On behalf of the Scottish Branch Commitee may I wish you all a Happy New Year! Lets hope that season 2011 is a good one.

Well winter is once again upon us - what do you mean I hear you cry - its been here for weeks!! The deep freeze set in earlier than last year with temperatures in Glasgow and the West of Scotland plummeting to below -10degC. The photos below show our paddler shivering at her snowy Glasgow Science Centre berth.

Another winter is also upon us - volunteer winter work parties commence on both Waverley and Balmoral on Saturday 15th January. This year - as with every year since the ships entered preserved operation - voluntary input vital to their ongoing operation. Remember formal skills are not required - just enthusiasm!

If you are interested in attending work parties on Waverley then just turn up at the ship from 10am onwards on the 15th and ask for the person in charge.  The only restriction is that you must be over 18 years of age.You will be required to give the ship's engineer contact details for H&S purposes and if you have safety shoes and a boiler suit that you dont mind using then please bring them along. You'll be pleased to hear that the ship is heated throughout the winter but additional layers of clothing may be an idea in case you are given an outdoor job.

Car parking is via the Glasgow Science Centre car park - tokens are available from the ship's engineer to allow you exit the car park. Waverley is located adjacent to the Science Centre tower (her berth is sometimes also referred to as Pacific Quay)

There are no catering facilities available on board during the winter but the microwave in the crew mess is available as is on tap hot water, tea & coffee. The only toilets operational are the crew toilets but not to worry you will be shown the ropes on arrival!!

The main thing is to enjoy yourself - theres a good bunch of up to twenty people attend over the winter so you'll be made very welcome -  that coupled with the fact that you can take satisfaction from the knowledge that you contributed to the ship's operation in 2011 make volunteer work parties a must.

Go to the Waverley Excursions Website for a blog entry about work parties.

Balmoral work parties take place in Bristol - see http://www.pswaverley.org/ for further details.

I'll sign off for now - leaving you with the forementioned snowy pictures!!

Gavin Stewart

Scottish Branch Chairman

Photo Copyright Joe McKendrick

Photo Copyright Joe McKendrick

Photo Copyright Joe McKendrick

Chairman's Blog No13 - ps Lincoln Castle Update.

As you may recall the PSPS were offered the former Humber Car / Passenger paddler Lincoln Castle earlier this year. For very real reasons the society council made the difficult decision not to take on the ageing vessel due to the level of work required to make her a viable entity for ongoing preservation whilst not posing a risk to Waverley, Kingswear Castle and Balmoral.

It transpired at the time the PSPS council were making the decision another potential buyer had appeared and all (we thought) was well. HOWEVER this was a false dawn and despite the forming of a preservation group the owner of the vessel took matters into his own hands and demolition of the 1940 Inglis built vessel started.

I recently received an email from Chris Woolley containing the following link which takes up the story and has photos of the vessel in the stages of demolition.

ps Lincoln Castle update.

It is my personal opinion that any potential preservation candidate should of course be considered but in these difficult economic times the financial implications not only of the project but the effect on existing interests must always take precedence. The society's volunteers have helped it keep it's vessels in service through good and bad. Taking on Lincoln Castle would have been a paddler too far.

Thanks to Chris for sending the update link.

Gavin Stewart
Scottish Branch Chairman

Chairman's Blog No 11 - New Chairman, New Season, Same Challenge!

New Chairman

After two years as Chairman of the Scottish Branch, Stuart Mears decided to stand down at the recent branch AGM held on Friday 16th April in Glasgow. Having been Stuart's Vice Chairman for the same period the "baton" was handed to me for the next two years. For those of you who dont know me my name is Gavin Stewart, I live in Greenock though originally hail from West Kilbride on the Ayrshire coast.

I became involved with Waverley / PSPS in 2004 when myself and my partner Shelagh began attending Work Parties on the ship during the winter. I was asked to join the branch committee in 2005 and took over the role of Exhibitions Manager in 2006 - the same year as Shelagh came onto committee. 2008 saw me join the Council of Management of the Society and become Vice Chairman of the branch. My background is in Electrical Engineering and I currently work at Howden Process Compressors in Renfrew - originally James Howden & Co who are a long established Scottish engineering company.

So there you have it - a potted history of your new Chairman! Can I take this opportunity to thank Stuart for all his efforts during the last two years and thank him for agreeing to stay on as a member of the branch commitee. I also have the pleasure of welcoming Paul Semple on board. Paul is well known in Waverley circles and will be a great asset to the branch. Stuart Cameron also rejoins us after an absence of a year as does Michael Hughan who will continue to keep us abreast of happenings with Scotland's other paddler Maid of the Loch.

So who is the Vice Chairman I hear you ask?? Well none other than "Uncle" Peter Reid - one of the original group who set the whole thing going back in 1974. No pressure there then!!

Anyway - back to the present day and our ship!

New Season


You will have seen from the previous post that our paddler is now safely docked down in Garvel Drydock, Greenock for her annual overhaul. She is expected to emerge on Monday 10th May when she will head out to the Tail O the Bank for compass adjustment before proceeding back up river to her Glasgow Science Centre berth where work will continue to ready her for the forthcoming season which starts at 7am on Friday 28th May with the annual trip to Oban for the weekend.


