May 2025:
Red Funnel 1936/39

The steamer notice from July 5th to September 27th 1936 for Red Funnel’s “Daily Steam Packet Service from Southampton to Cowes, Ryde and Southsea” lists the paddle steamers taking sailings on this route as Gracie Fields, Princess Elizabeth, Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Solent Queen, Princess Helena, Her Majesty and the motor vessel Medina.

Gracie Fields was brand new for the 1936 season.

There were nine round trips offered on the Steam Packet Route on weekdays in the summer of 1936. Four of them ran only between Southampton and Cowes. The other five connected Southampton, Cowes, Ryde and Southsea (Clarence Pier). Up to 1934 the sailings from Southampton at 8.30am and 3.50pm had also extended to Portsmouth Harbour but this was now discontinued. In the winter the service ran only between Southampton and Cowes.

The basic weekday Steam Packet summer service in 1936 required four ships leaving five more of those listed to provide extra cover at super busy times, to tender liners, for local excursion work from Southampton, Southsea and Ryde in the Solent and along the east coast of the Isle of Wight, breakdowns, and crew days off.

Ship 1 on the Packet left Southampton at (8.30am) for Cowes (9.30/9.45am) Ryde (10.25am) and Southsea (10.50/11.35am) returning by the same route to Southampton (2pm). She then made one more round trip from Southampton (3.45pm) to Southsea (6.00 /6.45pm) and then back to Southampton (9pm) calling at Ryde and Cowes outward and inward bound

Ship 2 left Southsea (7.55am) for Ryde (8.25am), Cowes (9.05/9.20am) and Southampton (10.20am). She then retraced the same route from Southampton (11.am to Southsea (1.20/2.35am) and then back again for one more round trip following the same route to Southampton (5.00/6.30pm) before returning again calling at Cowes (7.30/7.40pm), Ryde (8.20pm) to Southsea (8.45pm) where she spent the night.

Ship 3 started her day at West Cowes (7.30am) for Southampton (8.30/9.20am) and made three more return trips between the two ports leaving Cowes at 10.50am, 2pm and 5.50pm ending her day back in Cowes at 9.30pm.

Ship 4 made one round trip from Southampton (2.20pm) for Cowes (3.20pm), Ryde (3.35/4.20pm) and Southsea (4.45/5.15pm) before returning on the same route via Ryde (5.45pm) and Cowes (6.25/6.35pm) to overnight at Southampton (7.35pm).

In addition the steamer notice advertises “A Cargo Boat (usually Lord Elgin) for the conveyance (at Owner’s Risk) of Motor Cars, Heavy Luggage, Goods, Horses and Cattle will leave Southampton every weekday at around 11am and Cowes at about 2.30pm”.

Starting from Southampton Red Funnel also offered four basic sorts of excursions:

Firstly there were very long day trips to far distant destinations including across the Channel to Cherbourg, to Eastbourne and Weymourh. The Cherbourg sailings were always taken by Balmoral as she was the only vessel in the fleet with a Cross Channel Passenger Certificate. The others were usually run by Balmoral but sometimes by Lorna Doone.

In a typical week in July 1936 Balmoral was scheduled to run from Southampton on the super long day trips:

• Sundays 5th and 19th to Ryde, Southsea and Sandown to Cherbourg.
• Sundays 12th and 26th to Ryde, Southsea, Sandown and Shanklin to Brighton.
• Tuesday 7th to Ryde, Southsea and Eastbourne.
• Tuesdays 14th and 28th to Bournemouth and Cherbourg.
• Wednesdays to Southsea and Sandown to Cherbourg.
• Thursdays 2nd, 16th and 39th to Ryde, Southsea, Shanklin and Ventnor to Weymouth.
• Thursdays 9th and 23rd to Bournemouth and Cherbourg.

Secondly there were fairly long day trips to Ryde, Southampton, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor, round the Isle of Wight or on to Swanage and/or Bournemouth or eastwards to Bognor Regis. These were usually the preserve of Lorna Doone but sometimes were taken by Balmoral.

