SPRING 2010 NEWS
There are some wonderful events coming up in the next few months - one very
soon:
Fish & Chips Supper
Friday 19th March - 7:30pm
To be held at the Estuary Rooms, London Road, Leigh to celebrate the
70th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation.
All
this for only £10.50!!!
But you must ring Reta now to reserve your space (01702 474987).
Telling About It
The photograph shows an existing board adjacent to the Endeavour mooring and
explains the wildlife to be seen on the mudflats.
Thanks to assistance from Abbie Greenwood and Lynn Jones at Southend Borough
Council, we have obtained permission to erect a similar signboard giving the
history of Endeavour. This will be erected near to the wildlife board
overlooking Endeavour on her mooring. We are now applying for a grant to
cover the cost.
Return to Dunkirk
Over the last week in May, Endeavour will be returning to Dunkirk escorted
by many other Dunkirk veteran boats and the Royal Navy. We will not be
running a coach on this occasion, but those of you who enjoyed the hotel
last time could book direct.
Hotel Borel
6 Rue L Hermitte
59140 Dunkerque
France
Tel: 00 33 328 665180
The service at the memorial will take place on the morning of Sunday 30th
May.
FREE
CONTINENTAL CRUISE
There is still space for intrepid mariners to go on Endeavour, and enjoy the
excellent cuisine, toilet facilities and service from the attendants! The
basic details are that you will be leaving Leigh to sail to Ramsgate (stage
1). After an overnight stay she will be off to Dunkirk early in the morning
with the other vessels (stage 2). Two full days in Belgium followed by the
return to Ramsgate (stage 3) and back to Leigh (stage 4).
All these stages are of course dependant on the weather, but you will have
Paul Gilson as skipper and a full working crew. For full details of dates
and availability contact Peter Dolby on 01702 473781.
As with all good cruises, space is limited, so you are advised to book
early.
Heads or Loos
Call the toilet on board whatever you like, but the days have long gone when
a bucket was the only receptacle necessary on a boat. We have agreed to fit
a toilet on board Endeavour so decorum can be retained by all who sail on
her, when taken short.
Keeping Her Good Looks
Painting Endeavour is not only important to ensure she looks her best, but
also to preserve the wooden structure. Thanks to efforts by David Spurgeon
we hope to obtain the necessary paint free of charge from a manufacturer.
Finlay Marshall (01702 712308) will be leading a team to apply the paint in
the spring. He would be delighted to hear from anyone wishing to help out.
The underwater part of Endeavour's hull will be anti-fouled by Finlay's crew
at Dauntless Boatyard, when her stern tube, propeller and steering will also
be serviced.
Youth at the Helm
All of us advanced in age, (and some of us are at the 'everest' end), are
looking at getting younger enthusiast involved.
David Norman is contacting all the yacht and sailing clubs in the area to
offer some sailing on Endeavour with a view of them becoming regular crew
and then possibly another skipper.
SUMMER 2009 NEWS
Endeavour Annual General Meeting
The AGM of the Endeavour
Trust will take place at 7:30 pm at New Road Methodist Church in Old Leigh
on Friday 23rd of October 2009.
All members are invited to
attend.
Apologies
Due to a technical issue, we
are currently unable to provide the full newsletter online. We will ensure
this is rectified as soon as possible, but please accept our apologies in
the meantime.
SPRING 2009 NEWS
Endeavour Annual Dinner
Once again a super meal on the ex-minesweeper Wilton in
Leigh. This time it's in June. The tide will be in, so it's all set for a
lovely evening out.
Friday 19th June 19:30 Hours
3 Course dinner £16.50 per person
Tickets are going fast, so please contact Reta Cocks (01702
474987 or 6 Hadleigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea,
Essex,
SS9 2DY) to ensure your booking.
Sailing Programme
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Endeavour has been invited to the Chatham Historic Ships
Rally on 26th June when a whole flotilla of vessels will be
gathering. It will be a great event and the possibility exists to
either go over with Endeavour or return with her - please note your
interest on the Sailing Form.
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"What's that
down there?" Restorers, electrician and Mike King discuss what needs
to be done at the Brightlingsea winter site
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Other Noteworthy Events
August 1-7 Cadet Week at the Essex Yacht Club
August 14 Southend Barge Match starting at the end of Southend Pier
August 23 Leigh Fishing Festival based around Bell Wharf/Victoria Wharf in
Old Leigh
Spring is Sprung, The Grass is Riz,' I Wonder Where Endeavour Is?
She's back in Leigh after her winter tidy up, all ready for
the sailing season. Some work was undertaken by her restorers Brian and Saun,
with much painting and varnishing by Finlay Marshall, who also acted as crew
when our sailing secretary Jeremy Squier moved her to and from Brightlingsea.
So she is ready for you to see and possibly have a trip on
her. The sailing programme is noted elsewhere in the newsletter, but she
will probably be available at many other times.
We can only advise you of availability if you let us know
that you want to experience Endeavour under way. To register your interest,
please complete the sailing form. We will
contact you when a suitable occasion arises.
Nostalgia Corner
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Where we found her in Kent, with all sorts of weird junk
around her.
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Re-Christening at Bell Wharf with admiring crowd watching the
event.
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Dave Spurgeon many years ago! - now a Trustee.
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SPRING 2009 NEWS
Here She Comes
No
sailing is devoid of effort or movement, but the comparative lightness of
dinghy spars is a million miles away from Endeavour's heavy spars.
