Ship Shape and Bristol Fashion!

We are delighted to inform members that Endeavour has returned to her summer mooring outside the Peter Boat in Old Leigh where she can be admired once more. Skipper Andy Wood oversaw the short move back to the Old Town on a dull and grey day. Here’s hoping for some sun to show her off to her advantage.

New Information Board in Old Leigh

Our information board near the Peter Boat has been in place since 2010. Treasurer Rob Everitt noticed that while the frame was still solid, it was getting more than a little rusty and the Perspex panel had dulled with age, making it a little difficult to read.

Ben & Lucy and Sarah Hide — Key Boats During the Dunkirk Mission

The last issue of the newsletter had a lot of Dunkirk-related information. Two of the boats that played a significant role in the Leigh boats' Dunkirk experience were the slightly larger vessels into which the cocklers were decanting the men they’d rescued from the beaches and the mole.

The Ben and Lucy was a wooden steam drifter, while the Sarah Hide was a steel drifter/ trawler. The boats had a fair amount in common.  Some digging by Rob Everitt and Fraser Marshall led to us finding photos of these boats and some more information.

Dates for the Diary

We hope that if the COVID situation continues to improve, Endeavour will participate in a few more events this year. Here’s three for now:

St Katharine Docks Classic Boat Festival: Sept 3-5

HMS Leigh — The Bravest Pier in the World: Sept 24-26

The Leigh-on-Sea Endeavour Trust AGM will take place on Oct 1st at 7.30pm. More details to follow, but we hope to have a range of merchandise available on the day.

Endeavour Trips - What Dates Suit You?

It should be feasible to take Endeavour out for a number of 90 minute or 11 hour trips for members in the next few months. The hope for longer trips is that Endeavour will be under sail. Members will need to bring a packed meal for longer trips.

There are a number of potential dates, and members are invited to complete an online form to indicate the dates that they would prefer.

Thank you, Alan!

Member Alan Palmer has kindly agreed to store the frame that covers Endeavour's deck in winter in his container. It ensures that the worst of the weather is kept out of her timbers, but it's a big item, so we're very grateful for Alan's kindness.

Paul Gilson Steps Down

After many years as a Vice-Chairman and skipper of Endeavour, Paul Gilson is retiring from the Trust.

Paul's hard work and dedication has been instrumental in ensuring Endeavour has been a much appreciated presence at trips such as the Dunkirk memorials, Ostende at Anchor and the annual Association of Dunkirk Little Ships Veterans' Cruises, amongst many other highlights.

Your Committee Needs YOU!

The recent death of Finlay Marshall, a much-respected and greatly-missed Trustee, coming after the loss of Chris Bailey nearly two years ago, and the resignation of Paul Gilson means that we have some key roles that need filling, to ensure the work of the Trust is as effective as possible.

Dunkirk Memorial Service, 01/06/21

A memorial service to commemorate 81 years since the Dunkirk evacuations and the loss of the Renown will be held at The Carvery, St Clements Church, Leigh-on-Sea, at 1pm on Tuesday 1st June.

An order of service can be downloaded here.

Finlay Marshall RIP

The Trust is sorry to have to announce the death of Finlay Marshall.

Finlay first became involved with Endeavour following the public meeting that was held in 2002 when the Endeavour Trust was initially established.

During his long association with Endeavour, Finlay was involved with the restoration of the boat, learning many new skills. He became a regular crew member, and was on the boat when it returned to Dunkirk in 2005, describing it as "one of the best sails I’ve had in my life."

He went on to become a respected Committee member and a Trustee. He turned his hand to whatever was needed on the boat, and had helped to paint her from top to bottom numerous times.

Finlay was one of the crew members on Endeavour when she appeared in Christopher Nolan's 2017 film Dunkirk.

Finlay used his long career in the press to manage all the news information for the Endeavour Trust Newsletter, and he would constantly badger folks for 'copy'. He was a great storyteller, and had countless local children enthralled with his many school presentations on the history of Endeavour, which he loved doing. He even met, and was interviewed by Pudsey Bear for Children in Need.

Together with Endeavour, Finlay proudly became involved with the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships, and regularly attended reunions with the boat, and where he was much respected. He felt honoured to help veterans onto the boat, and he was proud to be involved in the D-Day celebrations on Endeavour in Portsmouth in 2019.

David Norman MBE, Chairman of the Endeavour Committee, described Finlay as "an absolute stalwart of the Endeavour project from the outset. He turned his hand to anything, from crewing our boat on the Dunkirk run to preparing press releases and organising events. He was also a good-humoured participant in our Committee meetings and brought considerable expertise to our proceedings."

He will be sorely missed by his colleagues and friends at the Endeavour Trust. As fellow trustee Mike King put it, he was "Mr Dependable. He was always there." He was a lovely man.

We send our condolences to Linda and family for their sad loss at this time. They will be in our thoughts, as will Finlay.