Tag: Mike Maloney

Faversham Stories

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

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.

Topsail No 46

Deck Coffee

On Cambria’s Deck and enjoying a cup of coffee, Blogger Matt Care in September 2012; Pic by Matt Care.

It’s always a thrill when Topsail magazine (it’s more like a book these days!) arrives in the post, and my No 46, December 2012 arrives this morning – almost coinciding with the 12:12 12/12/12 moment which we were all alerted to by the local Radio station. This one is as good as ever and is , as always, choc-a-bloc full of interesting articles and nice pictures. For those who don’t know, it is one of two periodical publications by the Society for Sailing Barge Research and well worth subscribing to that organisation for.

This one is dominated by an 18 page article by Norma O’Keefe about the murder of the Skipper of SB Speranza in 1931 and has a lovely, well written, atmospheric piece by visiting Ozzie, Bruce Sibley who manages to schmooze his way aboard SB Venture for a voyage in the 50’s. In the latter case, the writer also took his camera aboard, so there are nice action pictures to go with it. The mag also has a sad tale of the sinking of house-boat barge SB Thursday as described by Skipper John Hone who, along with crew and cat were only just rescued in the nick of time.

For me, having navigated some of this waterway in a holiday narrow-boat, it was also interesting to read about the use of sailing barges on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Editor Richard Walsh reviews various new publications including a couple of great interest here, “The Cambria Story” by Robert Simper and recent book by our friend Nick Ardley, “The Jottings of a Thames Estuary Ditch-Crawler”. Richard also reviews the Video “Red Sails” by Mike Maloney of Countrywide Productions. “This is far and away the best ever modern film covering the history, present day and restoration scene,” says Richard, and I agree 100%. There is also an ad for the new Compendium which we ourselves reviewed in a recent post. Then as I flicked over the back cover, I thought I’d spotted a nice pic of Cambria – the familiar bowsprit, bow-badge scroll work and bob. Not quite! It is actually Everard’s SB Veronica on her way to winning the 1937 Thames Match. Perhaps you’ll forgive me the error as it’s the Season of Good Will?

 

Red Sails Beer

Red Sails beer

Red Sails beer from Shepherd Neame; Picture from their Facebook timeline.

Go Shepherd Neame! They have just launched this Red Sails beer, publishing its picture on Facebook with the caption “Look out for ‘Red Sails’ at the Wetherspoon Beer Festival until Nov 11th http://instagr.am/p/RSflJ1TEsh/ ” The link will just take you to an on line image of the label.

 

I am a bit of a fan of Shep’s products and I remember that during the rebuild of the Cambria, I was on the viewing gallery when Jonathan Neame came aboard with some guests and I did our rebuild story ‘schpiel’ to him finishing a bit cheekily (and bravely – I was a bit awestruck by having him among my audience) by suggesting Shep’s do a beer called Cambria. Well, this is probably as close as we are going to get and depicts our great friends SB Greta but I wonder, given the name, whether Mike Maloney, of Red Sails film fame, had a hand in this?

 

Either way, I am spitting that I cannot be there to nip into a Wetherspoons and grab me a couple of bottles which I’d probably keep on the mantle-piece after I’d drained the contents.

 

Cheers Jonathan, Cheers Mike, Cheers Steve Norris and all aboard SB Greta tonight!

Red Sails showing in Ramsgate

Red  Sails Video

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. 

Safely ‘Home’

Mike Maloney's Return Home

Mike Maloney’s nice shot of Cambria’s Return Home at the end of the 2012 cxharter season

Friend of Cambria and ‘Red Sails’ film maker, Mike Maloney supplies tonight’s picture after he was on the ‘receiving end’ of Cambria’s last charter of 2012. He was there to see her tugged back up Faversham Creek and safely home. Thanks for that, Mike. It has a lovely, end of voyage, evening feel to it.

On this charter, Tim Goldsack was Skipper and Ryan Dale, Denis Johnson and Julie Brooks were crew. Thank you very much for that you guys and to all other Skippers and Crew who have looked after our old girl this year.

 

SB Decima

SB Decima

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 3rd, 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.

Arrival At Faversham (Video)

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

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.

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