Although her mainsail is loose footed (it does not have a
spar at the bottom) it is itself made of heavy material, and the top spar or
gaff is weighty too. Considerable effort is needed to raise the sail, and
one had to be aware of its power when tacking as the sail charges across the
boat.
Incidentally, the skipper of the power boat being used by
the photographer wisely took evasive action before Endeavour's bowsprit
turned all the occupants into kebabs!
You and You and You!
In the armed forces, that was how one 'volunteered' but we are much more
friendly! However, we do need volunteers to do some sanding, varnishing and
painting.
Most work will be under cover at Jeremy Squier's yard in Canewdon, but
all the blocks (see picture on page 3) for instance, could be done at home.
Sergeant Major Finlay Marshall is in charge. You can contact him on 01702
712308.
A Few Improvements
When
we set out to trying to answer for restore Endeavour, great care was taken
to have her exactly as she was when launched in 1924.
Many visitors have commended us on how traditional she is. The only 'improvements' made at restoration stage were the addition of modern
instrumentation and modern sailcloth, that faithfully replicated the
original material.
Back in 1924, the average local person would probably be involved in a bit
of scrumping, but today's serious thieving is rife in the boating world -
probably because items can be readily sold. We therefore need a secure
locker in the hold for life jackets, fenders and warps as it is easy to gain
access to the hold itself, because the boards that go over the large opening
cannot be secured in position.
We propose to rectify the security situation and Brian Kennell, who carried
out the original restoration with Shaun White, is going to undertake some
modifications to the hold area - none of which will affect the look of
Endeavour. This will all take place at Brightlingsea where Brian is working
on the Thames barge Thalatta. Some re-wiring will also be done
together with a service of the Lester engine.
Mike King will be responsible for keeping an eagle eye on the work as it
progresses. None of this is of course without cost and demonstrates the need
for your continued membership to the Endeavour Trust.
Where Is She?
A
question often asked, and one which we are often trying to answer for
everyone. The photo shows a sign, provided by Ken Myall Signs, which
is in a prominent position on the west face of Osborne's building in the Old
Town. Our thanks go to both these companies for providing their services and
the site respectively.
There are two moorings in Leigh that are available to us; one to the east of
the Two Tree slipway provided by Richard King, and the other just off Old
Leigh, level with the east end of the bridge, provided by Reta Cocks. Both
of them have advantages and disadvantages - Endeavour floats much earlier at
Two Tree and so it is more useful when Endeavour is being used - but it is
several hundred yards from the slipway and consequently not easy to spot.
The Old Town mooring is great for public viewing, but she'll only be afloat
for a little time each side of high water.
So, how do we plan to use the facilities to the best effect? Wherever
Endeavour has an imminent sailing day or days, she will be moved from 'the viewing mooring' (VM) to Two Tree ready for action, and will return to VM
only when no other sailing is planned. A dinghy will be placed in Old Leigh
for boarding, towed to Two Tree and kept ashore there ready for the next
boarding, and will return to VM with Endeavour.
All this is under the auspices of the Vice-President Jeremy Squier, who has
assumed the role of 'Sailing Secretary'. He will always know where Endeavour
is at any one time, and has a list of available skippers and crew.
Lest We Forget
A report from the
Vice-Admiral Dover on Dunkirk work done by the Leigh Boats.
| COCKLE BAWLEY BOATS |
31 May 1940 |
|
|
| 12:30 |
The flotilla of 6 boats (including Endeavour LO41 -
Skipper P O Halls) left Southend for Dunkirk, in company |
| 14:10 |
Passed Margate roads. The flotilla was ordered to
proceed direct to Dunkirk |
| 18:20/18:40 |
Air attacks. The flotilla scattered |
| 18:50 |
Spitfires drove off enemy attack. At least 5 German
planes crashed into the sea |
| 19:15 |
Dunkirk roads |
| 19:30 |
Found it impracticable for the boats to work off the
beach |
| 21:30 |
The boats embarked troops from outside Dunkirk jetty,
transferring them to the Sk Tilly and other ships |
| 22:40 |
The swell made the work difficult, so the flotilla, in
formation, entered the harbour |
| 23:50/1 June 01:45ca |
The flotilla embarked about 200 troops, 100 of which
were transferred by 4 of the Bawley boats to the drifter Sarah Hayes
the remainder to other ships. From then on the Bawley boats worked
independently.
|
All Aboard
Give
our lovely lady a fair wind and she certainly moves.
This picture was taken when she was giving youngsters a taste of what sailing used to be
like.
Although many of the cadets have sailed in
modern dinghies - Toppers, Lasers etc - Endeavour is a totally different
sort of sailing.
"They all come off the boat with a broad 'Endeavour Smile'," says Paul Gilson.
A Great Evening
Our annual dinner was very
successful as you can see from the slightly fuzzy photographs. We have
decided to change the date but not the venue for our next outing which
will be late Spring/early Summer on the Wilton. Watch this space - we will
keep you informed on the details.
Expert Restorer Brian Kennell with professional boat painter Debbie
Cannon
John Milgate, our restoration guru with Saun White
Who's that just come in?
Model Behaviour
A model of Endeavour in her shrimping days
SUMMER 2008 NEWS
A Change at the Top
Mike King, Chairman
of the Management Committee that raised the money to restore Endeavour, has
decided to step down.
Mike has been at the helm since 2001 when both the Endeavour Trust and the
Management Committee, overseeing the day-to-day running, were established
and has seen Endeavour restored from a very poor condition to her present
excellent state.