This season will present the same set of challenges as before - fuel continues to be a major issue and the recent steady increase in cost at the pumps equates to a similar increase for Waverley even though she doesn't (thankfully!!) run on pump fuel!! Couple this with the unpredictable climate (at least she won't be affected by volcanic ash issues) and you can see why operating the World's Only Seagoing Paddle Steamer is no walk in the park.


We can all play a part in facing this challenge - by sailing on our ships and also encouraging others to come along and share the pleasures of a relaxing day out on the river watching the world paddle past. Leave your cares ashore and collect them on your return.............


So on that note I'll sign off - below are some more excellent shots of Waverley's trip to Greenock on Wednesday taken by Gerry Deegan.


Heres to season 2010 - see you aboard!!


Gavin Stewart

Chairman's Blog No 10 - ps Lincoln Castle.

Dear All,
By the time you read this, you should have had a letter in your latest Paddle Wheels concerning, our offer of the PS Lincoln Castle currently moored in Grimsby. I will avoid muddying the waters with too much detail about the visit and my impressions, as one of the chief drivers as to what happens next will be the surveyors report, based on fact, rather than my relatively uneducated impressions based on a cursory visual inpsections.

It is however vitally important that we know "the will of the people" so please please please take the time to respond to the questionaire in the letter. If we are to move forward on this it must be in the knowledge that this is a move broadly supported by the membership. Equally if we let her go for scrap (this is the alternative intended, albeit with great reluctance by the owner if we do not proceed) it must be in the knowledge that this is because this is what the society as a whole believed appropriate.

The idea behind this blog is simply to let you have a good look round the ship, inside and out.

These three pictures give a general view of the ship as she is berthed in Grimsby, by the very well signposted Fishing Heritage Centre.

The first place we visited was the car deck and the equivalent on Waverley of the Promenade Deck. The original wood decking has been overlaid with steel chequer plate. Of note along the starboard side is the added bar structure which, it would not be too unkind to say probably began life as a large garden shed at B & Q! What these photos fail to convey is the vast expanse of deck space. With the sponsons extending well aft, there really is a huge amount of space.

As the rain was getting heavier we retreated indoors for a look around the engine room. Considering that the vessel was operating as a pub /resturant, a suprising amount of loving care had been lavished on the non revenue earning part of the ship - and with a flick of a switch, the owner had the engines turning for us!

Next a look at the lower deck passenger spaces. First off, the "Grand staircase" leads down from the port and starboard alleyways to the lower bar aft. Almost exected to see Kate Winslet make a grand arrival, Titanic style! The lower bar has a significantly greater amount of headroom than Waverley, about 7 ft anyway. The next pic is in the lower bar forward area, the equivalent of the entire crew accomodation space on Waverley.

What I haven't shown here are photos I took of where the boiler used to be which is now a rather modern looking galley and each of the bunkers which are now bar and catering stores.

Above, some view from the main deck forward bar. The first view is looking aft, down the starboard side. Again it's hard to convey the size if this space which is filled somewhat by having the bar bang in the middle! The next photo is looking aft from further back on the starboard side and I guess the stairs leading down to the lower forward bar as described above are roughly in the same position as the crew accomodation stairs on Waverley.

I also took a fair few photos of things like the bilges for the purposes of a technical record but they are, to be honest, a bit boring for inclusion here! In any event, matters such as the material condition ohe shell plating are best left to be determined by the surveyor. There are cement repairs in the bilges as a means of addressing "pinholing". They vary from about 1/2 thick screeding, up to about 2-3" thick rather than the image most of us might have of a cement Box Repair of wooden shuttering surrounding about a foot deep block of cement. However I must repeat these visual observations are largely worthless and will be much better informed by the surveyor's report.

Stuart Mears

No Cruise for the Crews! - Chairman's Blog No 9

I was fortunate enough to be anchored off Lamlash the other night in David Edward’s fine yacht, Enigma. As is often the case, over the course of consuming a modest amount of Scotland’s finest exports, namely Malt Whisky, Oatcakes and cheese, the conversation turned to all things Waverley. One comment that struck a chord concerned some of the changes we have seen over the course of our thirty year involvement (as of June 16th this year, jings!). In those early days, those who crewed our ships for us, certainly at a senior level had either direct experience of the “driving” of other Clyde Steamers, direct experience of operating and maintaining similar steam machinery, or had the benefit of such knowledge being passed directly to them by those who had. Over the years it is inevitable that the thread of such experience has been stretched to the point of being almost invisible.

And yet…….and yet we have people on our ships who have come into our world of Paddle Steamer Preservation from markedly different back grounds, but still operate and maintain our ships with an incredibly high degree of skill and professionalism.

Make no mistake about it, their’s is not an easy task. Our ships are uniquely demanding “characters”, and the very organisation that sustains their operation is not blessed with multi-national muscle and resources.

