IN the Garvel Clyde Dry Dock in Greenock, there will be photo and interview opportunities on Wednesday 11 May when the Scottish Maritime Heritage Association will present a cheque to the paddle steamer, Waverley, in response to the current appeal in support of the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer.
WHEN: Wednesday 11 May 2011 at 12.00 (12.00 for 12.30)
WHERE: Report to the Gatehouse, Garvel Clyde Ltd, James Watt Dock, Greenock PA15 2DS.
WHAT: This will be a very rare opportunity to film and photograph paddle steamer, Waverley, out of the water in dry-dock, with work in progress to prepare the ship for the 2011 summer season, as well as to record the presentation by the Scottish Maritime Heritage Association of a cheque for the Waverley Appeal.
There will also be interview opportunities with Peter Whale (chair of the Scottish Maritime Heritage Association), Nick James (chair of Waverley Steam Navigation Co. Limited) and Ian McMillan (operations director, Waverley Excursions Limited).
NOTE: All those wishing to attend must contact Maria MacKinnon (Tel.: 0141 221 8152; e-mail: maria@waverleyexcursions.co.uk) no later than 10.00 on Wednesday 11 May 2011 to register their attendance, so that appropriate safety arrangements can be put in place for the numbers attending.
As the event will be taking place in and around a working dry dock, members of the press who intend to use film or sound recording equipment will be required to provide appropriate indemnity.
For further information, contact Nick James on 07764 616802.
BACKGOUND INFORMATION
SCOTTISH MARITIME HERITAGE ASSOCIATION
The Scottish Maritime Heritage Association (SMHA) developed from the West of Scotland Boat Museum Association which was founded to secure the puffer, Spartan, for preservation.
In the early 1980s, it set up the Scottish Maritime Museum as an independent charity to take over the conservation and restoration of its historic maritime collection. Since that time, the SMHA has continued to support the Scottish Maritime Museum at its sites in Irvine and Dumbarton with small grants and volunteer effort.
This £1,000 donation to Waverley Steam Navigation Co. Limited to assist their vital work follows on from a series of recent donations to the SMM and forms part of our ongoing support for Scottish maritime heritage projects.
These have included library racking and volunteers’ rest room facilities at Irvine and the renovation of the wax boiler at the Denny Tank at Dumbarton, which will be demonstrated over the weekend of 13-15 May as part of the Festival of Museums.
The Association welcomes members from all who care that Scotland’s unique Maritime heritage is preserved for future generations.
The Association is a voluntary body registered as a Scottish charity; it relies solely on the support of its members to carry out its work.
Help is welcomed in all ways from getting your hands dirty restoring old maritime machinery, assisting with production of our quarterly newsletter or organising fund raising events…
SMHA Membership forms are available at www.smha.org.uk
WAVERLEY STEAM NAVIGATION CO. LIMITED
Waverley Steam Navigation Co. Limited (WSN) owns the Paddle Steamer Waverley and the Traditional Cruise Ship Balmoral. Its is registered as a Scottish Charity and, through its subsidiary company, Waverley Excursions Ltd., operates both ships on day trips, afternoon and evening cruises around the UK coast.
Since 1970, Waverley has been the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer, and was sold by Caledonian MacBrayne to WSN for £1.00 in 1974.
The ship returned to service for her new not-for-profit owners in 1975, and since then has carried over five million passengers.
Waverley has become a Scottish icon, and as well as operating on the Clyde and in the Western Isles of Scotland, regularly offers public day trips on the Bristol Channel, the Solent and the South Coast of England, and from London and the Thames Estuary.
Waverley was rebuilt to ‘as-new’ condition between 1999 and 2003 at a cost of over £8 million with major grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the European Development Fund, and the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society.
The poor weather of recent summers has depleted Waverley’s cash reserves, and a 60 per cent increase in fuel prices since 2010 means that the 2011 Waverley Appeal now needs to raise a total of £350,000 to ensure that the ship can continue to sail in 2012 and beyond. Over £100,000 has already been raised.
Information on how to donate to the Appeal, and about all the sailings for 2011, can be found at www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk or by telephoning 0845 130 4647.
MEDIA RELEASE posted by Waverely Excursions. You too can post media releases (aka press releases) on allmediascotland.com. For more information, email here.
Contact: Nick James
Phone: 07764 616802
Email: nicolas.james@talk21.com
Website: http://www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk
