From: ALAN BAGLEY To:
Lowestoft Lake Lothing & Outer Harbour Area Action Plan.
This email has been written to ensure consideration is given to the Shipping, Shipbuilding and Ship Repair for Heritage Vessels and the associated and peripheral industries. In my capacity as Chairman of the Lydia Eva & Mincarlo Charitable Trust.
Having reviewed the above document I would like to champion the case for catering for Heritage Vessels. Lowestoft is blessed with 3 fishing vessels Excelsior a sailing smack built John Chambers of Oulton Broard, The Mincarlo one of 4 sidewinder trawlers built by Brooke Marine powered by an AKD diesel engine, and lastly the Lydia Eva a herring drifter powered by a triple expansion steam engine. The Lydia Eva one of 60 vessels on the National Register of Historic Ships along with the Cutty Sark, Discovery, Victory etc.
From the Lowestoft Lake Lothing & Outer Harbour Area Action Plan. objectives there is a requirement for a location to display, run, moor and maintain these vessels and in summary align with the key points.
* Tourism * Greater use of the Waterfront * Encouraging people to visit * Public Access to water space * Waterfront Industry. The shipbuilding and ship repair industry has been in decline since the 1980's but Small & Co in Lowestoft and Richards Shipbuilders in Gt Yarmouth provide the much needed facilities and a particular mention to Small & Co for the completed restoration of the Lydia Eva with some £850,000 provided by the heritage Lottery Fund. Small & Co have gone on the be awarded the restoration of the Steam Ship Robin, currently on thier slipway in commercial road.
The Lydia Eva & Mincarlo Charitable Trust having received the funding spent all the funding locally with Small & Co, International Boat Building School, Les Earl and others all providing resouces to restore the Lydia Eva. A new campaign has just begun to raise some £500,000 to restore the Mincarlo to its former glory and again Small & Co and those other resouces will all benefit should the fundraising campaign be successful.
The Lydia Eva & Mincarlo Charitable Trust is run entirely by volunteers and if a permanent facilty could be provided within the Trawl Dock with typical shipping industry sheds for netting, ship repairs and ship husbandry, museumesque facilities and educational historical links to the Lowestoft Fishing industry real jobs would follow.
Another Location adjacent to Lings [the basin used by Richards Shipbuilders], but this area would need further work and a dredging campaign on a regular basis. However I think that the Trawl Dock is a better option as it centralises and keeps the interest within a busy industrial and maritime leisure facility.
The Mincarlo over previous years including last year has an average attendance of in excess of 10,000 visitors the Lydia Eva has had a similar number while on display in Gt Yarmouth.
With a permanent base the display period could be extended, the educational work could also be extended providing an opportunity for Tourism, Leisure and Catering to thrive.
With a permanent base Lowestoft would be able to encorage other heritage vessels to visit and display themselves which could develope into a festival in its own right as well as complementing the current Fish Festival of Lowestoft and the Maritme Festival of Gt Yarmouth.
The Excelsior has its own Trust which provides a slipway and repair facility in Lake Lothing.
I have attached the The Lydia Eva & Mincarlo Charitable Trust latest newsletter as it summarisies some of the achievments thus far.
From the above and for your consideration I would ask that you make provision for Heritage Vessels in the Lowestoft Lake Lothing & Outer Harbour Area Action Plan.
As this is for consultation I would welcome the opportunity to discuss the above at your convenience should you require that.
Regards
Alan Bagley Chairman of the Lydia Eva and Mincarlo Charitable Trust. Friends of Lydia Eva and Mincarlo
£1 suggested SPRING 2010 newsletter donation Full steam ahead for Lydia Eva It was the sight that said it all. “It was very successful. The only thing we The culmination of a dream as the have identified is that she needs more Lydia Eva manoeuvred under her ballast to make her more stable in the Merchant Mariners on decks of Mincarlo in own steam and chugged across wind,” he said. Lowestoft harbour - Bob Blizzard MP and Frank Lake Lothing at Lowestoft. Mortimer, Town Mayor, present. Trustee Dona Watson said the triumph Shaking off decades of desolation, the was a great relief after a last-moment Mincarlo set to unique survivor of our fishing heritage crisis when their steam engineer had to brought tears of joy as she ploughed her unavoidably pull out of the trials. take her turn passage on the maiden voyage following There will have to be a quick tidy-up for her revival. “Following a local appeal however we the Mincarlo this spring but, when the Lydia found six people and she got up steam Eva has finally settled down, the next task There was double cause for celebration successfully over a weekend. They fired for the Trust is to raise funds and put the among her supporters as the moment the engine on Saturday morning and it Mincarlo into the same beautiful state. came just a few days before March 31st, was an absolutely brilliant success.” the crucial date set to qualify for Lottery In Spring last year, Mincarlo left the heritage support. The motion trials at Smalls yard on March pontoon for the trawl dock so that the 24th marked a key milestone in the berth could be dredged. It was long It also brought back the confidence that Lydia Eva’s restoration ahead of her 80th overdue, as the ship had been grounding at the Lydia Eva would be ready to make birthday this summer. low water and causing damage to herself her way ‘home’ to Great Yarmouth under and the pontoon. her own steam in May. The drifter has already attracted thousands of enthusiasts in her new This year, Brian Brereton has resigned from Ship’s husband Tony Furlong-Osborne role as a floating museum, moored at the Friends, and another year has passed said the first steam voyage could not have Yarmouth’s South Quay, adding a new without the old trawler having her usual in- gone any smoother. element to its growing heritage quarter. depth winter maintenance.