I can certainly vouch for the uniquely demanding characters of our vessels. I have known hugely experienced masters with incredible passion for Waverley refer to Waverley as…..well lets just say it was implied that she was advanced in years and more than capable of having puppies! This was usually when she decided to be a bit….stubborn, such going astern to Port despite the rudder being hard-a-starboard. Or her ability to suddenly appear to be made of lighter than air materials when the lightest of unexpected breezes would carry her sideways at a frightening rate of knots, mid cant at Glasgow.
In Waverley’s engine room I have had cause in years past to refer to Waverley either in whole or directed at specific bit, in the most indelicate terms. Threatening, begging, pleading with or generally swearing at the air pump, feed pump, paddle wheel, steering engine to do what they should, is a pastime I can still recall in great detail.

As for the Balmoral I could probably write a book on my experiences of her engine room in the “Sirron era” in 1988, which I remember with huge affection but were undoubtedly “a hard shift”.

Speaking of a hard shift, only yesterday, I had my normal working day from 0830 to 1630, went home, had a bath and bite to eat, walked down to Largs pier and caught a taxi to Fairlie. There I joined Waverley who’s crew had been up probably earlier than me, and when I left them at Greenock at 2130, still had at least two hours work ahead of them to get the ship to Glasgow and put her to bed for the night. Thought: repeat daily till mid-October or thereabouts. Daunting, isn’t it?

You might be forgiven when on Waverley, on hearing the amount of salty sea stories that abound when a few of us get together, for thinking that life on Waverley or Balmoral was just one continuous succession of amusing and exciting happenings. Well, I can tell you nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is that much of what happens, week in week out is just pure, hard slog. Same routine: different day. It’s interesting enough and yes, rewarding but certainly not what you could often really call fun, and incredibly hard work.

Perhaps it’s the fact that, on the surface, our ships seem to be operated with such ease and general lack of….fuss, is the biggest testament of all to the skill and professionalism all of those who strive and labour and in doing so allow us to indulge our hobby.

We owe them all a huge debt of gratitude.

(Photo of Waverley's 2008 Crew taken August '08 at Tighnabruaich by A Black)

Stuart Mears

The Year That Was....Chairman's Blog No 8

I know this is cheating a bit, but I had to put together the traditional Chairman’s Report for the Scottish Branch AGM and thought it might be an idea to include as a blog. It’s simply a good time of the year to have a wee summing up of the last year that we have shared as well as looking to the future.

Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, Scottish Branch
Chairman’s Report to the Annual General Meeting
17th April 2009

I would like to briefly cover the activities of the Branch over the last year. Our activities have been well documented in Paddle Wheels and the accompanying newsletter, thanks to our Secretary Gordon Wilson. This leaves me gratefully in the position of simply covering a few of the milestones over the last 12 months.

Although it is a much abused expression, I do find it hard to believe that 12 months have already passed since I shook hands with Gavin Johnston at last year’s AGM to take on the role of Branch Chairman.

Work Parties

It is a source of continuing pleasure to see our contribution to Waverley’s winter overhaul flourish year on year. Gone are the days when we turned up on Saturdays to sweep up after the Monday to Friday gang and, if we were lucky, do a bit of painting. For several years now we have provided significant contributions to maintaining and improving the fabric of the ship and to assist in maintenance activities. We have enthusiastic painters, varnishers, electrical and mechanical engineers, and joiners who, will in fact turn their hand to just about anything. Make no mistake about it, through such activities, The Scottish Branch provide very real savings to the Waverley’s winter overhaul costs. At Balloch too, the fight goes on, possibly even more dependant of voluntary efforts by many individuals who are PSPS members. We are in a truly unique position in our Society in that we have not just one but, two Paddle Steamers to help with. Of course, for some work on Waverley is not confined simply to the off season, and Joe’s running of the souvenir shop and the staffing of it by Deryk, Ian and many others certainly has a significant “fiscal impact”.

Excursions

2008’s midsummer cruise might more accurately have been billed as the “Nearly Autumn Cruise” by the time it had been rescheduled, twice, due to Waverley’s well documented wheel repairs. That the cruise on a chilly 11 July right in the middle of the Greenock Fair Holiday still managed to turn a small profit is due in no small part to the evangelical drumming up of ticket sales by Scottish Branch members, and also due to the remarkable efforts yet again of organiser Peter Reid, and also to Margaret Skee for taking up the reigns when Peter was off on holiday. Thank you both.

On Saturday 27th of December, 88 of us set sail on the MV Cruiser on a sunny clear and crisp day for our Christmas Cruise, complete with morning coffee and Christmas cake, buffet lunch, and for the first time, two calls at Blairmore. The first call being for the now traditional mulled wine and mince pies (thanks again Agnes), and the second to drop off our Blairmore hosts who came along for the Loch Goil cruise this year. Our thanks go to Deryk for again organising such an enjoyable Christmas cruise.

I’m not sure if this bit comes under excursions as such but it is worth, mentioning our hospitality day on Waverley in August. This year, PSPS members had the opportunity to congregate in the lower bar set aside for our use for part of the day for a short talk by David Rodger followed by the now traditional Bridge and Engine Room visits. It is not overstating things to say that the success of our Hospitality day, (the lower bar was again full to standing room only) is looked on with envious eyes by our fellow enthusiasts from all the other society branches.

