Rodney Pell (Orchards; 1952-54) is presently very busy with his 1930s Gentleman's Motor Sailing Yacht 'Sheemaun’, which, in the year of its 75th Anniversary, has been awarded the accolade of ‘Flagship 2010 of the United Kingdom Historic Fleet’ (the Queen's Historic Fleet) by Greenwich Maritime National Historic Ships.
Rodney has been invited to take 'Sheemaun' to the Mayor’s Thames Festival for September 11th - 12th when the vessel will be centre stage at St Katherine’s Yacht Haven by Tower Bridge.
He will then be cruising the boat back on 14/15 September to his home town of Ramsgate where the boat is berthed.
'Sheemaun' has ‘outlived’ all of the 1930s big ocean liners, the big battleships and fighting ships, most of the famous private yachts of that time and she is still fully seaworthy.
To learn more about her, go to: http://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/ships_register.php?action=ship&id=1939 or read on!
Designed by George Lennox Watson, the foremost yacht designer of his time, including the United States Presidential Yacht ‘Mayflower’, ‘Sheemaun’ was built at Fraserburgh by J Noble & Co in 1935 of pitch pine on oak and with a teak wheelhouse.
At the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the yacht was commissioned into the Royal Navy, serving as ‘His Majesty’s Yacht Sheemaun’, a Thames Estuary Defences Patrol Boat, armed with two Hotchkiss heavy machine guns, based at Sheerness and Cliffe Fort in North Kent. She very probably had a role in operation Dynamo in May 1940 when some 340,000 troops were evacuated from the Dunkirk.
Decommissioned from the Royal Navy in November 1945, Sheemaun then served with the Department of Naval Transport until 1947, and in 1951 she was featured in the first London Earl’s Court Olympia Boat Show.
From 1982 to 1987 Sheemaun served as Training Ship with Pangbourne Nautical College, taking cadets on substantial off-shore training voyages including UK South coast, French North and West coasts, Seine to Paris and the Channel Islands.
Other highlights since 1987, under Sheemaun’s present owner and restorer Dr Rodney Pell, have been invitations by The Queen’s Harbour Master Portsmouth to the 200th Centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar, and also to the Brest 2008 Classic Sea Festival, which she was sadly unable to reach, due to prevailing adverse weather. However, she attended, by invitation, the 2009 Boulogne Fête de la Mer and the 2009 Mayor’s Thames Festival.
At a conservative estimate, Sheemaun has probably seen well in excess of 75,000 miles pass under her keel.
Rodney reminds us that the birth of Sheemaun in 1935 coincides with the founding of Millfield School by Jack Meyer, not to mention the Silver Jubilee of King George V, the first 30 mph speed limits in the UK, the invention of the board game, 'Monopoly', by Charles Darrow and the first time beer could be bought in cans!
OMs flying high at the WWT
Eileen Rees(1970-74:Southfields/Ashcott/Leigh Road billet) and Rebecca Woodward (1990-92: Overleigh) are both occupying important positions for the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, the leading UK conservation charity, which saves and protects wetlands for wildlife and people across the world. It was founded in 1946 by the naturalist and artist, the late Sir Peter Scott, father of OM Dafila Scott (1968-70: Holmcroft)
Eileen (pictured left) is Head of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust’s UK Waterbird Conservation Programme, with particular responsibility for long-term population studies of migratory wildfowl. She has 30 years’ experience working on research and conservation projects, has published over 100 scientific papers and reports. She has been active in promoting and leading international research programmes along migratory flyways, notably the Anglo-Russian study of Bewick’s Swan breeding biology and the collaborative study of the Icelandic Whooper Swan population. Her book on the Bewick’s Swan (illustrated by Dafila) was published by A&C Black in its Poyser imprint series in 2006, the year she also became editor of WWT’s scientific journal Wildfowl. Eileen is based at WWT Martin Mere, Lancashire, and lives in Derbyshire, but makes weekly visits to Slimbridge to meet with friends and colleagues.
Rebecca (right) is Associate Director of WWT Consulting. Having worked on a wide range of wetland-related projects both in the UK and overseas she is responsible for providing specialist ornithological and ecological advice, and the design, implementation, analysis and reporting of ornithological surveys. As an associate director and a project manager, Rebecca is responsible for the implementation of a diversity of large, complex projects with budgets in excess of £1.2 million. Examples include coordinating the national programme of aerial surveys of waterbirds for offshore windfarm development in the UK for the Crown Estate, government bodies and offshore windfarm companies.
Dafila Scott (centre) trained as a zoologist and spent the first part of her career working with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, studying Bewick’s swans both at Slimbridge and at Welney on the Ouse Washes. Since then she has continued to be associated with WWT as a member of council and subsequently as a long term supporter. After her research career, she turned to drawing and painting and now works as an artist. Most of her work is inspired by wildlife and landscape and features animals or places with which she has become familiar. As a member of the Society of Wildlife Artists, she has exhibited regularly at their annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries as well as at regional shows and at other galleries. She has also illustrated books and articles.
Recent work includes both figurative wildlife paintings and abstract landscapes inspired by visits to Wales and to the South African Kalahari. However, she is equally happy to gain inspiration at home in the garden or on the surrounding fenland.
Anil's Ministerial Appointment
His former swimming coach, Paddy Garrett, has alerted us to the news that Anil Roberts (Joan's Kitchen; 1985-87) has recently been appointed Trindad and Tobago's Minister of Sport & Youth Affairs in the new government of Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar.
A National level swimmer whilst at Millfield, Anil continued to swim competitively and represented Trinidad & Tobago.
To read more about Anil's life and new responsiibility go to: http://guardian.co.tt/features/life/2010/05/28/minister-roberts-says-govt-serious-about-sport