Royal Eagle sails from London to Ramsgate.
19th June 1935 Royal Eagle
Royal Eagle.
John Megoran recalls the heyday and decline paddle steamers, particularly the Weymouth based paddle steamers that he grew up with, hoping that one day he would captain a paddle steamer.
He did realise his ambition – and more – restoring, managing and as principal captain of PS Kingswear Castle for nearly 30 years on both the Medway and Thames.
John has written several books about paddle and pleasure steamers that may be found here.
18th June 1960 Monarch
Monarch.
Special sailing on Monarch from Bournemouth to Portsmouth.
17th June 1956 Bournemouth Queen
Bournemouth Queen.
Dinghy sliced in half by Bournemouth Queen off Fawley.
16th June 1953 Bristol Queen
Bristol Queen at the 1953 Spithead Review and fitted with radar.
Bristol Queen arrives back in Southampton at 1.10am after spending the previous day on charter for the Spithead Naval Review.
15th June 1937 Duke of Devonshire
First trip of the 1937 season for Duke of Devonshire.
14th June 1959 Humber Paddle Steamers
Tattershall Castle with Lincoln Castle in the background off Hull.
One hour cruise down the river on a Humber paddle steamer and view the docks.
13th June 1951 Empress Queen
Empress Queen off Brighton circa 1947.
Empress Queen sails from Avonmouth to Bristol following an accident the previous day.
12th June 1948 Cardiff Queen
Saturday 12th June was the first day of the 1948 season for Cardiff Queen.
11th June 1947 Empress Queen
Empress Queen running between Stranraer and Larne in the war.
Empress Queen at her builder’s yard in Troon being converted back to an excursion steamer for P & A Campbell.
10th June 1936 Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields.
Gracie Fields offers her first public sailing.
9th June 1960 South Coast Snapshot
Monarch.
What were the eleven South Coast paddle steamers doing on Thursday 9th June 1960?
9th June 1953 Emperor of India
Emperor of India first trips of the season.
8th June 1954 Marchioness of Lorne
Marchioness of Lorne.
Last day in service for Marchioness of Lorne.
7th June 1911 Princess Mary
Princess Mary on trials.
Preparations well in hand for the inaugural cruise of Princess Mary.
6th June 1960 Sussex Queen
Sussex Queen at Topsham.
Sussex Queen scheduled second day of her 1960 season on the Sussex Coast.
5th June 1965 Embassy
Embassy arriving at Bournemouth 1965.
PSPS chartered Embassy for a trip from Weymouth to Yarmouth with, for any who wanted, an extension round the Isle of Wight.
4th June 1919 Duchess of Devonshire
Duchess of Devonshire in the livery of P & A Campbell.
First trips of the season on the Cardiff Weston ferry service for Duchess of Devonshire.
3rd June 1973 Waverley
Waverley in her 1973 colours
On Sunday 3rd June 1973 Waverley was off service repairing a burst boiler tube.
2nd June 1940 Freshwater
Freshwater alongside at Lymington.
Freshwater sails to Dunkirk.
1st June 1940 Humber Paddle Steamers
Tattershall Castle.
War looms for the Humber paddle steamers Tattershall Castle, Wingfield Castle and Killingholme.
Crested Eagle
Crested Eagle 1939.
What have the Woolwich ferries Squires, Gordon, Will Crooks and John Benn, the Southern Railway’s Freshwater and the GSN’s Crested Eagle all got in common?
31st May 1960 Monarch
Monarch approaching Bournemouth Pier.
First day of the 1960 season for Monarch.
30th May 1963 Medway Queen
Medway Queen on charter for filming at Herne Bay.
29th May 1967 Embassy
Embassy passing though Weymouth Town Bridge for the last time 3rd May 1967.
Monday 29th May 1967 Embassy had just arrived at Van Heyghen Brothers’s scrapyard in Ghent.
28th May 1966 Queen of the South
Queen of the South (ex Jeanie Deans) is seen on 9th June 1967 in the Pool of London.
Queen of the South made her first public sailing from Tower Pier to Greenwich, Gravesend, Southend and Herne Bay.
27th May 1963 Maid of the Loch
First day of the season for Maid of the Loch.
26th May 1953 Maid of the Loch
Leaving Inversnaid during her second last season operating on the loch in 1980.
Second day of the season for the newly built Maid of the Loch.
25th May 1963 Waverley
Waverley.
Waverley on charter to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
24th May 1969 Caledonia
Caledonia.
Caledonia on charter for a “Kirk Cruise”.
23rd May 1935 Royal Eagle
Second day of the season for Royal Eagle.