Mike
recalls his first sight of and subsequent involvement in Endeavour, "When
Mike Guy from the Leigh Times, Peter Wexham, a previous owner, the late John
Porter and I went to Kent and saw Endeavour it was obvious that we couldn't
just leave her to rot. We agreed then to move her to Leigh and she returned
on a huge low loader to be welcomed back to her home-town.
Much activity, both in money raising and physical work, resulted in a
sparkling Endeavour going back to Dunkirk four years later. I am grateful to
the many people who have put in a lot of hard work during the restoration."
He continued, "I would especially like to mention Reta Cocks, Finlay
Marshall and Peter Dolby. The last two of these sailed with skipper Paul
Gilson to Dunkirk in 2005; both are now involved in the Management
Committee. Finlay is responsible for the upkeep of Endeavour and Peter has
agreed to take over from me as Management Committee Chair.
"Peter is no stranger to Leigh and has many recent successes to his name from
chairing the Leigh-on-Sea Town Council for two years to making a great
success of the Leigh Fishing Festival. Both Peter's father Russell and
grandfather were Leigh fishermen, and I feel that Peter is the ideal choice
to take over the Chair."
The Endeavour Trust itself, which is a Registered Charity, is separate from
the Management Committee that looks after, and is responsible to the
Endeavour Trust for, the day-to-day operations of Endeavour. Mike King has
not severed all his connections with the Endeavour as he will retain his
position as Chairman of the Endeavour Trust and stay on the Management
Committee.
AGM and Accounts
The icons below link
to the Annual General Meeting agenda, minutes and Chairman's report from
August 2008 and the Balance Sheet and Accounts of the Endeavour Trust from
2008.
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| AGM Agenda |
AGM Minutes |
Chairman's Report |
Balance Sheet & Accounts |
All documents are in Adobe PDF format. If you do
not have Adobe PDF Reader, you can download it by clicking
here. To save documents to your hard drive, place your mouse over the
relevant icon, right click and select 'Save'.
What an Evening!
Over eighty happy diners sat down on the Wilton,
headquarters of the Essex Yacht Club, for a great evening on Friday 30th
May. The evening was a joint exercise by Reta Cocks, Heather and Paul
Gilson, and was deemed to be a great success. Those present included
veterans Frank Grove and Bill Reynolds, ably looked after by Bill's
grandson.
Also most welcome were John Milgate, Brian Kennell and Shaun
White who were responsible for advice and restoration of our lovely
Endeavour, A splendid evening aboard the Wilton and who were
accompanied by their respective spouses.
The evening was enlivened by a spirited discourse between
Reta and Peter Dolby, while the latter showed the initial draft of the
PowerPoint slide presentation designed for use at presentations to schools
and other gatherings.
Mooring - the Final Solution
Previous Newsletters have detailed the dilemma of where to
keep Endeavour, trying to balance the demands of easy access and visibility
with safety and prevention of vandalism. Thanks to the generosity of
Endeavour Trust member Richard King, we now have a mooring to the East of
Two Tree Island slipway, to the South of the main creek. Richard has
also made space available for a dinghy on the rack to get crew out to
Endeavour from the slipway.
What? No Water?
Spring was a little late this year, and so were the tides. Endeavour spent
her winter in Leigh Marina and was pulled out for the spring clean, paint
and anti-foul, but then got fouled up (ugh!) and stranded. Finlay and his
merry painters did a grand job, but unfortunately re-enter into the water of
Leigh creek was somewhat delayed.
Safety Afloat
Sailing is a lovely pastime, and when it is done in a classic
like Endeavour, it is doubly enjoyable. However, pleasure can easily
turn to disaster if safety rules are ignored. Your Committee was very
lucky to lure the Deputy Leader of Southend Council to undertake a full
safety evaluation of Endeavour. John Lamb - no mean sailor himself -
used to conduct these evaluations in his professional life. He spent
some time on the Endeavour and drew up a full Risk Assessment.
As a result of this, we now have special purpose made webbing
straps, running the length of the boat on both sides. Anyone
progressing along the decks wearing the special life jackets with harness
can clip on and be quite safe. Passengers, also wearing life jackets,
are in the hold area where they can see all that goes on, and are safely out
of the way.
Eel Fishing - Dave Spurgeon,
one time skipper/owner
of Endeavour
"I would like to dedicate this story to the memory of
Dudley Cooper, who was sadly lost overboard in the river Crouch in June
2007. A good friend lost." -
Dave Spurgeon
The Endeavour over the
course of a year had to do lots of different jobs as the seasons went by.
White weeding as well as angling parties in the winter, shrimping, fishing
for Dover Soles and eel fishing in the summer. For small boats to catch
eels, you had to 'pair trawl' for them. This is achieved by towing a big net
in-between two boats. I used to pair trawl with my friend, Dudley Cooper. We
had been fishing in the river Crouch for about two weeks. Most eel fishing
is done at night. We had been catching 150 to 250lbs of eels each night.
This particular night, as we
went aboard at Walasea Marina it started raining. By the time we had steamed
up to Fambridge to start fishing, it had turned from slight rain to the
worst rain storm for years. We could see lights moving about behind the sea
wall. These belonged to water board men opening the sluice gates in the
dykes to let the water go into the river (they were hand operated in those
days). We started fishing, and after about an hour we hauled and caught
about 60 to 70lbs of eels. We then moved up river a bit and shot the net
again. This time we had about 300lbs of eels.