Exhibitions

The other Branches of our Society also look with envious eyes on our exhibitions activities. In fact, in Gavin Stewart the Scottish Branch is the only branch that has an exhibitions manager. In the last 12 month Gavin, with considerable assistance from Shelagh, has continued to be a driving force behind our representation at:

• The Glasgow River Festival


• Greenock Model Rail


• Rails and Sails at the Transport Museum


• Model Rail Exhibition at the SECC

As well as making a modest financial profit where PSPS, Maid of the Loch and Waverley souvenirs have been sold, other benefits, although harder to quantify are nevertheless very real and significant. The simple “spreading the word” regards the PSPS, Waverley and MOL including timetables where appropriate undoubtedly generates….trade, for want of a better word. Additionally this year, WavEx took advantage of our presence at the Rails and Sails exhibition to conduct some market research. In addition to Gavin’s guiding hand as exhibition manager, the list of willing volunteers from the membership who staff the exhibitions and carry out the exhibition set up, strip down and transport to and from storage is too long to go into here but I would like to record my thanks to you all. Perhaps some “I survived Model Rail 2009” polo shirts would be warranted!
Although not an exhibition as such, we have also spreading the word in Cyberspace though our blogsite http://www.pspsscotland.com/ which, Gavin Stewart, who set the whole ting up, tells me, is visited some 600-800 times a week even during the off season.

Meetings

Our program of winter meetings again covered a varied and entertaining mix of subjects.

It would be immodest of me to comment here on the Chairman’s address on the 17th of October other than to say that I decided to attend long after most of you did!

This year was our turn to host the National AGM, and this time round it was held on Maid of the Loch. Again the Scottish Branch set the benchmark for providing entertainments for the day in addition to the actual business of the AGM, with visits to the winch-house which was “in-steam” especially for the occasion, lunch which was enjoyed by some 82 members and a short presentation by the Scottish branch after the AGM itself. MOL looked particularly impressive that day, with new festoon lights supplied by Shelagh and Gavin, rigged from the maid’s masts….funded by the Society. It is also worth mentioning that thanks to the …….gentle persuasion of certain Branch committee members, Friends of Maid of the Loch also has some new members……….. Thanks Sheels!

As the winter months progressed we were treated to:

• David Rodger’s presentation on his time with Hebridean Princess and a detailed account of her life since being converted from a “lowly” CalMac Ferry.


• Brian Searle’s presentation on the history of Royal yachts as well as some first hand tales of his time serving aboard Britannia.


• Guthrie Hutton’s talk on the truly remarkable regeneration of the Forth and Clyde canal.


• Gordon Wilson’s history of the QE2 with slides contributed by several members. Who can forget the shots of her seemingly calling at some Scandinavian pier about the same size as Tighnabruiach.


• It was particularly pleasing to see our meeting room at St Stephen’s seemingly repeatedly fuller than for some years.

Fund Raising and Financing

For 2008 we again had the kind offer from Olsen Cruise Lines to repeat their donation of the Prize of a two week cruise for two. Sales of tickets in Scottish Waters again lead the way despite the disruptions of wheel repairs and poor weather. Thanks are again due to Derek Brown for his truly sterling efforts, accompanied this year on more occasions than ever before by other branch members, whether around the deck, or in a new approach to selling them, from a table outside the purser’s office. Thank you one and all.

A huge vote of thanks must go to Committee Member Charles McCrossan for his part in the organisation of a new venture to raise funds for the Waverley. On 28th November a special concert was held at St Andrew's in the Square.
With such artists as Duncan McCrone, The cast, and JJ Gilmour of the Silencers accompanied by Graeme Duffin of Wet Wet Wet fame, all those who attended were treated to a fine evening’s entertainment.

What’s the easiest way to raise funds for Waverley? Go for a sail and take as many fiends and family as you can! This year more than ever please do all you can.

Council of Management

With some reshuffling of the COM with Alec Lewis to becoming the WSN representative, our very own Gavin Stewart filled the resultant vacancy effective from this year’s National AGM. It is good to representation from north of the Border further strengthened in this way. It would be fair to say that the dominate topic at C.O.M. meetings over the winter has been the provision of financial aid to Waverley following recent financial hardship culminating in the problems of the 2008 season. As you will have doubtless read in Paddle Wheels this has resulted in a mixture of loans and grants to the tune of over £500,000 from Society Funds. The diminution of our funds to such a severe degree has necessitated a levy on all the branch funds.
Changes to Committee membership

I would like to mention and record my appreciation of our two departing committee members. Whose contributions to the Committee will be sorely missed.

Michael Hughan I have known since the early 90’s when we became involved with the initial work on Maid of the Loch. In those very early days, the ship was in such a poor state that doing pretty much anything could not help but improve things and as our momentum grew week on week it was just as well Michael was on hand to perhaps inject some sanity into our increasingly “bull in a china shop” preservation activities! Personally I thought he took it very well when my interfering with mooring ropes and imaginative use of a chain block resulted in MOL shooting astern at about six knots into the loch one afternoon! And so over the years Michael has been quietly going about the business of being part of MOL’s restoration campaign, however his contribution cannot be underestimated. His reports to the Branch meeting, despite the many challenges that have come MOLs way over the years have always managed to maintain a sense of quiet, unwavering optimism.