Mincarlo had just under 9,000 visitors last year with 5,600 for the Lydia Eva. Amazingly, the average donation per visitor was the same in each port! A total of more than £9,000 was received. If we can maintain that level of support, we should be able to keep both vessels in good condition.
The Mincarlo also made a great backdrop for photos when the Merchant Mariners Association visited the Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club to present badges to merchant mariners who served in the war. End of an era as Bob stands easy Goodbye to Brian Bob Davis has played a vital role For more than 18 years Brian Brereton aboard twice a throughout our work with the Lydia Eva has been a dedicated volunteer worker. day, every day, and Mincarlo since 1990 but, at 87, has He was chairman of the Friends and ensuring that she decided it’s time to ease off and relax a responsible for organising the volunteer did not sink before little with his wife Eileen. crews aboard Mincarlo. we could get the grants to save her, He has spent many hours on board the Every summer he was on board four and later stripping Lydia, working on the machinery and as a days a week and every winter he was out the interior ready for the work to volunteer guide, and on the Mincarlo he doing all the maintenance jobs that start. Now he has hung up his cap and has regularly run the engine and kept the creep up over the summer months. smock - and will be much missed. engineroom in order. While the Lydia Eva was laid up in Roy Balls, vice-chairman, has now been Although he promises to be at the end of Lowestoft for seven years, he was elected as new Friends chairman. the telephone for advice, his presence and experience will be greatly missed.
Walter ‘Bob’ Davis began his career with an engineering apprenticeship in A year in the 1938 at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, then volunteered for the Royal Navy and life of a Lydia spent the Second World War with HMS Unicorn, in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Eva crew supporting the main fleet.
He married Eileen in 1946 and had a member varied career with Blue Funnel’s shore maintenance crew, the Mersey Docks & Even though it needs three crew Harbour Board, Rolls Royce, as a marine members aboard the Lydia Eva before engineer working on gas turbine test beds the public is allowed in, the enthusiastic in Derby, and with an oil additive research support of the volunteers has made it laboratory. possible to keep the ship open for six days a week, May-October 2009. In 1978, Bob and Eileen worked for Voluntary Service Overseas for 18 months And it has been a rewarding experience in Papua New Guinea, running a timber with much to interest and often amuse mill and training the local staff. A further the crew. Crew members David and Anton. stint was in Cambodia, repairing and replacing engines in two ferries without Many people told us their stories about “But if you don’t go, you get belly ache,” any shipyard or dry dock available. In relatives who sailed on the Lydia Eva in the commented one. 1990 he was elected Plant Engineer of the 1930s and we’re gradually piecing together Year by the Institution of Plant Engineers an even fuller account of the ship’s history. I explained to one young family about the for this work. And finally, he spent three It’s turned us all into Miss Marples, looking original features on board, including the months in Fiji! for more clues as to what life was like on range for cooking in the galley and the the historic steam-driver drifter and when large pot for making meals. We think he must have found looking and where she fished. after the Lydia Eva a very tame affair. The daughter was quick to point out that Visiting children have added to the it was not authentic to have our electric fascination and they love hearing tales kettle. from the past and adding their own comments. We had to explain that the kettle was there so that today’s crew could make a One lad, when told that herrings were cuppa - and that the electric supply was called silver darlings, remarked: “My gran installed only so that we could light the is not a silver darling, she’s a silver surfer.” way for visitors!
Some boys seemed keen to become Hopefully, everyone throughout the year fisherman when they learned there were left more enlightened. no washing facilities on board. But they were less convinced about not having a toilet. Sandra Sanderson Party time again on the Lydia The Lydia Eva truly becomes a grand old lady when she celebrates her 80th birthday on June 27th this year.
