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| Esther and the Crew |
The
Queen's Diamond Jubilee was always going to be a momentous public event,
wherever you were in the Country, or world for that matter, there was an
opportunity to become involved. However some were more involved than others,
and I was privileged to be part of the Pageant. For me this opportunity
arose whilst I was on work experience in the House of Lords with Lord Clarke
of Hampstead, a Life Member of the Trust. Not keen on being on the water he
very kindly offered me his application form and I was delighted to be
accepted as a member of Endeavour's crew for this 'once in a lifetime
opportunity'.
On day one we were up at the crack of dawn when Paul Gilson, Jeremy Squier,
the rest of the crew and I set off up the Thames. We arrived within a few
hours, leaving us time to look around at the array of boats. There was a
vast variety; Dunkirk Little Ships like us to yachts like Amazon and
tall ships such as Tenacious and Belem. However one thing they
did all have in common was how exquisite each one was. My particular
favourite has to have been Mariquita, the J class yacht moored
opposite us, she was beautiful and I am determined to own her when I am
older!
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| Mariquita |
On
day two it was just Paul, Jeremy and myself on board.
Day three was undeniably the highlight of the trip, it rained heavily but
then it has rained for the majority of the Queen's reign so I didn't see it
as a particular problem.
We were joined on board by the Mayor of Southend, Cllr. Sally Carr, and many
other members and guests, and despite the weather we all gathered on deck to
watch the procession of boats sail past. The only disappointment was that
the Royal barge stopped at Tower Bridge, a little bit further up the river
to us.
The weekend was a memorable one for many people, it is certainly one I am
unlikely to forget!
Therefore I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to
Paul, Jeremy and all the crew for being such marvellous company, as well as
Mike King and all the Endeavour Trust in addition to Lord Clarke of
Hampstead for offering me this unforgettable experience.
A
thoroughly enjoyable evening with good company, good food and liberal wine
concluded with the raffle draw. On 
Back
in 2001 we ventured to Rochester as we had learnt that Resolute,
Leigh cockle boat and 'Dunkirk little ship' was there. 
We
reported in last December's newsletter that Caresana, a 1933 built
lifeboat, was hidden away alongside the Sea Scout building in Old Leigh.
Members
of the Bank of England Sailing Club raised their interest rate on a hot
sunny Saturday in August. They joined Paul Gilson and Chris Bailey for a
trip across the estuary.