5th May 1953:
Monarch
On Tuesday 5th May 1953 Cosens’s paddle steamers Monarch and Embassy left Weymouth at the crack of dawn for Southampton where they entered the same drydock shortly after mid-day. This
5th May 1962:
Cardiff Queen
On Saturday 5th May 1962 Cardiff Queen, under the command of Captain Leo Virgo, was rostered to run on the Cardiff/Weston ferry. Having started the day before Good Friday on
4th May 1953:
Maid of the Loch
On Monday 4th May 1953 Maid of the Loch ran trials on Loch Lomond under the command of Captain Donald MacDonald. Ordered from the Clyde shipyard of A & J Inglis
3rd May 1918:
Duchess of Devonshire
On Friday 3rd May 1918 Duchess of Devonshire was at her home port of Exmouth being prepared for her second season running a makeshift Cardiff/Weston ferry service for P & A
2nd May 1934:
Sandown
On Wednesday 2nd May 1934 Sandown was in the fitting out basin at Denny’s yard at Dumbarton having been launched the day before. She had been ordered on 30th November
1st May 2019:
Dresden
On 1st May 2019 there was a paddle steamer parade on the River Elbe setting off from Dresden and sailing up river in consort. There was much blowing of whistles,
30th April 1936:
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
May 2023:
Dresden Shipyard Visit
On Saturday 15th April 2023 two tours of the Laubergast Shipyard near Dresden were offered with the first setting off from Dresden aboard the PS Pillnitz shortly before 10am. A
29th April 1961:
Medway Queen
On Saturday 29th April 1961 members of the London and Home Counties Branch of the PSPS visited Medway Queen on the grid at the Acorn Shipyard at Strood. They were greeted
28th April 1901:
Majestic
On Sunday 28th April 1901 the freshly built Majestic was lying alongside at the shipyard of A & J Inglis (which 46 years later would build our own Waverley) with
27th April 1964:
Consul
On 27th April 1964 Consul left Weymouth under the command of Capt Cyril “Chum” Holleyoak, formerly of Consul (1961), Embassy (1962) and Princess Elizabeth (1963), for slipping at Poole but
26th April 1927:
Waverley
On Tuesday 26th April 1927 P & A Campbell’s paddle steamer Waverley was scheduled to start the day at Newhaven before picking up at Brighton at 9.20am, Eastbourne at 10.50am
25th April 1963:
Bristol Queen
Having finally completed her overhaul by Cosens, Bristol Queen was moved out from the Weymouth Backwater and through the Town Bridge on Thursday 25th April 1963 with Capt John Iliffe
24th April 1960:
Princess Elizabeth
On Sunday 24th April 1960 Princess Elizabeth was raising steam alongside at the John I Thornycroft shipyard in Northam, Southampton in preparation for running trials in Southampton Water and the Solent
23rd April 1977:
Waverley
On Saturday 23rd April 1977 Waverley ran her first trip of the season leaving Glasgow at 10am for a day trip to Greenock, Kilcreggan, Dunoon, Largs, Rothesay and Tighnabruaich where she
22nd April 1920:
Queen
On Thursday 22nd April 1920 Cosens’s paddle steamer Queen was sold to the Ardrossan Harbour Board. She had been built new for Cosens in 1883 with the hull constructed in Rotterdam
21st April 1962:
Cardiff Queen
On Easter Saturday 21st April 1962 P & A Campbell’s Cardiff Queen, under the command of Captain Leo Virgo, was rostered to pack in a variety of trip options to
9th April 2023:
KC Rebuild Appeal Update
The cover was removed from KC‘s funnel and steam was raised in preparation for steaming trials on the river on Wednesday 1st April to check the boiler and all the
6th April 2023:
Stormy Weather Wins Award
The 2023 Audio Award of the Independent Publishers Guild Awards has been won by by the Scottish-based publishing group Belle Media for their 2022 radio series Stormy Weather which was recorded
April 2023:
London Belle
The late Stafford Ellerman’s Uncle Lewis Wood drew a number of pictures of ships of all sizes including a handful of the paddle steamers he had sailed on in his