Poly-tunnel hoops are up
There has been a nice sequence of pictures posted on the Facebook group by Dave Brooks describing the superb efforts some of the volunteers in erecting our poly-tunnel for protection this winter. The gang were listed as ” Skipper Ian Ruffles with Reggie Andrews, Mick Nolan, Basil Brambleby, Bruce Richardson, and his dad”. The hoops went up on 16th November and there were even some pictures of 3rd Hand (Reggie) getting down and dirty retrieving some metal parts which were dropped overboard into the ‘oggin’ climbing down a ladder over the side and I expect, trying not to have to get off the ladder while reaching an arm down into the mud. November. Must have been a bit chilly, but there’s volunteering above and beyond the call of duty!
Meanwhile, following our success in 2013 applying for the ‘Volunteer of the Year Award(s)’ offered by the Marsh Christian Trust under the wing of National Historic Ships, we tried again. In 2013 Cambria’s two heroic teenage Volunteers, Beth and Hannah Pihama, won the Young Persons’ award outright. This year we entered our man Richard Weekes in the adult section. Well, he didn’t win outright but we did get a lovely letter and a smart certificate from the Marsh Christian Trust / National Historic Ships teams, as follows…
“Dear Matt,
Application for the Marsh Volunteer Award for Historic Vessel Conservation 2014
I am writing to let you know the outcome of the judging panel’s discussions on the applications for this
Richard Weekes, whose name you put forward for this award has not won on this occasion. However, we
want to publicly acknowledge the valuable contribution Richard is making through all that he does for the
historic vessel Cambria. Please find enclosed a ‘Highly Commended’ certificate to be presented to him in
view of his unstinting support for the maritime heritage of the United Kingdom.
This year’s Winners, together with those of the Young Volunteer of the Year Award, will be published on the News section of our website later this month.
Many thanks again for your application; we hope the Awards will be of interest to you again next year. Kind regards,
Paula Palmer
Office & Web Manager
National Historic Ships UK”
Richard Weekes Cert
Richard’s Certificate.
Well done and a huge Thank You to all our volunteers, even if they do not all get themselves pictured scrambling down muddy ladders or get described only as someone’s Dad, or they don’t get entered for formal Awards. We greatly value all your works and know that we could not keep this barge out there and sailing without you.