Tag: Countrywide Productions

Faversham Stories

May 26, 2013 / / 0 Comments

It is a bit of a Faversham based post today starting with the fact that I have now received and been able to watch my copy of the latest film by Mike Maloney of ‘Red Sails’ fame; this one called Visions of a Creek. In this, which was never intended originally as a DVD for sale they tell the story of the controversial saga of Faversham’s Standard Quay being pretty much closed down as a barge-repair and maintenance centre (all be it we may see it retained as a safe haven for mooring in winter). It also discusses the current efforts to repair and reinstate the swing bridge which gives access to large craft to the Upper Basin and the project to establish the old gasworks Purifier Building as a venue for Marine Trades and related apprenticeships. Well worth a look if you can get hold of a copy. I think there were a limited number made; I bought mine through Mike’s Countrywide Productions website (link from our useful links tab).

Faversham Nautical Festival stand manned by Hannah and Miranda Pihama with Cathy, Mark and Kess Chapman; Pic by Griselda Cann-Mussett

Earlier I advertised the Faversham Nautical Festival as a ‘date for your diary’. This has now happened this weekend and by the look of all the pictures on Facebook, many by Nathalie Banaigs, it was a bright, warm sunny event well supported by folks clad in summer wear. I have now had from Griselda Cann-Mussett (Faversham Creek Trust) a lovely picture of our own effort, the manning of the Cambria Trust Shop by (pictured here), Hannah and Miranda Pihama with Cathy, Kes and Mark Chapman. Nice to see you all, guys and well done on keeping on the Volunteer bit. It must have been nice to do a bit in warm sunshine for a change.

Red Sails showing in Ramsgate

October 18, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Red Sails Video, Image from shop pages of this website via Cathy Chapman.

Mike Maloney of Countrywide Productions, makers of the excellent “Red Sails” film featuring lots of Cambria footage and interviews with Master Shipwright Tim Goldsack and Rebuild Project Manager William Collard, among others, has emailed. He is letting us know that the film will be screened on Sunday week (28th Oct) as part of the Kent Coastal Week. The screening will be in the Custom House and Visitor Centre, Harbour Parade, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 8LP at 2 p.m. on that date. More information is available on http://www.cwideprods.co.uk/red-sails/ where the writer notes that, “Red Sails is a documentary which explores through interviews and archive footage, the influence of the Thames Sailing Barge in the development of trade, and its contribution to the building of Victorian London. It also looks in detail at the craftsmen and their trades, which made the Thames barge so unique. A few have become barge yachts for chartering, but the Thames barge lives on through the recent restoration of one of the most famous: the Cambria”.

If you’ve not seen this film yet, then do yourselves a favour and go and see it. You can also buy copies through the website or through our own shop on board.

Kent Coastal Week features “a packed programme of free or subsidised events (which) will take place around the Kent coast between Saturday 27 October and Sunday 4 November (half term)”. There is a website at http://www.kent.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/countryside_and_coast/coast/kents_coastal_week.aspx for more on this.

SB Decima

September 12, 2012 /

SB Decima; Photograph (and copyright) by Catherine De Bont. Published with permission.

Today’s picture is a superb one of Tim Goldsack’s ‘iron pot’ barge SB Decima taken by Catherine De Bont. Tim, Catherine and Decima all have long and deep associations with Faversham and with Cambria. Tim, of course is our Master Shipwright who managed, and personally did much of, the rebuild of the barge. He has also skippered her in racing, notably when all we volunteers were allowed ‘out to play’ last year. Tim owns the Decima, a ‘tin pot’. I was always curious as to why a shipwright so skilled at working in wood, would own a metal hulled barge but he tells me with a wry grin that it’s all down to the costs of maintenance. Decima has long been associated with Faversham, being previously owned by Faversham resident (and something of a local celebrity), ‘Beefy’ Wildish, still remembered by many of the locals now of ‘more mature years’. Bit of a character, by all accounts. The trophy for the Stays’l Class in the Swale match is named after him (real name Percy Wildish) and, to quote Tricia Gurnett in her Barge Blog (http://sailingbarges.wordpress.com/tag/percy-wildish-cup/) “In the Staysail Class Niagara and Repertor were neck and neck at the finish, with Repertor one second ahead. After a protest on the matter of something earlier in the match, Repertor was given a 5 minute time penalty, giving Niagara the victory. Decima was 3^rd, getting the Percy Wildish Cup which was fittingly presented by “Beefy” Wildish’s son.”

Catherine herself has, of course, a huge association with Cambria and barges (and sailing craft generally of course) not only from her “Barge and Smack News” and other articles in the glossy mag “Traditional Boats and Tall Ships” (http://tallship.typepad.com/my_weblog/wild_news/). She was on board as they brought the old Cambria into Faversham on Hop Festival Day 2007 and it is she who slings the mooring rope ashore in all the videos of this event, including the clip used by Mike Maloney in the “Red Sails” film (http://www.cwideprods.co.uk/red-sails/). She is a major contributor of barge related news and snippets and photographs on the Facebook networking site. Thanks for the photo, Catherine and may your lens never get smeared with salty water.

Pennant received by Cambria for taking part in the River Pageant

Arrival At Faversham (Video)

June 27, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Mike Maloney, friend of Cambria maker of the “Red Sails” and “Sideways Launch” films has now posted on You-tube, a sequence of Cambria’s first arrival at Faversham back in 2007 just prior to the start of restoration. Posted under the banner “Cambria Arrives at Faversham” it’s made by the same team at Countrywide Productions. It shows the final tugging and shoving by the tugboat Jester, features Project Manager William Collard wandering about on deck looking like he knows what he’s doing (!) as well as plenty of other well know faces from the barging world including Catherine De Bont, Boss of Volunteers, Basil and Colin Frake. Soaring majestic music too! It’s on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmTi57esdZE&feature=youtu.be

if you fancy taking a look.

Pennant received by Cambria for taking part in the River Pageant

Today’s pic is another Dave Brooks one, this time of the pennant we received to mark the fact that we took part in the Avenue of Sail at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant. Nice one Dave.