White funnel fleet

[John-wales]

I will turn 70 later this year and have fond memories of countless excursions from the Pier Head in Cardiff on P & A Campbell's steamers. My first experience was aboard a Pier Head to Minehead departure shortly before the Lynmouth floods in August 1952, I cannot remember whether it was the Glen Usk or Ravenswood, but I vividly recall the appalling weather and rough seas.

Many trips were taken to Weston, Ilfracombe, Lundy and Clovelly, and I remember travelling on most of the fleet during the years 1952 to 1968. I especially remember being on the Glen Usk in July 1959 when she grounded in the Rover Avon. Are there any other forum members who were on board ?

They were wonderful days, and it is sad that these memories are fading into the past.

 

[John-wales]

Am i the only person left alive that can remember this era. Great pity !!!!!

 

[diapason]

I well remember the old Campbells. We moved to Posset (Portishead for you young uns) in 1963 and could see the channel and Battery Point from our windows. The deep water channel off Battery Point was so close to the shore that it felt like you could reach out and touch the ships. I remember being on one of the Campbells when it was 'shipwrecked' off Penarth - a floating tree got stuck in one of the paddles and the old girl swung round, hit the pier, and began to make water. We all had to 'abandon ship' onto the pier and wait for another boat to take us home. Must have been around 1965/66.

 

[John-wales]

I can remember a paddler colliding with Penarth Pier, but thought it was earlier than that incident. For some years the Pier retained its damage until eventually repaired.

 

[channel]

My Uncle has written about the White Funnel Fleet - Chris Collard.

It would be a great shame if Balmoral, the last of the line, were to cease trading in the area forever. You can read about the project on www.mvbalmoral.org.uk

 

[bert49uk]

I too have fond memories of the White Funnel fleet from Ilfracombe always tried to get a pink ticket (free) from Capt Birmingham at the booking office on the quay, always enjoyed the last trip of the season, usually to a rugby game in Cardiff. Remember one year as a youth with the busses on strike we had to walk down through Tiger bay to get the boat.
Then another time being bused back from Minhead as the weather made it Imposable to get back to Ilfracombe

 

[John-wales]

You must have enjoyed yourselves at the rugby Bert !!! At best you would have needed an over night stay in Cardiff in order to get back to llfracombe. Brave lad walking through Tiger Bay, the cops walking in two's could get quite aggressive !!! The locals were great.

 

[johnwest]

I remember Cardiff Qeen, and Bristol Queen, on trips from Penarth to Lundy and Ilfracombe. But too young then to remember which one I was seasick on !!! A flat calm too. Used to love watching the engines.

j

 

[John-wales]

Yes both the Queens did the Ilfracombe/Lundy run; lovely ships. The Brittania also went down to Lundy but more so prior to 1947.

 

[bert49uk]

You must have enjoyed yourselves at the rugby Bert !!! At best you would have needed an over night stay in Cardiff in order to get back to llfracombe. Brave lad walking through Tiger Bay, the cops walking in two's could get quite aggressive !!! The locals were great.

No overnight stays they were always special trips that got us back to Combe at silly o'clock some other memorable trips on the Cardiff and Bristol Queens were to Padstow, Bideford, Lundy ( where you always got wet feet getting ashore) Clovelly
Just as a point of interest the telegraph binnacle from one of the Queens is here in Combe owned by a friend of mine

 

[John-wales]

Amazing, I never realised Campbells had one way sailings to Ilfracombe departing early evening; what decade are you referring to Bert. It was such a pity that one of the Queens did not fall into the hands of the Preservationists; great as it is to see the Waverley plying the Channel, Cardiff or Bristol Queen in her resplendent colours would have been something really special.
It is nice to hear that some of the old ship fittings still survive, your friend Bert is very lucky to have the telegraph; I wonder if there are any other memorabilia around and about. I proudly own a print of the P.S. Ravenswood sailing up the Avon, it is signed by Captain G.H. Gunn.

 

[bert49uk]

John,
I'm talking about late fifties early sixties, it was quite normal for the queens to overnight in Ilfracombe with say an early trip to Lundy in the morning
You must remember in thoes days they were used as ferries rather than tripping boats, bringing people over for a weeks holiday was normall
Infact a large proportion of locals are married to Welsh girls!!!
Some days one boat would make two return trips to Wales

 

[John-wales]

Oh right, thanks Bert. I moved away from Cardiff in 1953, but returned there for nearly all my school holidays. Although I used to study the Sailing lists more than my school text books, I never spotted that fact. Sailing lists were issued from each port of course, and I do remember that sometimes a note was added " A steamer leaves ........... at .... single trip to ......... The overnight stop in Combe must have been very good for the B & B's. Bert do you remember any other callers at Combe in that era other than the Queens and Britannia ?

 

[bert49uk]

The Glen Usk and Glen Gower but I was just a young lad then

 

[channel]

Latest news on the last of the White Funnel Fleet is positive - http://www.heritagesteamers.co.uk/balmoral/news.htm

 

[John-wales]

Yes that is great news, hope sailings work out for 2015