In a typical week in July 1936 these trips were scheduled from Southampton on:

• Saturdays to Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor to Bournemouth.
• Sundays to Ryde, Southsea, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor and Round the Island.
• Mondays to Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor to Bournemouth.
• Tuesdays to Ryde, Southsea, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor and Round the Island.
• Wednesdays 1st, 15th and 29th to Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor to Bournemouth.
• Wednesdays 8th and 22nd to Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor to Bognor Regis.
• Thursdays to Ryde, Southsea, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor and Round the Island.
• Fridays Ryde, Southsea, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor to Swanage.

Thirdly there were more local excursions linking, and offering connections between, Southampton, Ryde, Southsea, Shanklin, Ventnor and from these piers inward bound as well to the Solent and Southampton.

In 1936 these were generally taken by Gracie Fields, Princess Elizabeth or other members of the fleet according to circumstances and availability. In a typical week in July of that year they offered:

• Saturdays 2.15pm to Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor.
• Sundays 9.30am to Ryde and Southsea and 2.15pm to Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor and cruise in the Channel.
• Mondays 9.45am, 2pm and 6pm to Ryde and Southsea.
• Tuesdays 9.30am to Southsea, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor and 9.45am, 2pm and 6pm to Ryde and Southsea.
• Wednesdays 9.30am to Southsea, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor and 2.15pm to Ryde, Southsea, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor and 4.15pm Southsea and direct to Ventnor (non landing).
• Thursdays 9.30am to Southsea, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor and 9.45am, 2pm and 6pm to Ryde and Southsea.
• Fridays 9.45am, 2pm and 6pm to Ryde and Southsea.

In this pic Gracie Fields is giving her excursion passengers a good view of two members of the fleet in the Solent off Portsmouth and taking something of a list in the doing of it. At a recent PSPS meeting a long standing member and great KC supporter showed me a pic of himself on the beach at Sandown as a child with Gracie Fields very clearly in the background tied up at the pier.

And fourthly there were two hour trips from Southampton to view particular liners arriving or departing as shown in this steamer notice plus many more cruises often on a daily basis to view whatever ships were berthed in the docks at any one time.

As well as taking her place on the Steam Packet service and running the medium and shorter excursions from Southampton in 1936 Gracie Fields also ran some special trips to places linked to her namesake. On 26th July she was chartered by “Our Gracie” to run an excursion from Brighton in connection with an orphanage with which the singer was associated.

Then in September 1936 she was rostered as “The New Red Funnel Steamer Gracie Fields” for three days running from Bournemouth Pier while “Our Gracie” was appearing at the Bournemouth Pavilion.

For this the ship Gracie Fields came down from Southampton in time to run a day trip from Bournemouth on Thursday 17th September 1936 away at 10.15 to “Yarmouth, Cowes, Ryde, Southsea and a trip round Portsmouth Harbour” due back 6.15pm.

On Friday 18th September she is listed as running the Swanage service with departures from Bournemouth at 10.40am, 12.15pm, 2.40pm, 4.15pm and 6.25pm before carrying on up Poole Harbour to spend the night.

On Saturday 19th September she was billed to be away from Bournemouth at 10.15pm for “Yarmouth, Cowes and a cruise up Southampton Water to Southampton for Docks, Atlantic Liners etc due back 6.15pm.” The steamer notice also advertises that “The Cunard White Star Liner Berengaria, 52,100 tons, open for inspection this day in Southampton Docks. Admission 1/- Children 6d. In order to allow ample time to inspect this splendid vessel arrangements have been made with the Southern Railway Company whereby passengers visiting the liner may return by train from Southampton (West Station) to Bournemouth (Central Station) on payment of 1/- extra. Rail and inspection tickets to be obtained on board S S Gracie Fields. Passengers will be conducted from the Royal Pier to the ship.”