"This is really good,"
Dudley said, "So let's move up again and have another go." So we went up
river just below Hullbridge and shot the net again. When we hauled about an
hour later, I said to Dudley that we had caught something heavy in the net.
What happened next, I will
remember for the rest of my life. When we got the net to the side of the
boat, we could see it was all fish; hundreds and hundreds of pounds of eels.
Now we had a problem. Where to keep them? You have to swim eels for about 36
hours before you can send them to market. By putting eels into wooden boxes
with lots of holes in them, the water flows through the boxes keeping them
alive. They also empty their gut and then they stay alive for weeks with
just a trickle of running water on them. Anyway, back to the story; we had
enough eel boxes for about 800lbs of eels. We found an old eel net in the
hold of the Endeavour and tied up one end. We put the rest of the eels into
the net and tied up the other end.
We put floats all along the
net to keep it up and left the eels to swim well. What a night! The biggest
rain storm in years and the best catch the Endeavour had ever had. 36 hours
later, we sent the eels to Billingsgate market. When we got our tally back
from the market we were paid for 1,100 lbs of eels!
This for two small boats was
just fantastic. The best night's work Dudley and myself had ever had. Well
done the Endeavour.
"Hallo, Hal-lo 41"
"Why has that green boat
got LO41 on it?"
asked a small boy.
"Because it's a tripper
boat and the manager calls out "Hal-lo 41"
when he wants it back in,"
said the ill-informed father.
MAY 2005 NEWS
Endeavour At Sea
Endeavour
once more sails off the shore of Leigh-on-Sea. There will be news and
pictures from Endeavour's blessing ceremony soon as well as a report on her
trip to Dunkirk.
APRIL 2005 NEWS
Endeavour's Return
At
last Endeavour has returned to her home port of Leigh-on-Sea after
restoration at Great Totham. She returned to the same yard where she was
originally built, but the yard is now called Leigh Marina. She still needs a
bit of work before she is ready for the open sea and her trip to Dunkirk,
but the Trust is sure she will be ready in time. Next stop on her intinery
is a blessing at Strand Wharf on Saturday 23rd April at 12.30 pm all
supporters welcome.
MARCH 2005 NEWS
Endeavour Returns to Leigh & Dunkirk News
The restoration of Endeavour is progressing well and on
the afternoon of Friday 8th April she will return to Leigh, where work such
as fixing the rigging, installing the engine and electrics and fitting the
sails will be undertaken. On Saturday the 23rd April at 2.30pm, there will
be a short ceremony to welcome her back, which will be held on Strand Wharf.
On the 25th May she will set sail for Dunkirk in order to
be part of the wreath-laying ceremony in Dunkirk Harbour on Sunday 29th May,
returning to Leigh in early June.
If you would like to be at the ceremony in Dunkirk we are
hoping to send a coach party on the 28th staying overnight, returning on
Sunday 29th after the ceremony, cost £72.
Alternatively, there will be a service in St. Johns
Church in Church Road, Southend (behind the Royals Shopping Centre (click
here for a map) on Sunday 29th May at 11.15am which will be attended by
the remaining Local Dunkirk Veterans.
JANUARY 2005 NEWS
New Engine arrives for Endeavour
Back
in September of 2004 work to complete the restoration of Endeavour restarted
and is progressing well. The hull has now been re-planked and Reta Cocks has
done a wonderful job sticking wooden plugs into every screw hole - and there
were rather a lot of them. Peter Dolby and Finlay Marshall are also doing a
great job painting just about everything that can't move out of the way. The
steamed timbers have been put in place and the beam shelf fixed round.
The
deck beams have now been fitted along with the bulkheads. The stern tube has
been made and fitted into the pre-drilled hole and the decking is now being
laid. Steve Cocks has ordered the fuel tanks from a company in Southampton
and is organising the gearbox, prop shaft and propeller.
Peter and Finlay
have been putting coat after coat of varnish on the mast and spars and they
now have quite a shine to them. The sails are being made in Tollsbury and
work has now started on the rigging. Because time is getting short we now
have four craftsman working full time on the restoration as it was felt that
the sooner work is completed the better.
The intention is to return
Endeavour to Leigh sometime in March so that the finishing work like the
rigging can be completed, the final painting done and she can be re-launched
in April. Obviously the actual dates are still to be agreed but will be set
as soon as it is practical to do so. There is still quite a lot of work to
be done before she can return to Leigh, but the work is definitely
proceeding well.
If you would like to support the work of the Trust by
becoming a member, please contact the membership secretary on 01702 713325.
Endeavour as she looked in the 1950s/60s
Please check in the news section for more pictures of the Endeavour as she
takes shape.
SEPTEMBER 2004 NEWSLETTER
New Engine arrives for Endeavour
It
is said that all good things come to those who wait. So a small group of
Trust members gathered in Old Leigh on Thursday the 19th of Aug 04 and took
possession of the new Lister four cylinder diesel engine which, as you will
recall, has been supplied to the Trust at cost price by Peter Thompson of
Marine Engine Services Ltd of Uxbridge, who are the distributors for Lister,
and marinise the engines and gearboxes, so that the water that cools the
engine is cooled by seawater; Lister-Petter of Dursley in Gloucester built
the engine. It was delivered to the workshop of Endeavour Marine Services in
Old Leigh which is owned by Steve Cocks the Grandson of Joe Deal who owned
the boat for many years and changed the Endeavour from a Cockle Boat to a
Shrimp Boat.
