Golden Chaffcutter Thames Sailing Barge Trust Issue 129 www.bargetrust.org August 2020 From the 1 Helm Membership 2 Matters Car Stickers 2 Centaur 3 Recognised as Dunkirk Little Ship Bill Watson 3 Skipper of Pudge Display at 5 Fulbridge New Stock & 6 Pop-up Shop Pudge 6 Update I Like Big 8 Boats I Centaur all ready for the season after the delayed rigging out due to Covid 19. Cannot Lie Picture by John Rayment Centaur 8 Update From the Helm Laying Up 9 Supper and What a strange year this has lighted however that we have was very positive. Please make Covid 19 been. All of that lovely weath- been able to rig out Centaur sure that you book a trip on Cen- er in May when we should ready for a burst of short sails taur if you can. Numbers may Dates for 9 have been sailing, mixed in to end the season. Rigging Cen- well be restricted, so don’t delay. your Diary with waves of uncertainty as taur is so important. We to to whether we would sail at make sure that she is looking Keeping with a positive theme, all. It really has kept the her best and attracting the at- work on Pudge is now progress- Trust Sails 10 Committee on their toes, and tention of Maldon’s visitors as ing at a pace with the old deck in fact busier than if both they may well be the crew of stripped away, and new beams AGM and 10 Centaur and Pudge had been tomorrow. starting to go in. As we anticipat- Covid 19 out and about gracing the ed, the opening up of Pudge has I should again record my per- exposed a few areas for addition- AGM Notice 11 East Coast with their pres- ence. sonal thanks to Tim Jepson and al work, but nothing too serious. Geoff Harris who have beavered The viewing area at Fullbridge is In fact, it has been tough try- away in their own isolated world now open with some very profes- ing to remain positive on the to get Centaur ready to rig. sional visitor information boards sailing front, as the marine created by John Rayment and leisure sector has been well The membership was asked to students from the Plume Acade- down the national list of prior- provide feedback on whether, or my. As part of our Lottery com- ities, and useable guidance not there was an appetite for mitment, John has built a great short day sails and the response thin on the ground. I am de- (Continued on page 2) Page 2 (Continued from page 1) from passing visitors. far, I expect another twist or two still come. relationship with Plume Acade- Lee Shepherd, our roving in my which I am sure will con- house photographer is keeping For the first time in a while, I tinue. a comprehensive record of the wish “good sailing” with some Pudge work including time lapse confidence that it might hap- You may also have noticed photos which as well as being pen. another of John’s excellent published from time to time, will projects, the pop up shop on be retained in the Trust archive Peter Taylor the Quay. John’s team of vol- for future reference. Acting Chairman unteers have been regularly manning the shop for a couple As I write these notes, it does of weeks now and have gener- feel as if things are moving ated sails of our range as well along nicely on track but given as generating lots of interest the way this year has gone so Membership Matters Following the membership months: Maldon, Essex renewal process at the begin- CM9 6FQ. ning of the year, we unfortu- Paul Mason of Maldon Tel: 07587 141054 or at: nately lost a number of mem- David Prime of Bristol [email protected]. bers who did not renew for a variety of reasons. It is im- The Trust has a life membership Membership rates for new portant that we try and main- category and we are pleased to members are now: tain our membership at rea- announce that one of our Full Member: £35 pa sonable levels as the income members has recently upgraded Joint Membership £50 pa from fees goes towards sup- his membership to that of a life Joint Concession £40 pa porting the Trust’s activities. member. If any other members Corporate Membership £360 would like to consider the same pa If you know of anyone who then please contact the mem- Life Membership £600 would like to become a mem- bership secretary. (Concession [65+] £400) ber, please get them to enrol. Joint Life Membership £900 This can be done on line or by If you have any questions about (Concession [65+] £600) contacting