Medway Queen and Lottery

[lenknight]

LOTTERY SUCCESS!

The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded the Medway Queen Preservation Society a grant of £1,861,000, for which we extend our grateful thanks.

This grant, together with a substantial contribution from the Society’s own funds, will meet the costs of the first stage of the restoration rebuild of the Paddle Steamer Medway Queen.  The first stage will see the restoration rebuild of the hull, steelworks and decks, making the ship suitable for the second stage of the work and for certification for use.

The second stage of the restoration rebuild of the Medway Queen will see the main and ancillary engines restored to use, the paddle wheels rebuilt, the boiler renewed and the ship re-fitted for service.

We are very pleased with the grant, and grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund, but the Preservation Society must raise even more funding in order to complete the second stage of this large project.

The Preservation Society, in anticipation of the success of our funding application, has carried out a great deal of essential work over the past few months.  Shipyards have tendered for the work and those tenders have been examined both by the Society and by independent marine experts.  The work of preparing the hull of the ship for transport to a chosen shipyard has been planned, offered for tender and a tender accepted.  Much work has been done to make schools and industry aware of the positive progress and hopeful future of the project to save this significant and important historic vessel.  The guidance and advice offered by the Heritage Lottery Fund has been of the greatest use and importance to the Society and the work and planning load undertaken by the Committee of the Society has been both very large and ultimately successful.

There will be much more work over the next few months and, once the first stage of the Medway Queen project is complete, there will be the whole new challenge of funding and completing the second stage.

However, with this excellent and cheering news The Medway Queen Preservation Society is ready, willing and able to tackle any challenge and to overcome any obstacle in our determination to save this famous, historic and deserving vessel.

We are the MQPS, we do not give up - and the Medway Queen is coming home! :lol:

[Channel]

Thats great news Len ! Well done to all involved.

I am in the area in mid July and am hoping to call by to see the ship.

Regards

Chris Jones

[Eddy Matthews]

Absolutely superb news Len! My sincere congratualtions to everyone involved with the bid and to everyone that has spent a great number of years keeping the old lady afloat so that this day could eventually dawn - Without such dedication and perseverence she would have been lost, as has happened to so many UK ships in the past.

[David Allinson]

Len.  
This must a very proud day indeed for you. Well done to you and all the Preservation Society who have all worked so hard to get to this point.  
Congratulations.  
David Allinson  
<![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]>  
-----Original Message-----
 From: lenknight [mailto:preserved@paddleducks.co.uk]
 Sent: sábado, 24 de junio de 2006 12:31
 To: preserved@paddleducks.co.uk
 Subject: Medway Queen and Lottery  
<![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]>  
LOTTERY SUCCESS!
 
 The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded the Medway Queen Preservation Society a grant of £1,861,000, for which we extend our grateful thanks.
 
 This grant, together with a substantial contribution from the Society’s own funds, will meet the costs of the first stage of the restoration rebuild of the Paddle Steamer Medway Queen. The first stage will see the restoration rebuild of the hull, steelworks and decks, making the ship suitable for the second stage of the work and for certification for use.
 
 The second stage of the restoration rebuild of the Medway Queen will see the main and ancillary engines restored to use, the paddle wheels rebuilt, the boiler renewed and the ship re-fitted for service.
 
 We are very pleased with the grant, and grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund, but the Preservation Society must raise even more funding in order to complete the second stage of this large project.
 
 The Preservation Society, in anticipation of the success of our funding application, has carried out a great deal of essential work over the past few months. Shipyards have tendered for the work and those tenders have been examined both by the Society and by independent marine experts. The work of preparing the hull of the ship for transport to a chosen shipyard has been planned, offered for tender and a tender accepted. Much work has been done to make schools and industry aware of the positive progress and hopeful future of the project to save this significant and important historic vessel. The guidance and advice offered by the Heritage Lottery Fund has been of the greatest use and importance to the Society and the work and planning load undertaken by the Committee of the Society has been both very large and ultimately successful.
 