On her return to Bournemouth Pier at 6.15pm on this day Gracie Fields was then rostered to be away again at 6.30pm for a single trip back to Southampton. So that was that. Having scoured the Red Funnel steamer notices from 1936 to 1939 this is the only reference I can find to her having called at Bournemouth.

And so the general pattern of Red Funnel services continued up to 1939 albeit with minor tweaks in the Steam Packet service. In 1937 there were twelve crossings scheduled between Southampton and Cowes, that’s up by three on 1936, but only four of them continued on to Ryde and Southsea. In 1938 that was reduced to three and the practice of positioning one of their ships overnight at Southsea was discontinued with the first inward bound sailing from Southsea at 1pm being taken by the steamer which had left Southampton outward bound at 10.50am.

In 1939 Red Funnel also took delivery of another new vessel Vecta which bumped up the number of ships less than twelve years old in the fleet to four.

There were further changes to the Steam Packet schedule as well. On weekdays there were now ten round trips, down from twelve in the previous two years, between Southampton and Cowes with eight of them running only between these two points. First away from Southampton was at 8am and from Cowes 7.30am. Last of the day from Southampton was at 8.45pm and from Cowes 8.05pm.

There were now just two sailings which continued on beyond Cowes and they ran only to Ryde with Southsea dropped from this section of the timetable. The first of these was away from Southampton (10.50am) for Cowes (11.50am/12.10pm) and Ryde (12.50/1.05pm) for Cowes (1.45/2pm) and Southampton (3pm). The second from Southampton (3.40pm) for Cowes (4.40/4.55pm) for Ryde (5.35/6.05pm) for Cowes (6.45/7.00pm) for Southampton (8pm).

The arrival of Vecta freed up Princess Elizabeth to be dispatched to Bournemouth for the 1939 summer season to replace Corfe Castle ex Mauretania ex Queen which had issues with her boiler. The plan was for the Lizzie to take over the Swanage service partnering Cosens’ Monarch whilst Bournemouth Queen ran the longer trips from Bournemouth partnering Cosens’ Emperor of India. However it was not long before Bournemouth Queen also developed boiler trouble which meant that Princess Elizabeth took over her day trips.

The Bournemouth Steamer notices for 1939 from July onwards have the name Princess Elizabeth in much larger type than the other ships listed. Although much newer Princess Elizabeth was smaller than Bournemouth Queen and had less commodious undercover saloon facilities for catering so perhaps Red Funnel were just trying to make sure that intending passengers were aware of the swap in advance so as not to disappoint them turning up on the day expecting Bournemouth Queen

In a typical week in 1939 Princess Elizabeth was billed to run trips from Bournemouth:

• Monday August 21st to Yarmouth and round the Isle of Wight.
• Tuesday 22nd to Yarmouth and a Cruise up the Solent to Cowes Roads.
• Wednesday 23rd to Yarmouth, Cowes and up Southampton Water to view the liner Aquitania.
• Thursday 24th to Yarmouth and Cowes Roads to view the liner Carnarvon Castle.
• Friday 25th to Yarmouth, Cowes, Southsea and a cruise round Portsmouth Harbour.
• Saturday 26th to Weymouth and viewing the warships in Portland Roads.
• Sunday 27th afternoon cruise to Yarmouth and Cruise up the Solent to Cowes Roads.

With Princess Elizabeth now running the longer trips from Bournemouth from July 1939 what did Red Funnel do about their contribution to the Swanage service for which they were due to provide a paddle steamer to partner Cosens’ Monarch?

Their Balmoral, Lorna Doone, Princess Elizabeth and Gracie Fields all had sea-going Passenger Certificates but also had other work of their own to do. By that stage the rest of the fleet were restricted to use only within the Solent. So sending down another paddle steamer presented a problem

Scouring the steamer notices it is not clear exactly how Red Funnel handled this but I believe that part of it was rostering Balmoral, Lorna Doone and Gracie Fields for an extra round trip between Bournemouth and Swanage or between Swanage and Bournemouth when they were in the vicinity anyway.

