Saga of the Medway Queen

[lenknight]

Saga of the Medway Queen

On the 22nd of June 2006
The Local Heritage Fund had allocated the Medway Queen Preservation Society, £1.8 million to save the hull of the Medway Queen.

November 14th 2007.
And the saga of the restoration of the paddle steamer Medway Queen sadly goes on. To weld or rivet the hull is the issue.
In the meantime the funds of the society are being used to satisfy the ever-changing criteria that the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) request, that is the hold up.
The Medway Queen Preservation Society (MQPS) presented quite a plausible contract to rebuild the hull by welding, (with simulation rivets) possibly within the grant, plus our 10% to make it up to the two million pounds, at the time 2006-2007, now out of contact. The society have spent over one third of a million pounds since trying to obtain funding over the years from the HLF. It seems to matter little to the bureaucracy of the HLF, that hard won funds over the years are slowly frittered away to satisfy their ever increasing demands to qualify for the grant.
It seems now the HLF would rather have the hull riveted, to conform to her original construction, this is possible, and in a perfect world quite desirable. But then they do not wish to pay the extra cost incurred re perfection.
At minimum, with a private quote being at least two million pounds more to rivet (shipyards quote being possible three to six million pounds more) I would think quite out of the question re the MQPS being able to fund this at present, even if part funding.

Sadly by the time this gets resolved, the cost will be astronomical, (possibly grant being withdrawn) what hope then to save our Maritime Historic Ships, under this system, alone the Medway Queen, very little I would think.
I firmly believe the ‘Twelve Day Wonder’ of the Olympics project will bleed the Lottery Fund, more so the Heritage Fund at present, resulting in being many years before getting back to normal to further the Maritime Heritage projects, if ever.

Len Knight.  :cry:

[lenknight]

Hello David,

Thanks for reply, I just find it all very sad, that the Medway Queen project is possibly facing melt down, albeit the MQPS has ‘worked its socks off’ over twenty years to be scupper by an uncaring system of bureaucracy.

However, the John H. Amos paddle tug, still lies on the slipway adjacent to the Historic Dockyard at Chatham, possibly facing the same fate as many other Historic Ship in the UK, insufficient money in the Heritage Fund. Albeit the project has more influential people to back the cause, within the historic ship fraternity, than the Medway Queen, and on the ‘Core List’ of course no guarantee to funding.

I believe the Medway Maritime Trust, had received the request to move the tug last year, as the surrounding area was destine to have a Hotel built there. Will be interesting to see what encouragement is offered to move!
The trust is also involved with the HM Customs Cutter VIGILANT, fingers in more than one pie, website at:   www.vigilant.org.uk

Len Knight.  

[Channel]

The crane mentioned for JHA has been working in Rotterdam lately. I do hope they get their act together with the John H Amos . . . although if they don't we still have a UK steam paddle tug left. Its being well looked after by the Americans in San Fransisco !!

I feel very sorry for all involved with the Medway Queen. As mentioned previously with the 2012 bottomless pit god knows what heritage projects would be left with.

[mjt60a]

"As mentioned previously with the 2012 bottomless pit god knows what heritage projects would be left with".....
...beats me how they can have so many conditions to be met (ie. excuses not to allocate funds) for genuine heritage projects but can throw seemingly unlimited piles of cash into the olympics - which (correct me if I'm wrong...) have no heritage value whatsoever... :?

[Eddy Matthews]

Yet again some really bad news Len, but sadly that seems the way of things in this country at the moment - As a nation we have scant regard for our heritage, and its left to many small bands of of volunteers to preserve the little that we have left!

Of course they will throw money at the olympics, because they will have been told to by the government in the forlorn hope that they will make money and get international prestige....