BRANCH A.G.M. - APRIL 14TH 2012

The Bristol Channel Branch A.G.M was held on Saturday 14th April at the Walton Park Hotel, Clevedon. With only about 2 dozen members attending.

The minutes of the previous years AGM were circulated, read, agreed and approved.  The Chairman gave his report on the 2011 season and gave news on the 2012 timetable, the new 'Friends of Waverley' season tickets (see separate post) and informed us that a new Waverley web site will be on-line shortly.

The branch accounts were circulated  and were read through/explained by the Chairman (in the Treasurers absence).  The Secretary gave a short report on the winter meetings and advised that a different venue for the Bristol meetings was being sought.

All current officers were prepared to stand for another year, and with no other nominees, all were re elected.  Vice Chair Moyra Denby did state that 2012 would be her final, final, final year and she will definitely be standing down next year.

A number of things were discussed under 'Any Other Business' - I wasn't taking notes so can't remember them all - one was, W.E.L. has increased the minimum number of tickets for charitable fundraising group bookings from 20(?)  to 50.  It was felt that this number was too high and would deter many groups booking - apparently, groups have been booking, taking the generous discount and not passing it on to the charity.  Solution - group pays the full price and WEL pays the discount to the charity.
One other thing was, early notification of the P.S.P.S. Annual General Meeting being held in Bath on Saturday 17th November.

At the close of the AGM business, we were able to look at the items that Andrew Gladwell had brought along from the PSPS archive, they were mainly items from P & A Campbell, there were also a number from Sidney Robinsons collection.  After that we all adjourned to the dining room (overlooking the Bristol Channel) where we enjoyed a very well presented, tasty three course lunch before heading for home.

Peter Havard

BALMORAL SAILS TO GLASGOW - April 11th 2012

Balmoral left her berth at Princes Wharf, Bristol at 0900 hrs yesterday and proceeded to Glasgow/Greenock where shortly, she will be dry docked together with Waverley.  She left Bristol with a lot of part finished jobs still to be completed - looking rather like a floating workshop with all the usual winter work-party clutter lying around the alleyways.  Again this year, I've been recording the winter work and will write up a short article in the next week or so.

I was watching Bals progress down the Avon on AIS and was wondering how I could get off  work to take a photo as she came down channel, when I noticed Isambard Brunel  hovering around Avonmouth dock entrance.  If Chris Jones is aboard IB, he'll take a photo, I thought  - and he hasn't let me down!

Landed the Avon River pilot at Avonmouth Dock entrance - photo courtesy of Chris Jones

Bals AIS track 0900 to 1930 on route to Clyde -  April 11th 2012

Peter Havard

DORSET BELLE AT CARDIFF

Members may be interested to know that the old Dorset Belle (soon to be renamed) is now based at Cardiff and has been carry out sea trials for her new owners.

She will shortly commence 3 daily sailings of 90 minute duration (April until October) starting from her berth in the old Mountstuart dry dock (next to Harry Ramsdens), then proceeding across Cardiff Bay, out through the locks then down channel towards Flat Holm and back.  The Severn VTS web site has had Dorset Belle listed as having arrived/departed from Penarth Pier on each of the last 5 days - don't know if they plan on using the pier as a departure point for their vessel in the future???

The vessel is licensed to carry 200 passengers. The 90 minute trips are priced at £10.50 for adults, children free - maximum of 3 free children with each paying adult.  Food for thought here on childrens pricing for trips on our ships??

Dorset Belle berthed outside Penarth Marina

Peter Havard

BRISTOL CHANNEL TIMETABLE 2012

The timetable for the Bristol Channel sailings is now available to view/download from the Waverley Excursions web site, as are the North West, North Wales, South Coast and Thames timetables.

The banner at the foot of the timetable looks promising - Balmoral  from June 20  to August 28 and Waverley from  Aug 29 to Sept 9 - in reality, Balmoral is only on the channel from 20th June to 1st July, then again from 14th August to 28th August.  The total number of scheduled days sailings (both ships) is 37, down almost one third on last years figure of 52. Let's hope that in the 3 weeks that Balmoral is on the South Coast (Olympics) she has good weather, good loadings and makes a lot of money!