 There will be much more work over the next few months and, once the first stage of the Medway Queen project is complete, there will be the whole new challenge of funding and completing the second stage.
 
 However, with this excellent and cheering news The Medway Queen Preservation Society is ready, willing and able to tackle any challenge and to overcome any obstacle in our determination to save this famous, historic and deserving vessel.
 
 We are the MQPS, we do not give up - and the Medway Queen is coming home!
 
 
 
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[Walter Snowdon]

What superb news! Weve been waiting a long time for this. My congratulations to those few brave souls who have struggled for so long to keep this old lady afloat. I have been to Damhead Creek three times and have seen how hard they all worked on what at times must have seemed a fruitless task. About three or four years ago I visited after her last sinking and saw the volunteers shoveling 2 or 3 feet of mud out of her bilges until the they could find and patch every hole. (there were quite a few as the sinking strained her very thin plating). Not just once, but at every tide the hull filled with stinking mud and the shoveling had to start again until all the holes had been located and patched until she could be refloated. Remember, at every high tide the water was OVER HER PROMENADE DECK and only the bridge and funnel could be seen. I could go on forever about this struggle, but for now, congratulations to all concerned. You all deserve medals for courage.  Regards, Walter.

[AlistairD]

You guys should take come encouragement from the  story of the Swedish steamer FREJA AF FRYKEN, which runs on Lake Fryken. She was  raised and restored after lying on the bottom of the lake for almost 100 years.  In fact, even the original crockery was raised with her and is still in use on  board today.
 The website, unfortunately isn't in English, but if you click  on "Historien", then on the numbers at the left from 12 upwards, it gives some  photos of the raising and the restoration from a state far worse than Medway  Queen is in
 Â 
 Alistair
 Â 
 

  ----- Original Message -----
   From:    lenknight (preserved@paddleducks.co.uk)
   To: preserved@paddleducks.co.uk (preserved@paddleducks.co.uk)    
   Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2006 11:30    AM
   Subject: Medway Queen and Lottery
   

   
LOTTERY SUCCESS!

The Heritage Lottery Fund has    awarded the Medway Queen Preservation Society a grant of £1,861,000, for which    we extend our grateful thanks.

This grant, together with a substantial    contribution from the Society’s own funds, will meet the costs of the first    stage of the restoration rebuild of the Paddle Steamer Medway Queen. The first    stage will see the restoration rebuild of the hull, steelworks and decks,    making the ship suitable for the second stage of the work and for    certification for use.

The second stage of the restoration rebuild of    the Medway Queen will see the main and ancillary engines restored to use, the    paddle wheels rebuilt, the boiler renewed and the ship re-fitted for    service.

We are very pleased with the grant, and grateful to the    Heritage Lottery Fund, but the Preservation Society must raise even more    funding in order to complete the second stage of this large    project.

The Preservation Society, in anticipation of the success of    our funding application, has carried out a great deal of essential work over    the past few months. Shipyards have tendered for the work and those tenders    have been examined both by the Society and by independent marine experts. The    work of preparing the hull of the ship for transport to a chosen shipyard has    been planned, offered for tender and a tender accepted. Much work has been    done to make schools and industry aware of the positive progress and hopeful    future of the project to save this significant and important historic vessel.    The guidance and advice offered by the Heritage Lottery Fund has been of the    greatest use and importance to the Society and the work and planning load    undertaken by the Committee of the Society has been both very large and    ultimately successful.

There will be much more work over the next few    months and, once the first stage of the Medway Queen project is complete,    there will be the whole new challenge of funding and completing the second    stage.

However, with this excellent and cheering news The Medway Queen    Preservation Society is ready, willing and able to tackle any challenge and to    overcome any obstacle in our determination to save this famous, historic and    deserving vessel.

We are the MQPS, we do not give up - and the Medway    Queen is coming home!



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