From my very earliest days on Waverley, now approaching 30 years ago, Stuart Cameron has always been a part of Waverley. It was when I joined the Scottish branch however that I found just how much Stuart has been doing for our organisation. When the rest of us have been giving everyone the benefit of our opinion it is often Stuart who gets things back on track by distilling all that has gone before and then presenting us with facts rather than opinions. This has proved to be an especially valuable skill in recent times when things have been particularly intense regards Waverley, both at branch and national level.

Gentlemen, on behalf of the committee, and indeed the Society, thank you for all you have done.

Looking Ahead

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society and 40 years since the inception of the Scottish Branch. I seem to remember reading in an old copy of Paddle Wheels that at one point it was considered that a Scottish Branch would never be necessary as we had so many Paddle Steamers! It is surely ironic then that the Scottish Branch that has had perhaps the most remarkable history of all the Branches. We will be celebrating our anniversary this autumn at Balloch and details of this will come out in the near future.

However, we can be under no illusions that our forthcoming year, as well as being cause for celebration, will undoubtedly be one of our most challenging to date. Make no doubt about it, in the current economic climate and given the present financial trials and tribulations of the Waverley Companies, the future of our ships is not assured. Our December talk was about the Hebridean Princess. After many years, that relatively small ship operation went into receivership only two weeks ago. That must surely be a sobering thought for all of us. As I noted earlier, the money set aside by the PSPS for the rainy day has to all intents gone and if there is a requirement for similar financial aid from PSPS at the end of this season, then I believe it is highly unlikely that the PSPS coffers will have been sufficiently replenished in the space approximately six months to meet such a need.

There is but one option ladies and gentlemen, and it is a simple although difficult solution. As never before we have to do all we can to generate revenue for Waverley in order that there is no need to come to the PSPS for financial aid. We must also do all we can to replenish PSPS resources such that if the worst happens this season, then PSPS will be in the best possible position to render whatever financial aid that it can.

It is a daunting task for sure but there is one thing of which I am absolutely certain, if any Branch can rise to the challenge, it is surely the Scottish Branch. Perhaps the most glaring thing I have come to realise on writing this report is that the Scottish Branch has a knack, through shear hard work and bloody-mindedness to punch well above its weight when it comes to:

• Hands on preservation work.


• Paddle Steamer evangelism through our exhibition work, hospitality days and blogsite.
  Direct fund raising though prize draw ticket sails or by new and ground breaking activities such as the fund raising concert.


• Running successful Branch excursions.

Our Branch can and I’m sure will lead the way in our Society over the coming year, but only with your help.

Thank you.

Stuart Mears - Chairman, Scottish Branch

Willing Volunteers - Chairman's Blog No 7

(Words Stuart Mears, Pics John MacFarlane & Chris Hendry)

Gavin, my Jiminy Cricket for writing articles for the Blog has been pestering…..err…..motivating me to write a wee article on winter work parties on Waverley, specifically the first party of the season which was last Saturday.
My first thought was “How would I know what went on? I spent my time inside one of the boilers!” however, here goes.

It’s a strange fact of life that whilst most people see less of their fellow Waverley nutters during the winter season, those of us who attend the winter work parties sometimes see less of each other during the summer. So, as I got out of my car at the science centre in Glasgow on a fairly dreich (look it up if you don’t know!) Saturday morning at it was good to bump into Frank and Jim who had also just arrived and I hadn’t seen since the previous winter. On making our way up the gangway onto an apparently deserted ship, after a couple of abortive attempts we found the unlocked door and made our way below decks where we could here chatter from the dining saloon. The ship was decidedly chilly as both boilers are currently shut down and opened up for survey. Sadly the noise we could hear in the distance was not that of an industrial heater but rather, an industrial vacuum being used by the team from Merkland Tank who were already beavering away in the boiler room.

A quick coffee in the dining saloon ensued whilst we all caught up and wished each other happy new year. Gordon Reid, our Chief Engineer and work party project manager then began to dole out the first jobs.

At the mention of removing some blowdown pipework from within the starboard boiler I must unconsciously have registered some degree of interest as I soon found myself cursing those Christmas Mince Pies as I lowered myself through the access point into the boiler.

Shelagh Holt soon followed and as I hammered and clanged away at one end of the Boiler, Shelagh began preparing the internal welds on the boiler shell for forthcoming Non Destructive Testing. For those of you with more sense than to have clambered into a boiler, it’s quite a strange experience. Despite being completely surrounded by the thick boiler shell plating, voices still occasionally waft their way in from outside in decidedly ghost like manner, and any hammer work results in echoing reverberations round the boiler like some strange Tibetan gong or the start of Rank Movie gone horribly wrong! And as Shelagh will testify, masks or not, the dust still gets up your nose!