This is wonderful news for the Trust and we would like to
thank both of these Companies for their help in assisting the Trust by
supplying the new engine, It is also good in respect of the Endeavour
because we believe she had a Lister engine from when she was built and when
she went to Dunkirk in 1940. She also had a new air cooled Lister engine
installed in the 1960s. Now the engineer can measure up with the
boatbuilders for the new engine beds and the shaft and stern tube and get
the propeller. Also now we can start to assemble all the other fittings like
the fuel tank and exhaust and get the electronics sorted out. This is
another major step forward in our efforts to have Endeavour fully restored
and seaworthy in time for Dunkirk in June 2005. The Trust now has all the
major components which go to make up Endeavour either on order or in our
possession.
Mast, Spars, Sails and Rigging
There
has been great progress on these vital items, all to be produced the way
they would have been in 1924. One of our craftsmen Shaun White and his
father Colin White have fashioned the mast and spars at Brightlingsea from
virgin timber. Some of us thought it would help if we obtained existing
masts to be trimmed down in size (diameter) but were advised that it is
easier to start with a square baulk of timber: you live and learn! The sails
are under way at North Sea Sails in Tolesbury from material which is very
similar to the original, but longer lasting. All the rope work and grommets
will be hand made, so the finished sails will be traditional in every way.
The full suit will consist of the loose-footed main and stay sail in brown
material, and No.1 Jib and tow stay sail in natural cotton weave.
Rigging will be done once the mast can be stepped on the
deck. Again this will all be hand served rather than done the modern way,
and this will be crafted by T&S Rigging at Maldon, who will also supply hand
made blocks for the running rigging.
Fishing festival at Leigh
On Sunday 26th September it is planned to have a festival
showing how fishing has developed over the years, and we will have a stall -
probably on Strand Wharf.
Our Vice Chairman Paul Gilson is much involved and Steve
Hall has promised to attend to show Endeavour's sails being made. So please
make a note in your diary to attend.
Financial Report - continuing success
For those of you who were unable to attend the Trust AGM
I have some very good news. At the AGM we were able to report that through
the good work mainly of David Norman we have been able to secure a grant
from the Heritage Lottery Fund of £40,000. This means that we have now
secured sufficient funding to be able to complete the restoration of
Endeavour. It is now expected that Brian and Shaun will resume work on
Endeavour, along with the assistance of a third craftsman, in mid September.
But please don't let this financial success deter you from renewing your
membership or continuing to raise or donate money to the Trust. As the Trust
finances are no different to your own personal finances, you can never have
too much money. Because as soon as you think everything is OK something
unexpected crops up. Also as I have said on a number of occasions, as yet we
just do not know how much the annual running costs are going to be, and by
spring of next year she will be back in the water at Leigh.
Also at the AGM we were able to report that we have
received the very generous donation of some shares. These are shares in
companies most would regard as secure investments. Therefore the Trustees
have decided to retain them in order to use the dividend payments towards
the future running costs. They are shares in Shell, Bradford & Bingley,
Northern Rock, Alliance & Leicester, BT, Aviva and MMo2. So we are happy to
report that our current finances are very healthy but as over the next six
months restoration will be progressing at quite a pace our bank balance will
be shrinking accordingly. And we also have to remember that £11,000 cannot
be claimed from the donating trusts until restoration is agreed to be
complete. So please continue to give us your support and we will get the job
done and on time.
MARCH 2004 NEWSLETTER
Lister win the day
At last, we are moving forward on all fronts; shortly Brian and Shaun
will be in a position to start working on Endeavour's mast and spars, and we
are progressing elsewhere too.
After much research on the internet we were able to locate quite a number
of possible engines for Endeavour including Volvo, Perkins, Ford and Lister.
We gave very serious consideration to all these engines but since she had a
Lister Blackstone in her during her early life and during the time of going
to Dunkirk, it was decided that Lister would be our preferred choice. So,
after approaching Lister direct and informing them that traditionally
Endeavour always had a Lister engine, that she had a Lister engine when she
went to Dunkirk, and that on a number of occasions she won the local trawler
race and lifted the 'Lister cup', they decided to make us an offer that we
just could not refuse. They will therefore be supplying us with a Lister
Petter 40 HP diesel engine at about £2,000 below the current list price. So
when Endeavour takes to the water once again 'in spring of 2005', she will
again be propelled by a Lister engine, of very similar size to the one that
was last in her.
A Multiplicity of Components
We
are now well under way with arranging the purchase of the major components
that are needed for Endeavour. Thank you to those who have helped by
providing photographs of Endeavour under sail or just as she was in her
early days! It all helps to get her restoration right, so if you have an old
photo of Endeavour please let one of the Trust officers know.
We have ordered the mast and spars and they will be ready by the end of
May. Then we will be in a position to order the sails. A company called
North Sea Sails, who have worked a lot with Brian and Shaun in the past,
have been helping us with working out just how they should be and the more
accurate information we can assemble the better. Then we will be able to go
out and get quotations to provide the sails by the latter part of the year,
in plenty of time for them to be fitted to Endeavour as soon as she is ready
to receive them.
The
multiplicity of components needed is quite mind-boggling. We have already
been given quite a large number of useful items and have them in store, and
as you can imagine, storage space is at a premium. But don't let that put
you off if you can help to provide some much needed equipment please get in
touch with Peter Wexham or David Spurgeon to find out whether what you have
is just what we need. The items we will have to acquire range from the quite
large like a clinker built skiff in order to get aboard when the tides in,
to spoons to be able to stir the tea.
