Monthly paddle steamer articles written by John Megoran, author, manager and principal captain of Kingswear Castle for nearly 30 years on the Medway and the Thames as well as the River Dart.
You can read more of John’s paddle steamer reminiscences in his regular Megoran’s Musings features on the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society website here.
Choose a year to see more Pictures of the Month:
April 2021:
Paddle Steamer Kenilworth
At her annual dry-docking in the run up to the 1936 season the Board of Trade started to make noises about the amount of work which would be needed to
March 2021:
Winston Megoran 1913 – 1971
1st March 2021 is the 50th anniversary of the death of marine artist, yachtsman, PSPS member and my Dad Winston Megoran. Of the several thousand water colours, oil paintings, etchings,
February 2021:
Paddle Steamer Captain John Hayward
Captain John Hayward on the bridge of the Princess Elizabeth arriving at Millbay Plymouth for the first time at 2.50pm on Thursday 16th June 1960 on a day excursion which
January 2021:
Paddle Steamer Consul at Cowes
Consul approaching Cowes. She was never a regular visitor to Cowes. Indeed I can’t, so far anyway, find any record of her running into or out from this Isle of
December 2020:
Cosens’s Captain Haines
Captain Haines aboard Embassy cutting the cake with Mrs Mary Cox, wife of Bernard Cox one of the founding members of the PSPS, to celebrate the ship’s Golden Jubilee in
November 2020:
Paddle Steamer Jeanie Deans November 1965
Don Rose had bought the Jeanie Deans. He had persuaded Captain Stanley Woods, master of Princess Elizabeth in the 1965 season, to take command. He had asked two of the
October 2020:
Last Trips of the Season from Bournemouth October 1947
Thursday 23rd October was the last day of the season at Bournemouth in 1947 and was operated by Red Funnel’s Bournemouth Queen which had run the services for this last
September 2020:
Paddle Steamer Royal Eagle 1950
On Sunday 10th September 1950 Royal Eagle had originally been scheduled to make the last trip of the season from Tower Pier (8.30am) to Greenwich (9am), Southend (11.30am) and Clacton
August 2020:
Paddle Steamer Consul 1962
1962 was the last season that Cosens based a paddle steamer at Weymouth and, as usual, this was their Consul. I was eleven in 1962 and pretty much obsessed by
July 2020:
Talisman Aground at Arrochar
In those days Waverley’s Class IV Passenger Certificate on “Partially Smooth Waters”, as then defined by the Board of Trade, was for 1,500 passengers. Talisman’s was for 822. Thursday 3rd
June 2020:
Weymouth’s Seven Miles Paddle Steamer Trips
Weymouth was one of the first seaside towns in the UK to turn itself into a holiday destination and resort. In the mid 18th century Bath entrepreneur Ralph Allen spotted
May 2020:
Paddle Steamer Lorna Doone at Bournemouth May 1949
Before the war Red Funnel’s paddle steamer Balmoral had regularly sailed from Southampton and Bournemouth to Cherbourg but she was returned after war service in such poor condition as to
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