The timetabled sailings for the channel are much the same as usual -  there's a Padstow trip on Sunday 1st July.  There are no sailings from Newport (coach pick-up and drop-off only).  There are 4 Swansea departures (all marked 'To Be Confirmed')  and 2 trips from Briton Ferry.


Peter Havard

JACK ROWLES

      It's with great sadness that I report the sudden death of Mr Jack Rowles on Saturday 10th March.
      Many older members of the Bristol Channel Branch of P.S.P.S. will remember Jack as P & A Campbell's last permanent Chief Engineer aboard the two 'Queens'.
      Originally, Jack had intended following his father, an ex P & A Campbell master into the Bristol Pilot Service.  Unfortunately he failed part of the eyesight test, and joined Campbells as an apprentice engineer at their Underfall Yard works in Bristol.  His work included maintenance duties on all the ships, starting in 1938.
      On completion of his apprenticeship Jack was drafted into the Royal Navy, specialising in New Build Landing Craft, based for a while at Lamlash on the Isle of Arran.
      At the end of military service Jack rejoined Campbells in 1948, as second engineer on RAVENSWOOD, followed by several seasons aboard GLEN USK, but it will always be with the CARDIFF QUEEN he will be mostly associated.  For several years Jack was second engineer with Alec Campbell as Chief Engineer and after finding Mr Campbell dead in Cardiff Queens engine-room in 1959 Jack was promoted to Chief Engineer.
      In 1967, with the demise of Campbells and their two remaining paddlers, Jack 'swallowed the anchor' and took up a position with Coates Cider, a local company that ensured that he could spend more time with wife Margaret and three sons, John, Robert and Andrew.  Until his death, Jack had enjoyed good health, enjoying dancing with Margaret, gardening and playing crib for a local team.
      He will be sadly missed by his friends ashore and those who had the pleasure of sailing with him.


Robin Wall

WAVERLEY TIMETABLES Scotland and South Coast

Some of  the Waverley timetables have been published and are available to view/download by clicking on the the following links:- Western Isles and Clyde or South Coast 
You will need Adobe Reader to view the timetables, unfortunately a font has been used that is not compatible with Adobe Reader (version 9 or earlier) to get the latest free version of Reader from Adobe.com click HERE

Waverleys season is very nearly 5 months long, starting in the Western Isles from 1st to 11th June followed by the Clyde from 16th June to 26th August (and 20th & 21st October) and then on to the South Coast from 12th to 27th September followed by the Thames sailings.  From the dates above, it looks like Waverley may be on the Bristol Channel for the 2 weeks 28th August to 10th September.

SIDNEY ROBINSON

It is with great sadness, we report the death of our oldest branch member Sidney (Sid) Robinson on 19th January 2012, at the University Hospital of Wales.

The funeral service was held on 8th February at The Salvation Army Church in Penarth and the burial at Christchurch in Newport.  22 branch members attended the service.

Sidney was born in Newport, in November 1914 and spent his working life in the marine shipping industry.  His great loves were – shipping, and things historical – in particular the PSPS and the Newport Transporter Bridge.  He was a founder member of the Friends Of Newport Transporter Bridge (FONTB) and was for a number of years their Vice Chairman then Chairman.  Sidney made his final crossing on the gondola on his way to Christchurch on 8th February.

Sidney had a large collection of paddle steamer (mainly P & A Campbells) and maritime memorabilia , all meticulously catalogued and indexed - his family has very kindly donated this to the PSPS.  Some of the items from his collection will be on display at the branch AGM on 14th April.

Sidney, his facts, stories and memories of sailing on the Bristol Channel going back for the best part of 90 years will be sadly missed.

Peter Havard

Below is a photograph of Sidney. Published with the kind permission of Anne Gatehouse (FONTB & Newport Civic Society)

Sidney Robinson  1914 - 2012