Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant

Each week brings new information of the details of this historic event. It is proving a challenge keeping up with the changes and how they affect Endeavour and the crew and passengers aboard. We are delighted that so many members put their names forward to take part and we have recently advised everyone on the dates that they are on board and the arrangements as we know them at present. Future changes will be advised as they become known.  

Endeavour will be among fifty vessels in the 'Avenue of Sail' section moored between London and Tower Bridges. The Pageant route is effectively from upriver of Battersea Rail Bridge to downriver of Tower Bridge. The lead vessel is currently scheduled to pass under Battersea Rail Bridge at 14:30 and the last vessel is expected to reach Tower Bridge at 17:00.
The flotilla, comprising up to one thousand boats, is heralded by The Royal Jubilee Bells, and led by Gloriana, the hand-built 88-foot rowbarge. The first section will include rowed and paddled vessels, including Watermen's cutters, modern row boats, kayaks and Dragon boats. 

The second section includes boats carrying the flags of the Commonwealth nations, Realms, Territories and Dependencies. Then comes the Royal section, with support vessels from the former Royal Yacht Britannia accompanying the Pageant's flagship, the Royal Barge, on which The Queen will travel. She will be followed immediately by the Guard of Honour. In the fourth section will be the Dunkirk Little Ships, followed by historic vessels in the fifth. 

Following the historic boats will be the working boats, including steam boats and tugs. The next - the seventh - will see an array of leisure vessels, followed by the eighth section of narrow boats and Dutch barges. The final two sections are designated for passenger vessels, allowing for significant public participation as part of the flotilla itself.

The Royal Barge Is Revealed

The 210ft-long luxury cruiser, Spirit of Chartwell, will be accommodating The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal Family. The Royal Barge will be adorned with flowers from the Queen's own gardens. Red, gold and purple - the royal colours- will feature most prominently in the floral arrangements.
Its prow will sport a dramatic, gilded carving of Father Thames looking fierce and bearded, and wreathed in teeth-baring sea monsters.

A Good Friend

David Atkinson, who died recently, was a good friend to Leigh and the Endeavour.
Before he was elected as a Southend County Borough Councillor David organised the memorial in St. Clements churchyard to those lost on the Renown during the Dunkirk evacuation.
The photograph shows him presenting the original model of the memorial to our President, David Amess and our Trust chairman, Mike King.
David became the Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East, serving nearly thirty years before retiring.
His contacts with Leigh remained strong, and he was a Life Member of the Trust and one of our first members. When Endeavour returned to Dunkirk in 2005 David went on a special bus with other trust members. He attended the memorial service on the beach, and entered into the weekend's activities - he will be sorely missed.
Mike King

From the Archivist

Do any of our readers have photographs or documents relating to Endeavour? If so our newly appointed archivist, Finlay Marshall would like to hear from you. What we would particularly like to receive are photographs of the boat under sail.

Those aboard at the time tend to capture mainly crew members and we're a rough lot at the best of times! We would be delighted to add to the files if you can send them to Finlay. He is also interested in shots of the boat from her early years which can be worked into our educational and community presentations. Maybe some of you have movie pictures - we would love to have those too.

Maintenance

With our participation in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant later this year it is vital that we do our usual job, keeping Endeavour looking good and running well.
With new volunteers coming aboard this will hopefully add some more finishing detail to our little ship and keep her still the talk of our town and the City of London as well! If you have some spare time and are a dab hand with DIY please give Paul Lawrence a call.
Work is required on the mast and spars that have not been oiled and painted since 2005. Our thanks to Leigh Marina, who will provide the machinery to remove them from the boat, and to Jeremy Squier who has kindly offered to transport them to his farm where, using the facility of a dry barn, the maintenance work can be completed to the required high standard.

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Prize Draw

A fabulous scale model of our Dunkirk Little Ship is the top prize in a raffle to raise funds towards Endeavour's upkeep and our expanding community programme.
Internationally renowned model maker John Bertola of Super Yachts Super Models from Leigh, has built a 1/25th scale model of the boat as the top prize to be awarded later this year.
The water-line model to be raffled is valued at £3,000. It has sails hoisted as it tacks through the sea which John makes using dental plaster, oil and cellulose paints.
John has been building model ships and aircraft for over twenty-five years and his work is displayed in museums and board rooms around the world.
Our little ship will be the 12th Endeavour he has built. The other eleven are of the restored J Class racing yacht. As that vessel has changed hands, the new owners have bought display models to adorn their homes and offices.
Perfection is John's aim with every job he tackles and high auction prices when a Bertola model is sold shows he achieves it. Christie's, the auctioneers, has sold many over the years and regard them as 'works of art'.
"I don't want people coming along and saying I haven't got some detail correct," he says. "I work from plans where possible and go aboard the real thing to make sure I get things right."
The other notable prizes, generously donated, are:

• Framed mixed media painting of Endeavour en route to Dunkirk in 2005 by local artist, Howard Robinson
• Fine Art Photograph on canvas of Endeavour by Ian James
• Two tickets for Sands Restaurant
• £25 voucher from Osborne Bros
• Family ticket for Sealife Adventure

Two books of five £1 tickets were enclosed with print copies of this newsletter and further books are available from Reta, Finlay & Peter Dolby.
Please return cash or cheque, payable to the Leigh-on-Sea Endeavour Trust, together with the counterfoils & any unsold tickets to Finlay Marshall at the address shown on the ticket.
This is a golden opportunity for the Trust to raise much needed funds and we are indebted to the kind and generous donations of the prize donors, John Bertola, Howard Robinson, Ian James, Osborne Bros. Ltd. and Stockvale Ltd.

THE GRAND PRIZE DRAW WILL TAKE PLACE FRIDAY 26TH OCTOBER AT THE ANNUAL DINNER - VENUE TO BE CONFIRMED

Website

We are extremely grateful to Fraser Marshall who manages our website for us. Fraser has done an awful amount to improve the style but has to rely on the content from the committee. 

Have you looked at our website lately? Have you any ideas as to how we could improve it? Have you any material, photographs etc. that we could use?

If you have any ideas or material please contact Finlay or Peter.

Special Jubilee Merchandise

We are pleased to announce that we are producing some very special green Endeavour sweatshirts. Under our logo will be emblazoned 'Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant'. These are available in sizes, S, M, L, XL and XXL at £20.

Orders by the end of April please speak to Mike King or email Peter.

We also have newly designed greetings cards. These are blank inside and available at £1 for small and £1.50 for medium.

To find out about these and the other merchandise available to purchase, including t-shirts, caps and prints, please contact Reta  or look at the Merchandise page.