7th August 1963:
Embassy
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
6th August 1914:
Majestic
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 (10.25am), Boscombe (10.40am) and
5th-11th August 1960:
A Week in the Life of Monarch
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
5th August 1963:
Consul
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
4th August 1941:
Lincoln Castle
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
4th August 1962:
Medway Queen
On Saturday 4th August 1962 Medway Queen was scheduled to make two round trips between Strood and Southend. She was due away from Strood (9.30am) for Southend (11.10am – 11.30am)
3rd August 1937:
Balmoral
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
2nd August 1924:
La Marguerite
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),
1st August 1936:
London to Shanklin via Brighton
On Saturday 1st August 1936 the Southern Railway and P & A Campbell offered a joint cheap afternoon excursion from London to the Isle of Wight by fast electric train
August 1966:
A Week in the Life of Balmoral
Yesterday we looked at what Balmoral was doing during a week in August 1956. Move on ten years to 1966 and we see a changed scene with Red Funnel’s excursion
August 2025:
Whippingham at Bournemouth
In 1930 the Southern Railway commissioned two very large paddle steamers, Whippingham and Southsea, for their Portsmouth based services. At 244ft LOA and 825 GRT they were a huge step
31st July 1939:
Bournemouth
For any who loved paddle steamers, or getting afloat, Bournemouth offered a feast of paddle steamer activity in 1939. On this day Monday 31st July the original schedule was for
31st July 1963:
Embassy
On Wednesday 31st July 1963 Embassy left her overnight berth at Poole at 8.40am for Bournemouth Pier where she arrived at 9.40am in good time to load for her 10.30am
30th July 1962:
Consul
On Monday 30th July 1962 I took my Auntie Mary, my Dad’s sister, for the morning cruise on Consul leaving Weymouth at 10.30am due back 12.30pm. She had a passing
29th July 2008:
Kingswear Castle
On Tuesday 29th July 2008 Kingswear Castle ran afternoon cruises and an early evening charter on the River Medway from her base at the Historic Dockyard at Chatham and from
28th-29th July 1962:
Consul
Consul’s crew had Saturdays off in the early part of the 1962 season but in the peak weeks from the middle of July they were rostered to run seven days
28th July 1960:
Princess Elizabeth
On Thursday 28th July 1960 Princess Elizabeth was scheduled to leave Torquay at 10am for a day trip to Plymouth due back at 8pm. I have the engine room log
27th July 1889:
Brodick Castle
On Thursday 27th July 1889 Brodick Castle was scheduled to sail from Swanage (9.30am), Bournemouth (10.30am) and Boscombe (10.40am) for Totland Bay, Isle of Wight, (11.45am), Cowes (12.45pm) and Portsmouth
26th July 1934:
Lorna Doone
On Thursday 26th July 1934 Lorna Doone was scheduled to run a day trip from Southampton at 9am around the Isle of Wight. She then called at Ryde (10.15am) before
25th-27th July 1924:
The King’s Spithead Inspection
Looking back through the history of excursion paddle steamers we find that some summers were really good with endless sunshine and light airs. Others were terrible with loads of wind