Elsewhere on the ship, jobs of all shapes and sizes were getting underway. There really is always something for everyone. Feed pump valves were being lapped, furnace refractory lining was being cleaned up, doors being attended to by our volunteer carpenter, dining saloon windows being refurbished, etc etc etc etc whilst Gordon kept a watchful eye on us all.

At lunchtime we all convened in the crew mess with our various versions of a packed lunch. As is rapidly becoming a tradition, Jim brought one of his home made chocolate creations. Estimates are that it packs about 1000calories per square inch, but very very tasty at that. Strangely, it seemed even more difficult to get back into the boiler after sampling the above noted creation!
After a quick work party photograph we were back at it. Well, most of us because I had to leave in the afternoon, but I can assure you as I made my way down the gangway I could still hear the noise of volunteer industriousness, saving the company pounds by the minute.

Make no mistake about it, this year more than ever, the cost savings realised by volunteer effort are more vital than ever. At the end of the day, it’s enjoyable, rewarding, good fun in good company. So, come along and help why don’t you? You will also have the benefit of seeing some part of the ship during the summer that you worked on and quietly thinking to yourself, “I did that!” I promise you that even after nearly thirty years of doing this, that’s one particular reward that has yet to wear thin for me.

Stuart Mears

Festive Ice in The Sun - Chairman's Blog No 6

(click on a pic to enlarge)

For the second year in a row, our Scottish Branch Festive Cruise was held in the finest weather for this time of year. Flat Calm, Cold, Crisp, Sunny, and Bright. Our river looked like the best ever tourist brochure photographs for Scotland!

With ticket sales for this year topping out most respectably in the mid seventies, the open deck was well populated in the minutes leading up to departure, with those of us gathered on the aft end of Cruiser getting a good whiff of main engine exhaust due to the windless morning!

Leaving the Victoria Harbour promptly at eleven to the sound of our safety announcement, we set off into the river. This was soon followed by an enticement to head below decks for Tea, Coffee and Mince Pies. No sooner than we had all found a spot to have our mid morning snack than we were cornered by our Branch Raffle ticket sellers, a captive audience indeed! A fine collection of prizes including a model of the Duchess of Hamilton, Bottles of Whisky, DVD’s, Calendars had been donated again this year and this combined with the enthusiasm of ticket sellers and buyers alike resulted in a grand total of about £270 being raised. As far as my dodgy arithmetic can work out, that equates to an average of £3.60 for every passenger aboard. Well done one and all!

Although our first port of call was Blairmore, we had time to head across and stick our nose in the Holy Loch before turning to Blairmore where further treats awaited.

Negotiating the pier, still slightly frosty in places where the morning winter sun had yet to penetrate, we were greeted at the pier house by Agnes and her “catering team” who were dispensing mulled wine and mince pies to the masses. We had but 40 minutes ashore but that was plenty of time for the mulled wine, a good natter and some photo opportunities.

First prize for dedication to getting “The Picture” must go to Peter Reid for scaling the frosty slopes behind the pier, and even more impressively getting back down the frost covered slopes with out resorting to any impromptu “tobogganing”.

All too soon it was time to get back aboard where the main deck had been furnished with tables for lunch, each with the name of a Clyde Steamer on them. This is part of a cunning ploy by our cruise organiser, Deryk Docherty, where the names of the steamers are drawn out of a bag to determine which table goes in turn to the buffet. It works very well as it saves a scrum (albeit a polite one!) at the buffet table. Someone has to be last however, and this year it was the turn of that stalwart of the Caledonian Steam Packet Co Ltd (and Soc Anon di Navagazione of Genoa, apparently), PS Galatea, occupied by our very own David and Maura Edwards.

Our cruise up Loch Long and Loch Goil continued as we ate, turning just North of Carrick Castle, destination of many previous Christmas Cruises by PSPS. As we sailed north and then South again we had the slightly strange experience of observing a number of sunsets and sunrises……all of them in the West, as the sun grazed the tops of the hills on the West side of the lochs. After a quick and unscheduled call at Blairmore on the return leg to drop off Agnes who joined us this year for the cruise, we again entered the more open waters of the tail of the bank and the “real” sunset.

Having been kept occupied on the downward leg by the raffle draw and the odd nip from the collective hip flasks to stave off the evening cold, it was all too soon that we tied up at Greenock.

During the prize draw, Deryk had commented on the various committee members and regulars who had drawn the Paddle Steamer names from the bag for the buffet scheduling, mentioning the various activities we had been involved in over the last year. One person he forgot to mention….was himself! Our heartfelt thanks Deryk, for another sterling effort resulting in a great day out for all concerned.

Stuart Mears

Scottish Branch Chairman

Prodigal Sons and Daughters - Chairman's Blog No 5

Yesterday, Sunday 24th August, on the return leg of the sailing to Lochranza, The Scottish Branch was pleased to welcome back one of it's lapsed, formally stalwart members who has spent a few, though too many years in the wilderness, Mr Willie Ross. Willie has been home from Deep Sea on shore leave for a few weeks and to begin with, even getting him back up the gangway and onto Waverley seemed a forlorn hope. However some internal lubrication did the trick and we have shared a few enjoyable sails and drams over the last wee while. As he is due to run away to sea again this week, I thought should press gang him back into the Society before he went. With the help of some of the Usual Suspects who created a suitable diversion, we were able to spring the surprise on him. You can see the result below with Willie proudly holding his membership pack. Welcome back Willie, or to use your deep sea name, Bill! As luck would have it Acting Purser David Edwards was in a generous mood and made an announcement over the Tannoy system welcoming Willie back as an excuse for doing a plug for the Society and encouraging people to join at the souvenir shop.