She was launched on that day in 1930 and the anniversary and virtual completion of her restoration is a great ‘Leaving Lowestoft’ party time. excuse for a party at Great Yarmouth. a new decade will bring new crew There are plans for events on the quay members to join us for an interesting and alongside the Lydia and a reception in fun-packed time. Contact us if you are the Town Hall for helpers and funders. interested. We hope you will all come along. Watch out for more details on the website or On another day last October, we hosted give us a call or email. a visit by 24 tourism managers from holiday spots across the country as part We’re getting quite used to parties on of the Great Yarmouth British Resorts The crew mark the season’s end. board. Last May, before the Lydia Eva Conference for Event Manages. left Lowestoft for Yarmouth, we invited all the shipyard workers, boatbuilders, Volunteers Anton Beuzekamp and Bob volunteers, tugmaster, film makers, Burman showed guests around while and others to join us for an informal Dona Watson also introduced them to celebration and presented them with The Lydia Eva & Mincarlo Charitable eye-catching sweatshirts. Trust and the South Quay, where we are moored. At the end of the season, in October, when the Lydia was made ready to Alan Carr, Greater Yarmouth Tourist return to the shipyard for winter Authority chief executive, used the Alan Carr chats to tourism managers. maintenance, the crew enjoyed a ship’s hold, our new museum, for a pleasant farewell evening on board, all power-point presentation about Great sporting their healthy suntans from our Yarmouth’s Maritime Festival. days in the sunshine and fresh air on board. Our visitors were all extremely impressed with Lydia Eva and the We are all looking forward to meeting facilities she had to offer which the up again. Hopefully the beginning of GYTA hope to use again. Fond farewell before leaving Lowestoft. Museum boosted by WREN and SET grants The long-term efforts to gain Landfill and schools. More in-depth research Tax Credit grants has finally paid off is being done to expand the details with Biffaward giving £45,000 for the available for those with particular decks and woodwork, SET (Suffolk interests. Environmental Trust) handing over £20,000 and WREN granting £45,000 We would like also to translate the towards the museum. main display panels into French, Dutch, and German - and would be grateful The museum is virtually complete for offers of help or suggestions. and is being well received by visitors New museum display on board. Cutty Sark Trust discovery ODE helps Joining the The Cutty Sark Trust has discovered some boxes marked “Lydia Eva” which proved to be lost information from the pay for Trust Maritime Trust in the days when they had the ship. Tony Tibbenham is sorting Bernadette Bidmead’s contract as them out and has found a number of first coal education officer came to an end in photographs we don’t have copies December and we are delighted she has of along with minutes of meetings at Engineering contractors ODE gave us now joined the board of the Trust, so we which the ship’s fate was determined - £1,000 towards the cost of the coal to will continue to benefit from her skills and a wonderful addition to our archive. fire up the Lydia Eva’s boiler for the first commitment. time last May. Other new members are Tony Furlong- Blessing of the nets Chris Jones from the Historic Dockyard at Osborne, who has taken on the role of A special service in St Nicholas Chatham visited with some volunteers to ship’s husband for the Lydia Eva, and Don parish church, Great Yarmouth, was help guide us through the process. Edwards, who is our schools guide and held last October to celebrate the co-ordinator. Rupert Bragg has become medieval tradition of blessing the nets The trial revealed a cracked condenser company secretary. of local fishermen of the town and end and an inoperable general service to pray for them before they went pump. So we had a new end cast, to sea. It was followed by a herring machined and fitted, and the pump went snack and money was raised towards away with one of the Chatham volunteers restoring the organ and fabric of the for servicing, finally returning in October. church. Dona Watson read one of the lessons at the invitation of Mrs Pamela Boon, one of our volunteer crew who, together with her husband Michael Boon, helped organise the service. There was a collection for the Lydia Bernadette aboard the Lydia Eva. Eva and Mincarlo Trust.
Restoration film The restoration film made by the Phoenix group of the Lowestoft Chairman Alan Bagley’s children get their hands Cine and Camcorder Club is all but dirty in the engine room. complete with just the steaming of the ship to follow. It lasts 28 minutes and is available on DVD for £10, including postage, from the Trust.
Lottery Fund signs us off Although the restoration of Lydia Eva is not quite completed - with some sea trials to come - the Heritage Lottery Fund have “signed us off” for ship, museum, education, and Paul Chilvers hands over the £1,000 cheque to Don Edwards with school group. volunteers. It’s a triumph for all the Alan Bagley. hard work put in by workers, literally va & Min too many to mention. a E nca dia ar yd l o L Conference aims achieved
YH89 LT412 Tony Tibbenham and Chris Monkhouse attended the Association of Charitable Trust Independent Museums Conference Contact us at Ellesmere Port Boat Museum last If you are interested in becoming a trustee or volunteer with the Lydia Eva and year. They learned about the wider Mincarlo Trust - or want to make a donation or help with fundraising - you can get museum world and picked up tips more details by contacting the treasurer Christine Monkhouse at: about volunteers, accounts and social 75 Normanston Drive, Lowestoft NR32 2PU. Phone: 01502 565234 networking. Our ship is well known in Email: [email protected] Visit website: www.lydiaeva.org.uk the independent museum world.