Category Archives: Megoran’s Musings

Although not propelled by paddle wheels I tend to think of La Duchesse de Normandie as an honorary paddle steamer. She was 180ft long. She had two triple expansion steam

On Monday 14th August 1939 Balmoral was scheduled to sail on a day trip from Southampton to Ryde, Southsea, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor and Bournemouth. She was due away from Southampton

Consul started her 1960 season on Saturday 4th June running a ferry service between Weymouth and Portland Naval Dockyard for Navy Days. Her last scheduled trips of the season were

On Wednesday 13th August 1952 Cardiff Queen was scheduled to run from Hastings (8.15am), Eastbourne (9.15am) and Brighton (10.30am) to Shanklin, Isle of Wight (1.30pm – 3.30m) then back to

On Monday 12th August 1935 Golden Eagle, “The Happy Ship” was scheduled to leave Tower Pier (8am), Greenwich (8.30am), North Woolwich (9am), Southend (10.45am) for Margate (12.30pm). She then ran

On Monday 11th August 1930 Snowdon was scheduled to leave Llandudno (10.30am) for Beaumaris (11.45am), Bangor (12 noon), Menai Bridge (12.15pm) and Caernarvon (1pm – 3pm) with return to Menai

On Wednesday 10th August 1960 Monarch was rostered to spend the day on the Bournemouth/Swanage service followed by a non-landing evening cruise to Totland Bay, Isle of Wight. She was

On Fridays from 6th July to 24th August 1962 Waverley was advertised in the steamer notices to run the “Up River Cruise to Glasgow Viewing the famous shipyards and docks

On Monday 9th August 1965 Waverley ran aground in Ardrossan Harbour while covering the 07.05 ferry service inward bound from Brodick. This trip was included in Waverley’s weekly roster from

On Friday 8th August 1952 Cosens’ Victoria was due away from Weymouth (9.30am) for Swanage (12.05pm) and Totland Bay, Isle of Wight (2pm – 4pm) and then back to Swanage

On Monday 8th August 1955 Cardiff Queen ran a super long day trip away from Swansea at 8.30am for Ilfracombe 10.30am and then back across the Bristol Channel to Milford

What was Balmoral — by then the only ship left in the P & A Campbell fleet — doing in August 1976, and how did the weather affect her sailings?

On Wednesday 7th August 1963 Embassy ran a day trip from Poole via Bournemouth to Yarmouth and Cowes, Isle of Wight. By this stage in her career Embassy had largely

On Thursday 6th August 1914 Majestic — described by Cosens as “Second to none on the South Coast” — was re‑scheduled to run a day trip from Bournemouth, Boscombe and

On Monday 5th August Consul was scheduled to run one hour Coastal Cruises from Brighton’s Palace Pier at 11.30am and 2.15pm and a two hour Channel Cruise at 3.30pm before

Let’s take a snapshot of a week in the life of Cosens’s Monarch running from Bournemouth in August 1960 and see what she was rostered to be up to: Friday

Unlike her two quasi-sisters Tattershall Castle and Wingfield Castle, which were built fairly locally to Hull at Hartlepool by William Gray & Co, the London and North Eastern Railway ordered

On Saturday 4th August 1962 Medway Queen was scheduled to run two round trips between Strood and Southend. She was due away from Strood (9.30am) for Southend (11.10am – 11.30am)

Balmoral spent the night of Tuesday 3rd and into the early morning of Wednesday 4th August 1937 at anchor in thick fog off the Needles with 125 passengers aboard. She

On Saturday 2nd August 1924 the huge excursion paddle steamer La Marguerite was scheduled to run a day trip leaving Prince’s Landing Stage Liverpool (10.45am) for Llandudno (1.05pm – 1.15pm),