Well, I found out this morning that a couple of passengers did just that! There are two lessons to be learned here:
1)Never pass up the opportunity to "sell" our Society and to get people to join.
Remember part of every membership fee will help our ships, and now more than ever they need every penny.
2)Never ever give up hope on lapsed members!
In fact target them if you know of any, and as a bare minimum try and find out why they left in the first place. It's long been a bugbear of the national Membership Sub Committee that when people leave they simply don't renew their subscription and it's nigh on impossible to actually find out why they don't want to be members anymore.
So if you do manage to find out why an ex member is just that, an ex member, please let any of the committee know as it is such valuable information. It might make painful listening at times but we have to know nevertheless if we are to improve things. Even more importantly, get them to join again. Explain to the ex member how our Society is changing quite a bit these days and that they would find much to interest them. If I can get Willie Ross interested again I'm sure there must be a few considerably easier ex member targets out there!

A Weekend in Bristol from a Scottish Perspective - Chairman's Blog No 4

PSPS National AGM 2007.

In the Chairman’s Report of the autumn 2007 Edition of Paddle Wheels, our chairman included some very kind words about the age profile of the Scottish Branch Committee and also its ability to combine hard work with socialising. I thought it might be an idea to write a few words about the 2007 AGM in Bristol where some of us managed to combine both the work and socialising elements with a degree of success. The 2008 AGM is to be held aboard The Maid of the Loch at Balloch so hopefully this account will also whet your appetite for this forthcoming, IMPORTANT event.

I make no apologies when I say that the Scottish numbers that attended at the AGM in Bristol was embarrassingly low, only four or five of us. When one considers the number of members who made their way from south of the border to attend the national AGM when it was last held in Glasgow, it makes such a showing by us Scots in Bristol doubly embarrassing. I know that the Scottish AGM had perhaps more in the way of organised activities for visiting members but, as this account will hopefully show, one would have to try hard to not find entertainment on a weekend in Bristol. Hopefully this account will serve to let our members see how important it is that we support the Society on a National level, and that such activity can be enjoyable.

A party of four Scottish Branch members had agreed to make the trip; Gavin Stewart, Shelagh Holt, Aileen Kerr and me. On arriving at Bristol International Airport from Glasgow courtesy of Easy-jet, we made out way into Bristol Town centre and checked into ours respective rooms at the Ibis hotel. Unfortunately I had to then get back to the airport as I had someone else’s luggage! Ripped lime-green tee shirt and jeans, studded belt and caterpillar boots are fine if that’s your thing, but perhaps unsuitable for the AGM! Once all that had been sorted, we settled down for a bite to eat in the bar in the hotel. The Ibis is ideally suited for a nautically themed Bristol week end, being in the heart of the redeveloping Floating Harbour area. Just across from the hotel, our ship Balmoral could be made out in the night with just a couple of lights on, reflected in the still waters of the harbour. Our walk to this venue for the AGM would be a short one. Eager to sample some of the Bristol nightlife we made our way into the town centre and settled into the Bunch of Grapes bar where we enjoyed a couple drinks and live music. I was eager to reacquaint myself with a modest sampling of the wide variety of Ciders available in this corner of the country that just cannot be found in Scotland. Some were more palatable to my relatively uneducated Scottish taste than others. All seemed to be fairly potent. Caution and moderation were definitely orders of the day.

Saturday morning dawned fairly dull and grey, but undaunted, after a hearty breakfast, we made our way from the hotel to the town centre once more, this time with the benefit of daylight. I spent much of the morning telling anyone in our party who was prepared to listen, just how much regeneration had taken place since I last spent anytime in Bristol in 1988 when I spent the season on Balmoral as Motorman. In fact the regeneration, if such is the right word, in both Bristol and the good ship Balmoral, is most impressive in both instances. After a wander around the shops we stopped at one of the seemingly countless coffee shops before heading back to the Hotel to get changed for the AGM. En-route we bumped into none other that PSPS’s most famous Scottish ex-pat, Douglas McGowan. An impromptu exchange of pleasantries, Paddle Steamer memorabilia and raffle tickets ensued! We soon bid our temporary farewells, promising to meet in The Shakespeare after getting changed, before heading en-masse to Balmoral. On such an overcast and chilly day it was indeed pleasant to find Balmoral well lit and heated despite being well into the winter season. We filed past the entrance to the dining saloon, laid out with culinary delights that were to follow the business of the AGM.

At 2 o’clock prompt the 2007 Annual general meeting got underway in The Britannia Lounge of MV Balmoral (above). I am not going to recount the actual business of the meeting as; apart from it probably being reported elsewhere such as Paddle Wheels, YOU SHOULD HAVE COME IF YOU WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WENT ON!