At our last management meeting, Mike made a joke about not needing a big
oar to row her and in unison Peter, David and Keith pointed out that one
thing we do need is a big oar. Not to row with but to push on, Endeavour
always carried an oar about sixteen feet long which was used to stop her
going too firmly aground and to help turn her in Leigh creek.
So as you might by now have realised, when Mike and Peter did their
original estimate, with the help of John Millgate, which has proved to be
remarkably accurate, they were only thinking about the big things. They just
took the broad overview not a detailed inventory, therefore the more of the
little things we can gather over the period of the restoration, the better.
Dunkirk - according to the BBC
Before the recent three-part TV programme on Dunkirk was broadcast the
papers were full of claims that it would show that 'Leigh cocklers only went
to Dunkirk because they were paid'. Understandably there was an outcry, and
Reta was much quoted, showing her understandable anger at the insinuation.
But, that wasn't what went out in the programme, and one wonders why? Was
it because they took it out of the broadcast, or was the pre-publicity
intended to stir it up and get people watching it? Probably we shall never
know, but it left a nasty taste.
The programme itself was extremely effective in showing the total horror
of war. All too often battles are shown in a macho way, which glorifies
them.
It was particularly pleasing that the Renown disaster wasn't altered for
dramatic effect; indeed the only odd thing was the destroyer helmsman being
told to steer 'one point to starboard' - very, very precise!!
I was left with the realisation of the responsibility we all have to
ensure the real heroes are recognised and remembered by following
generations by using that old lady Endeavour as a centrepiece.
Mike
Date for your Diary
Our Trust AGM for 2004 will be held on Friday July 23rd
at 7.30pm in room 3 (Canteen Room) at Wesley Methodist Church in Elm Road,
Leigh. We have decided to move to Wesley so that we can have a good sized
room on the ground floor in order to provide easy access for all our
members. So please mark this date in your diary and perhaps we can have an
even better attended meeting than last year. Further details about the
nights events will, be in the next edition of this newsletter.
I have been asked by the remaining members of what was the Southend and
District Dunkirk Veterans Association to make you aware of their Anniversary
Church Service. They are all members of the Endeavour Trust and Frank Grove
their very last Chairman tells me that the service will be held at St. John
the Baptist Church in Church Road, Southend on Sunday 30th May 2004
at 11am. God willing, all seven will be in attendance as will the Mayor of
Southend and they would be very pleased to welcome any members of the Trust
who are able to attend. They laid up their standard on Sunday 10th September
2000 and it is kept at St. John the Baptist Church for safe keeping.
Keith
Membership Renewal Now 1st September
Over the life of the Trust, our membership has risen from about thirty
five to about one hundred and seventy. Whilst this is great and I hope it
continues it also has its downside; as people have taken out membership with
the Trust, I have given them a renewal date twelve months on from joining.
This has resulted in a situation now where we have members needing to renew
their membership in most months of the year which creates an awful lot of
work.
Therefore, at the last management meeting it was agreed to move
everyone's membership to the same renewal date, the beginning of our
financial year, 1st September of every year. So, from now on, everybody's
membership is due for renewal on the first of September.
DECEMBER 2003 NEWSLETTER
Now for the Engine, Mast and Sails
Yes, the time has come when we can start thinking of these things:
exciting isn't it?
Our hopes of getting a low cost engine from Ford UK haven't happened but
we have a number of alternatives. Our main concern is that it should be as
much a British engine as it is possible to obtain. When we decide on an
engine local engineer Stephen Cocks, whose grandfather owned Endeavour, will
oversee it's installation and any alterations that may be required to make
it suitable for marine use.
The mast and sails do however present a difficulty. When Endeavour was
built no-one took drawings of the rig. So far we only have one photograph
which clearly shows the sails, and even this doesn't show them side on, so
that we can measure them.
Our restoration Consultant, John Millgate, is working with North Sea
Sails to come up with dimensions, but if any of our members have photographs
of Endeavour or a similar Leigh Cockle boat, showing the mast and sail plan,
we would welcome sight of them.
We have located some excellent rope, which looks just like the
traditional hemp but is in fact made from modern no-rot materials. This will
maintain the authenticity of the completed boat whilst giving us all the
benefit that modern technology provides.
Endeavour 'on course for Dunkirk'
We are pleased to announce that extra funding has been obtained for the
restoration of the Endeavour; Trustee David Norman says that we are near to
achieving the total sum needed.
Our latest grant success is £6,000 from the Essex Heritage Trust. This is
an organization dedicated to preserving the history of the county and the
money will be used to purchase the mast, sails and rigging. As mentioned
above, we have already been in contact with
expert traditional sail makers over the exact specification for the sails
and if you can help in this regard please get in touch with one of the
officers or trustees.
Another notable contribution has come from Keymed who have given us £1,000 thanks to the efforts of Peter Wexham who brought Endeavour to their
attention.
Altogether our fundraising is going very well but there is no room for
complacency. We have a commitment that in June 2005 the Royal Navy will
escort Endeavour and the other little ships to Dunkirk for the last time and
that has been our first target from the start. There is, however, no small
amount of irony in that, because this will be the first time Endeavour will
have returned, because up until now she has always been a working boat with
no time for foreign jaunts. Unfortunately it's not just the human veterans
that are reducing in number but also the vessels and so the restoration of
Endeavour has come just in time.