For example on Saturday 19th August with Balmoral visiting on a day trip from Southampton via Ventnor the Bournemouth steamer notice advertises a “Special Excursion to Swanage by SS Balmoral leaving Bournemouth 3.15pm returning 3.50pm”. Ditto on Monday 21st again with Balmoral. And ditto on Wednesday 23rd with Lorna Doone then available on her trip from Southampton to do the same thing.

On alternate Fridays in 1939 for the first time so far as I can see Gracie Fields was assigned to what had previously been Lorna Doone’s schedule on Fridays to sail from Southampton at 9am to Ryde, Southsea, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor and across the bay to Swanage. She could have fitted in one round trip between Swanage and Bournemouth while she was there helping to bump up the Swanage service. The single trip back from Swanage to Southampton on these dates appeared in the Bournemouth steamer notices even though the ship didn’t call at Bournemouth. It just reminded the Bournemouth punters that this trip was available from Swanage if they wanted to take it.

It was only on these Fridays in 1939 that Gracie Fields was scheduled to sail in Poole Bay so far as I can see. Lorna Doone’s and Balmoral’s names are still in the steamer notices for other trips from Bournemouth on other days during the season.

However this doesn’t cover all the Swanage service in 1939. The steamer notice for August 19th – 27th 1939 has departures from Bournemouth for Swanage listed at 10.15am, 10.45am, 12.10pm, 2.15pm, 2.45pm, 4pm, 5pm and 6.40pm. That requires two paddle steamers.

Maybe gaps when a Red Funnel paddle steamer down from Southampton wasn’t in the vicinity were filled in by Cosens providing the extra ship as and when. We know that in addition to their Emperor of India taking longer trips from Bournemouth and Monarch on the Swanage service their Embassy, Consul and Victoria also came up to Bournemouth from Weymouth on a pretty regular basis. Did they help out from time to time to partner their own Monarch to plug the gap caused by Bournemouth Queen’s boiler trouble.

Or did Red Funnel send down Lorna Doone on three, four or maybe even five days a week when she was not otherwise rostered for her own trips from Southampton or on days when Balmoral could substitute for her instead? For much of the season Balmoral had trips specifically advertised as being run by her from Southampton on only four days a week. That leaves three days when she could have covered for and so released Lorna Doone. Was this one of the reasons why in 1939 Gracie Fields took over Lorna Doone’s Friday trips from Southampton to Swanage freeing her up for another day on the Swanage service?

But this is conjecture. Does anyone out there know for sure? Was anyone there in that long gone summer of 1939 and remember watching the finer details of how all this panned out? Do let us have your comments: jhm@kingswearcastle.org

As we have seen Red Funnel offered a huge range of trip options in the 1930s from Southampton, Ryde, Southsea, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor, Poole, Swanage and Bournemouth. They catered for all pockets from the better off to those on a tighter budget, for those who really wanted to go somewhere far distant and for others who just fancied a short hop on to the next pier.

Added to that paddle steamer lovers had a wondrous bonus. Well several wondrous bonuses actually. Remember the Southern Railway also operated their fleet of paddle steamers offering the ferry connection between Lymington and Yarmouth and between Portsmouth, Southsea and Ryde and in the summer trips to the piers on the IOW’s east coast and to Bournemouth.

There were P & A Campbell paddle steamers coming up from the Sussex Coast Piers to drop their passengers off at various times at Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor, Ryde, Cowes, Southampton and occasionally Bournemouth.

And Cosens paddle steamers based on Weymouth and Poole sailed not only to Swanage, Bournemouth and Yarmouth but also sometimes to Cowes, Ryde, Southsea, Southampton, Portsmouth Harbour, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor as well.

Add all that together and you get a total of almost thirty paddle steamers operating within the area covered by the Red Funnel map in 1939. That was the biggest concentration of paddle steamers sailing in any one area anywhere in the UK at that time. Heaven on a stick really. Well several sticks actually.

Pictures from the JHM and PSPS Collections and Red Funnel.