Category: Megoran’s Musings

On this rainy day Glen Usk closed P & A Campbell’s 1949 Bristol Channel season. What was the wind doing and what was she rostered to do? 17th October 1949: Glen Usk – Kingswear Castle

In the 1960s few people worked so tirelessly at the coal-face of paddle steamer preservation as Tony McGinnnity. After that he moved on to do other things and his remarkable paddle steamer legacy from the 1960s has sometimes been forgotten by later generations. There was a memorial service to him at St Olave – often…
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On Monday 15th October 1962 Sandown left Portsmouth at 11am for a very unusual destination. Where was that and why? 15th October 1962: Sandown – Kingswear Castle

In the aftermath of WW1 P & A Campbell’s White Funnel Fleet saw competition from W H Tucker’s Yellow Funnel Fleet on the Bristol Channel. How did that pan out? 14th October 1920: Lady Evelyn – Kingswear Castle

In 1963 Caledonia was kept in reserve to fill in on Clyde ferry services as required right up to December when she was relieved by Talisman. What was she doing on Sunday 13th October? 13th October 1963: Caledonia – Kingswear Castle

Red Funnel’s Southampton based Vecta ran for P & A Campbell on the Bristol Channel during the tail end of the 1965 season. On Tuesday 12th October she set off for Weymouth. Why Weymouth? 12th October 1965: Vecta – Kingswear Castle

On 11th October 1961 Lyme Regis Council met to decide what to do about damage to three ladders and six stone steps caused by Princess Elizabeth in their harbour that season. What was the outcome? 11th October 1961: Lyme Regis Council – Kingswear Castle

Bristol Queen ended her 1961 season on 19th September and was laid up in Cardiff. However unexpectedly she was brought back into service and continued to run both down Channel and on the Cardiff/Weston ferry until Monday 9th October. Why was that? 9th October 1961: Bristol Queen – Kingswear Castle

On 8th October 1969 Eppleton Hall was on her way again after an issue off Portugal on her voyage from the Tyne across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal and up the West Coast of America to San Francisco. What was the issue? How was it fixed? 8th October 1969: Eppleton Hall (Part 1 of…
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On 5am on Friday 7th October 1938 Glen Gower was 5 miles out to sea off Ilfracombe on her way to lay up in Bristol. She had left the Palace Pier Brighton at 9am on Monday 3rd October with a handful of passengers. So why did this trip take so long? 7th October 1938: Glen…
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Monday 5th October was the last day of the 1958 season for Cardiff Queen. The following day she joined Bristol Queen and Glen Usk to lay up in Penarth Docks. For 1959 only two of them, Cardiff Queen and Glen Usk, would be re-commissioned. Why was that? 6th October 1958: Cardiff Queen – Kingswear Castle

Anyone remember “Early Closing Day”? And what sort of trip did P & A Campbell’s Waverley run to take advantage of it on Wednesday 5th October 1927? 5th October 1927: Waverley – Kingswear Castle

Duchess of Devonshire arrived in Exmouth on Saturday 4th October 1919 after having sailed round Lands End. Why had she done this? 4th October 1919: Duchess of Devonshire – Kingswear Castle

Waverley had a new captain for her visit to the Thames in 1997. Who was that? 3rd October 1997: Waverley – Kingswear Castle

PSPS Member no 1, the indefatigable Mrs Eileen Pritchard, organised a visit to the Portsmouth based Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service paddle tug Grinder on 2nd October 1965. Who was there and what unplanned bonus did the day deliver? 2nd October 1965: Paddle Tug Grinder – Kingswear Castle

In 1953 Cosens fielded three paddle steamers running from Bournemouth plus a fourth visiting regularly. Embassy was last to finish on Thursday 1st October. To check out the steamer notice for this day: 1st October 1953: Embassy – Kingswear Castle

After their first season in the new BR livery by 30th September 1965 both Sandown and Ryde had finished their summer programme at Portsmouth and were safely tucked up in Newhaven for the winter. 30th September 1965: Sandown and Ryde – Kingswear Castle

What was Clyde legend PS Jeanie Deans doing on Tuesday 29th September 1964 and why was that day so significant? 29th September 1964: Jeanie Deans – Kingswear Castle

On 28th September 1945 Cosens’ PS Empress arrived at Strood on the Medway to be transformed into a film star. What role? What film? 28th September 1945: Empress – Kingswear Castle

On Friday 27th September 1963 Embassy left Poole for Weymouth at 8am on a windy day and without passengers. Why did she do that? 27th September 1963: Embassy – Kingswear Castle

P & A Campbell’s Britannia had been due to end her 1956 season after a farewell cruise from Bristol to Ilfracombe on Wednesday 19th September but was still running on 26th September. Why was that?: 26th September 1956: Britannia – Kingswear Castle

After her finishing her 1965 season with Red Funnel at Southampton, Vecta sailed to the Bristol Channel to take up the roster with P & A Campbell starting on Friday 24th September with the Cardiff/Weston ferry. How did that pan out? 24th September 1965: Vecta – Kingswear Castle

1955 was the last year Cosens based two paddle steamers at Weymouth. The season went on until Friday 23rd September. If we had been around that day what exciting trip could we have taken aboard Consul to round the summer off? 23rd September 1955: Consul – Kingswear Castle

Forty one years ago on 21st September 1985 Kingswear Castle made her first visit to the harbour at Whitstable. To find out how this very long day trip panned out: 21st September 1985: Kingswear Castle – Kingswear Castle

At 4am on Saturday 20th September 1941, PS Portsdown left Portsmouth for the early morning mail run to Ryde with 21 service personnel and 8 civilians aboard as passengers. She never arrived. Why was that? 20th September 1941: Portsdown – Kingswear Castle

On Saturday 19th September 1959 you could have had the excitement of sailing on more than one paddle steamer on the River Dart: 19th September 1959: River Dart Paddle Steamers – Kingswear Castle

I don’t believe that there were any paddle steamers masters other than Capt H F Defrates of Weymouth who had a daughter in law who was an international film star and singer: 18th September 1964: Captain Defrates – Kingswear Castle

On Wednesday 17th September 1958 Bristol Queen had finished her summer season and was being de-stored. With P & A Campbell in deep financial difficulties it would 1961 before she would sail again: 17th September 1958: Bristol Queen – Kingswear Castle

On Wednesday 16th September 1964 there was a gale blowing in the Bristol Channel. Bristol Queen was stormbound in Swansea. Cardiff Queen tried to run but not very successfully as it turned out: 16th September 1964: Cardiff Queen – Kingswear Castle