Can we take this opportunity to drum home the message that Endeavour is
an ongoing project and we are just at the beginning. We are restoring her in
such a way that, barring catastrophic accident, Endeavour will be around
longer than most of us involved in the work. We estimate that it will be
fifty years before any more work needs to be done and during that time she
will be busy educating those who will listen about the lessons to be learnt
from the past.
Educational Purposes
Those of you who have been reading this newsletter since issue one will
know that on many occasions we have written that Endeavour will be used for
educational purposes. Well, very soon we will have to get to grips with the
reality of that statement. Many of the grants that we have received have
come with a commitment to allow a specific amount of public access or
educational use. So, as we reach the stage where we can see the completion
of the restoration in sight, the question of exactly how we will fulfill
those commitments looms ever nearer. As you will read elsewhere in this
issue, Reta is already in a way partly fulfilling that commitment, but we
can't leave all the work to one person, no matter how good she is. That is
why we must redouble our efforts to not only maintain our membership, which
currently stands at over 170, but to increase it. Endeavour will continue to
require essential 'support' both financial and material: our support; yours
and mine. It's no good restoring her and then leaving her! We have an
obligation to make good use of her.
If you put your minds to it, I am sure, like me, you could produce a
whole list of ways in which we could make good use of Endeavour, but each
one would have the same thing in common; the need for resources. You the
members provide that resource.
After June 2005, we will be able to use Endeavour to sail the inshore
waters as she was built to do. But to take people out to experience what
it's like and what it would have been like to cross the English Channel, we
will need people with the right qualifications and certificates. Is that
you?
Also, to allow people to board Endeavour to see inside, we will need
people ready to give up some time to make sure it's done in safety. We will
need people to offer their support, their time and money. Is there something
you could do either in future or even now?
If you would like to offer your support but feel you do not have the
skills, there is plenty of time to attain them, perhaps through a course at
S.A.V.S. Please think about it and then volunteer. (See the
contact page for the Secretary's email address)
Congratulations - 1
It is with the greatest of pleasure that I can convey the sincere thanks
of the Trust to Nick James. As you probably remember, Nick has been working
very hard in the background to secure for the Trust a large quantity of
larch for use in the restoration of Endeavour. Nicks efforts have been very
much appreciated by all concerned.
So much so in fact that the Trustees have decided to reward Nick with a
life membership of the Trust.
Things didn't always go smoothly to plan, but when do they? As with
everything success comes with effort.
Well done Nick - we just hope that all the problems haven't put you off
helping in the future.
Congratulations - 2
When Endeavour was 'found' in Kent, one of the party which discovered her
was the editor of the Leigh Times, Michael Guy. The Leigh Times has always
been most generous with the coverage given to our activities, and we
presented Michael with a certificate in recognition of all the help he has
given us.
OCTOBER 2003 NEWSLETTER
Update from Reta Cox
Hello folks,
I have been asked to put pen to paper to let you know about this year's
fund raising events. By invitation, I have given talks on Endeavour to
numerous clubs and associations. Many thanks to the members of Cruse,
Highlands Monday Club, Leigh Ladies Circle, Pall Mall, Circle 5-0 Group,
Billericay, Ladies After Eight Club, Thundersley and Leigh Men's Forum, for
listening and making me so welcome.
In March, Southend Brass Band and the Trust held a combined concert at
Clifftown Congregational Church which was a great success.
In May, at St.Clements Mayfair in Leigh Library Gardens, Norah, Sheila
and Myself ran a successful Tombola Stall.
In June, the Trust was invited to hold a stall at the Pier Open Weekend.
'What great Fun!!' Saturday was very quiet and cold, Sunday, my friend
Margaret and I nearly took off over the estuary, a gale of wind got up
hitting the yachts in the Nore Race. Then turned its attention to the Pier
and the marquee with us in it; what a frightful experience. I phoned my
husband to tell him we were okay in case he was worried about us, all he
said was, 'what wind?'
In July, we held a Poetry Evening, at the Book Inn, Broadway West. I have
never arranged an event like this before, but it turned out to be a very
enjoyable evening. Many thanks to the staff of the Book Inn and to everyone
who gave us their support. We held a table sale at Manchester Drive
Allotments Open Day. I only wish we had had a film camera to record us
trying to put up a 'Gazebo', I'm thinking of selling tickets for next year.
In August, we had a New and Nearly New Sale at New Road Methodist Church.
Thanks once again to Norah, Sheila, Margaret, Eve and Marilyn for all their
help. Pity the newspaper that gave us such a good write up forgot to put the
time it started in the article.
In
September, Norah, Sheila and I again ran a Tombola Stall at the Fishing
Festival.
Over the past year, I've had a mixed bag of events and I have met a lot
of lovely people, had many laughs and a few tears.
Those who attended our AGM met six special gentlemen; 'Veterans of
Dunkirk'. The seventh veteran couldn't attend because at the age of 85 he
was having a heart by-pass. They are the last members of the Southend
Dunkirk Veterans Association and we wish them all well and a speedy
recovery. I would also like to send our best wishes to another veteran who
now lives in Chesterfield but used to live in Tudor Gardens, Leigh. He made
a special journey to pay his respects to the young men who crewed the little
ships, including Endeavour, who may have rescued him from the beaches. Pat,
we do hope you will be feeling better soon. God bless you all.
I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy
New Year.
Reta
November 29th
Leigh Town Council have invited the Trust to have a table at the
Christmas Lights Evening. If you can, please come and give us your
help and support. We hope to be in Elm Road near the Old Coliseum.