On completing the formal business of the day we retired to the dining saloon where I was delighted to find Ollie was one of the team serving up teas coffees and a cracking selection of home baking. I well remember Ollie from his days as Motorman, when he and Willie Ross (with the assistance of a couple of engineers!) made up one of Balmoral’s most formidable ever engineering departments!

After a short presentation by a representative of Fred Olsen and the accompanying Prize Draw, we were free to leave the vessel……..or so we thought. Iain MacMillan intercepted us to carry out gathering of empirical data from the ship’s toilet system. In other words he wanted to know how much water was used in an average flush. Having removed strategic chunks of pipe Gavin and I were each invited to complete a standard flush which was then measured. I should emphasise that all we did was flush the toilet! The results were, one gallon for me and six litres for Gavin, if you must know. No doubt the benefits of this particular piece of voluntary work will become apparent by next season.

Our evening meal was in an Indian restaurant close to our hotel where we were kept up to date by phone and text message on the Scotland v Italy football score as there was nowhere this far south televising the great event. Needless to say, by Full-Time a reasonable degree of sorrow-drowning was required. Dave Elms, another Balmoral work-party stalwart had joined us for the meal. He must have felt as though he was at a funeral wake rather than a nutter’s night out.

The next morning, after meeting in the hotel lobby we set off for our much anticipated trip to see ss Great Britain. What a treat we had in store for us. When I was working on Balmoral at the end of 1988, Engineers MacMillan and Muir had set off to look round the Great Britain, leaving me to strip out scavenge valves. On their return it seemed that I had had the more interesting day as the few bits of the Great Britain that had been restored had not been that impressive. Well, things have changed by 2007(see below).

Our first part of the tour was to the bottom of the drydock. Anyone who has had the misfortune to spend any time at the bottom of a drydock will know them to be usually cold, draughty, damp fairly unpleasant places. Not so at SS Great Britain where the dock has been completely roofed over around the ship’s water line. This glass and steel structure, with a few inches of water on it gives the slightly unnerving perspective of looking up at the ship from underwater. Equipped with heating and dehumidifying equipment, the drydock environment is, uniquely, a most comfortable environment.

Close inspection of the hull reveals a few thin-to-the-point-of-being-a-hole areas, prompting that strange compulsion from some of our group to rap the hull with their knuckles, as though to test the soundness of the plating. Go on, admit it, we’ve all done that at some point! Numerous information boards stationed around the hull explain items of interest such as the part of the hull that was buckled and patched in the area where the ship had broken its back during its derelict years in the Falkland Islands. The information boards also informed us that Brunel had in fact originally designed the Great Britain to be a paddler!

Our next part of the tour was round the exhibition centre. The highlight for me was the full scale working replica of the mechanism for disconnecting and removing the ship’s screw to eliminate its drag whilst the ship was under sail. Impressive in any event but all the more so when this operation could be carried out whilst at sea, without the need for anyone to “go over the side” at that. If only Waverley’s wheels could be similarly retracted for maintenance work, or when engaging a secret gas turbine under the galley for that extra burst of speed!

On then to the ship itself where we were treated to faithful recreations of the ship’s different classes of accommodation; from steerage, which according to some of our party, bore more than a passing resemblance to Waverley’s infamous, pre-rebuild “Eight-Berth”, to the sumptuous first class dining saloon with it’s marble pillars. Many of the areas have dummy passengers and crew, to add considerably to the realism. Some areas also had authentic smells which also added to the realism!
There is limited access to the upper levels of the engine room, a truly dark and gloomy place where it would appear that four engineers had to co-ordinate their efforts on the control levers located in each corner of the engine room, one for each cylinder, by means of four interconnected voice pipes. This was obviously not designed with Waverley levels of engine movements per minute in mind.

The only part of the vessel not as yet refurbished is the forward fifty or so feet below prom deck level, with no decks in place and access by some open grate walkways. Although barren this open area of the ship gives a good impression of the scale of the hull as well as what appears to be some of the earlier mast foot locations, Great Britain having sailed with several mast arrangements, from Clipper to Windjammer.

For the final evening of our trip to Bristol we returned to The Bunch of Grapes where again there was some excellent live music and, armed with the wisdom gained on the Friday night, I avoided some of the more destructive Ciders.

So there you have it. A trip to the National AGM is what you choose to make of it, and a city like Bristol is just asking to be visited by those of a nautical leaning. It even almost has a paddle steamer. If only Brunel had stuck to his guns, who knows how the PSPS fleet might look in the 21st century!

So my message to our membership is, if at all possible, GET INVOLVED in such events as the National AGM, even if it is not on your doorstep. You might, just might find that you enjoy yourself!

The National AGM 2008 is on ps Maid of The Loch at Balloch Pier, Loch Lomond on Saturday 22nd November.

In addition to the usual Society business there will be opportunities to view the steam engine which drives the winch on Balloch Slipway (above) in operation, a meal in Maid of The Loch's Queens Room followed by a presentation by the Scottish Branch.

See you there? Go on....you know you want to!!!

Stuart Mears