Enthusiast and business man Don Rose tried hard to save and operate the former Clyde paddle steamer Jeanie Deans. Here she is alongside Tower Pier on 28th May 1966 with Capt Stanley Woods on the port bridge wing in readiness for a planned season of sailings to Southend, Herne Bay and Clacton. This programme turned into a complete disaster with the newly renamed Queen of the South sailing on only a handful of days before being withdrawn in August.
Don tried again in 1967 but again without any success with further breakdowns and difficulties leading once again to only a handful of sailings operating.
After that Queen of the South was towed away to Belgium in late December 1967 to be scrapped and that was the end of all of her or at least that is what I thought.
However, I have recently discovered that an antiques dealer from Genk bought Queen of the South’s starboard paddle box facing and positioned it on the outside wall of his brasserie, which he called “Queen of the South”, where it remains to this day.
Kingswear Castle returned to service in 2023 after the first part of a major rebuild which is designed to set her up for the next 25 years running on the River Dart. The Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust is now fund raising for the second phase of the rebuild. You can read more about the rebuilds and how you can help if you can here.
John Megoran