me. membership, please contact the membership secretary, John John Rayment New members in the last two Rayment at: 25 Repertor Drive, Car Sticker Included with your newsletter until we knew what we were The aim is to get the Trust’s this month is a free car sticker going to be doing in terms of name out into the public do- which we would like you to sailing decided to delay distribu- main and hopefully promote put in your car to help pro- tion to the membership. the Trust’s activities. mote the Trust. If you do not have a car, then Many thanks The Trust had these printed at maybe there is a window in the beginning of the year but which you could place it. Trustees IMPORTANT INFORMATION Please see pages 9 & 10 in respect of arrangements for the Trust’s Annual General Meeting and this years Laying Up Supper. Although we at present plan to hold these it does depend on circumstances at the time so it is important that if you plan to attend either event you read the details on these pages and action accordingly. Thank you —Trustees Golden Chaffcutter Thames Sailing Barge Trust I s s u e 1 2 8 Page 3 Centaur Recognised as a Dunkirk Little Ship The BBC announced on the 14th May 1940 ings sliced through. came to an end. "The Admiralty have made an Order re- But for a good ol’ bumping, it didn’t SB Lark was abandoned on the beach- questing all owners of self-propelled seem we’d taken any harm, though es, and discovered by a group of sol- pleasure craft between 30' and 100' in we had a good look round. Presently diers and sailed back towards England. length to send all particulars to the Admi- soldiers came aboard’. When the navy took off the survivors, ralty within 14 days from today if they sb Lark was sunk by gunfire”. have not already been offered or requisi- ‘We’re going to start a-loading you tioned" skipper.’ That’s all right I say, for Centaur left Dover on the 4th June to we’d already uncovered. Presently return to Cooks Yard at Maldon for Centaur had been requisitioned for the though, one of the soldiers came repairs. evacuation and towed to Dover with sb down aft, ‘There’s water a-coming The application for Centaur to be Lady Roseberry and sb Duchess. Unfortu- into your barge’ he says ‘I knew that recorgnised as a Dunkirk Little Ship nately, she did not get the opportunity to for they started making a bulkhead of was led by Steve de la Salle, a Trust travel to Dunkirk. Arthur Keeble was cans of drinking water under the mast trainee who spends the winter months skipper and Jimmy Polly was mate. In case’ helping with her maintenance. the Trust book ‘Centaur - Commemora- ‘No, no’, he says, ‘she’s leaking skip- tion of a Centenary’, it recalls the story per.’ Perhaps when Pudge is restored the told by skipper Arthur Keeble of when “Dear O dear! So, she was too, water Trust maybe able to use both of our Centaur was lying in The Prince of Wales all over the ceiling in the hold, and we barges to celebrate the anniversary of Dock, Dover alongside the yacht barge had a rare ol’ job a pumping. Me and the evacuation. James Piper, which had been on her way the poor ol’ mate was at it all night to the Thames from the south coast, long. A naval officer came along a when a tug came in at excessive speed. took a look at us. ‘The soldiers worn’t to put no more aboard’, he said. That “Some of our chaps started a-singing out. stuff was too valuable to chance los- ‘Don’t you worry, I said, he won’t hit us. ing it, so they loaded it into sb Lark He can stop her’ But he didn’t. He came instead. into us head first. So it was that Centaur’s opportunity James Piper being outside, got her coam- to sail across the English Channel Bill Watson—Skipper of Pudge 1923— 1949 As part of the research work the James Watson. 1846-1881 Trust is undertaking relating to Pudge’s Heritage Lottery Grant, Both Elizabeth and James were born in Jean Rogers and Geoffrey Pugh Barling and married in 1869 at All have been trying to research the Saints Church Barling. life of Bill Watson who was the skipper on Pudge when she went The Browns and the Watsons were to Dunkirk. both quite prominent families in Bar- ling. Below are the findings from the work that they have undertaken. The Browns were agricultural whilst Editor Elizabeth’s father Samuel farmed 43 acres of land and employed 3 workers.