December 13th
St.Clements Christmas Fair - please put this date in
your diary and come along to support our efforts at this event. It runs from
10 am till 3.30 pm, so there is plenty of time to get there, but most
importantly, tell your relatives, friends and neighbours. Encourage them to
come and support us at both events because that is how we will achieve our
aim and restore Endeavour.
AUGUST 2003 NEWSLETTER
Now for the really good news...
Now that phase one is complete with all the oak frames, new keel, stem
post and transom done, we have turned our attentions to phase two which
starts with the planking. We now have the timber we need in order to
complete the planking, all we now require is our craftsmen to return from
the work they have been doing whilst we were raising the money to pay for
the work.
If things work out as we hope once restoration restarts we will have
enough money for them to continue working until they have finished the
planking, decking and fitting out the interior.
Dunkirk Veterans at Endeavour AGM
The highlight of our very well attended AGM was the contribution made by
five Dunkirk Veterans. Ron Willson, speaking on their behalf told how many
of the soldiers would never have got away but for the small boats like
Endeavour. He told how 3 ton lorries were driven into the water to form a
sort of pier so the little boats could take on a full load of soldiers. "What you are doing now to preserve Endeavour is great work," he said. "She
will provide a real link with those historic times".
He also told how in Belgium, his group were required to walk towards the
sea at night, but then turn round and march towards the firing line in
daylight. "The idea was to convince the enemy that reinforcements were
coming up, but I'm not sure it worked," he said.
Reports from the Trust officers showed how much progress had been made in
the last year.
One half of the expected cost has been raised, and applications for
further grants have been made.
All work is being done to a standard that will not require any further
restoration for at least 50 years.
The framework is now completely restored, and special timber for the
planking is on it's way from Southern Ireland, thanks to the sterling effort
of Nick James, making good use of his contacts within the timber trade.
All officers were re-elected with a vote of thanks being given for their
hard work in the year. Particular thanks were given to all members who
delivered leaflets and helped at the various fundraising events.
We were on TV again
A very good news report on Endeavour was transmitted by the BBC last
month - unfortunately on Look East which not too many people in Leigh get.
But it all goes to show the interest there is in the boat.
Financial Report - the Tax Man helping with restoration!
Just a few days ago when the postman did his morning delivery I received
an envelope from the Inland Revenue, not normally a good thing to receive.
But on this occasion when I opened it I was very pleased to discover that it
was to tell me that £415.18 had been deposited in the Trust bank account. So
to all of you who have taken the time and trouble to fill in a Gift Aid form
thank you and well done. If you have been meaning to fill one in and haven't
quite got round to doing so it's not too late. If you pay tax it is well
worth the effort. Very soon I will be filling in another claim form and
asking the Tax Man for a further sum approaching £3,000, Which will pay for
quite a bit of restoration work, so if you can please Gift Aid your giving.
For those who were unable to attend the AGM in July our finances
at the
moment look quite healthy but once work restarts possibly next month
it will
not take long to spend. The Trust financial year ends this month and
so far
this year we have managed to raise £2,000 in membership
subscriptions £12,000 in donations, almost £2,000 selling Bric-a-brac
and through events
and £26,750 in grants. Making a total of £42,750.
We have spent almost £6,000 on materials, £21,500 on actual restoration
work by the shipwrights and £600 on sundries making £28,100.
This means we now have enough money in the bank to restart restoration.
Please give yourself a pat on the back.
But before you start thinking that we have made it and there is no need
to bother anymore, once our shipwrights start work again it will be costing
us about £1,200 every week. This means we have enough money to pay them for
about three months work, less whatever we have to spend on materials. The
good thing is that they can do quite a lot of work in three months, but we
need to continue all our fundraising activities.
Keith Threadgold
Once we had obtained the use of the excellent mooring near to the Crooked Billet in the Old Town, we realised passers by would be able to see Endeavour but not know anything about her history. We talked to Cory Environmental Trust in Southend and they undertook to fund a board giving details of our Endeavour and her past.
The usual Vice-President is often just a figurehead not greatly involved in things, but ours is very different. Sailing his own boat, Jeremy Squier is nearing the end of a circumnavigation of Britain, sailing right round, just taking a ‘short cut’ through the Caledonian Canal.
When she originally returned to Leigh, Endeavour was in a pitiful state. 
Our educational programme started in July with a PowerPoint presentation at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Primary School. Originally booked for years five and six we were pleased to present to year four as well. 
At exactly the same time Graham and Trevor Osborne were placing wreaths in the water off Dunkirk, a commemorative church service was held in Leigh to also pay tribute to those Leigh fishermen who went down with the Renown.
Well, all those who came to the supper on the 19th March enjoyed very good grub, and were entertained by the Thameside Shantymen.
We have had our fair share of 'Davids' from the very start of the movement to restore Endeavour, but this particular one has been with us all along. He attended the first public meeting and proposed the establishment of the Trust. He helped to remove the 'rubble and tat' from Endeavour when she returned to Leigh and is one of the Trustees.
'The gas bottle is empty,' they said as Peter came up from the cabin. Odd, I thought, worked alright yesterday when I checked it.
There were some derogatory remarks about my parentage but they reluctantly opened the hatches and released a big bag of rolls that Graham had brought from the cockle stall. I had put Endeavour's stern to the wind and she was sailing back up river on bare poles at 3 knots and out of gear.
We had only another 20 minutes to go and we would be turning round the North Foreland but that could be the worst 20 minutes yet. I tried to get Fin to get the camera out and take pictures but he said, 'You must be joking. I can’t even stand let alone take a picture.' 
