Issue 43 Aug 2022
Newsletter August 2022
Newsletter No. 43
A Ship Model, Thomas Slade and St Clements Church – the connections.
The Model and its Maker
This story starts when the Trust was contacted earlier this year by Daniel Reynolds who offered us a fantastic model of HMS Victory that had been built by his late Grandad Mr Henry Tompkins MBE. His
Grandad’s wish was that the model should go somewhere for people to view and enjoy for years to come.
This looked a first-class model and an opportunity too good to miss, however the question was how to arrange for its public display.
Fortunately St Clements Church, which has been undergoing restoration by the Ipswich Historic Churches Trust in readiness for opening to the public in its new role as the Ipswich Arts Centre, provided the ideal space and, also importantly, the historic connection.
The historic connection is that the designer of HMS Victory was Sir Thomas Slade who is buried in the churchyard, alongside his wife, thus linking the model, the designer, and the church.
The model was donated by the family to the Ipswich Historic Church Trust and after its unveiling at the Ipswich Society Members’ Garden Party in St Clements Church on 15th July is now on display.
Model maker Henry Tompkins moved to Suffolk with his wife Nancy
in 1987. Sadly she suffered from dementia and he turned to his
model making hobby while he was her home carer. Mr Tompkins
was 94 years old when he died earlier this year.
Daughter Sandra Reynolds said.
“He would work on his models in the evening, while mum was watching
TV. He was always meticulous. The model of the Victory took five years
and it was very detailed. There are hundreds of pieces. He was very obsessive about getting things right. “He came from an engineering background and for many years he worked at University College London where he was a departmental supervisor. He really did love making things, models and dolls houses for the grandchildren.”
“I think he would be pleased that it is somewhere where people will be able to see it. As a family we are happy it is somewhere where people can enjoy it.”
[These images do not do the model justice – please see it yourself during Heritage Open Weekend 10/11 Sept]
St. Clement’s – The Sailors’ Church of Ipswich
Along with the town centre’s other 11 medieval churches, St. Clement’s is one of the architectural jewels of Ipswich, though sadly it lay unused and neglected for many years since made redundant in
the early 1970s during which time a major fire destroyed the roof.
Many famous Ipswich people are associated with the church, most notably the ship building families of Sir Thomas Slade, and the Cobbolds, and explorer and circumnavigator Thomas Eldred, whose house stood beside the church, along with many other trading seafarers whose graves fill the churchyard. Today, the good news is that, thanks to huge fund raising efforts by the Ipswich Historic Churches Trust, its custodian, this magnificent Grade II* building is now well on the way to a new life as an arts and cultural venue for the town.
Following restoration of its Victorian carillon, involving the conversion of its mechanical mechanism to digital operation, which plays any tune on the locally cast medieval bells, the most recent stage was the laying of a brand-new sprung oak floor across the whole width of the nave. This major costly initiative by the IHCT’s architect chairman Peter Brooks, has enabled the IMT Window Wizards to mount an exhibition celebrating the maritime history of the town and this church throughout many centuries of port life. The first event to view this was the Ipswich Society’s recent garden party for its members, while IMT members will have a chance to look around the church and to view the exhibition during September’s Heritage Open Weekend. This will also enable visitors to view the superb scale model of HMS Victory. It is most fitting that the model now has a new home where the designer and builder of Nelson’s famous ship lies buried.
The next stage in the conversion of the church, and currently the subject of even more major fund raising activity, will be the provision of toilet and kitchen facilities, together with new lighting, and the creation of a two-storey conference and meeting room in the old vestry is to follow. A lot more money needs to be raised to do this.
There is much yet to be done, but IMT can look forward to further opportunities for collaboration with the IHCT once some of these facilities have been successfully installed, since the church will then offer scope for a wide range of events, including music to exploit the widely recognised fine acoustic of the building.
Stuart Grimwade
Sir Thomas Slade
Sir Thomas Slade (1703/4–1771) was an English naval architect who
from 1775 was Surveyor of the Navy until his death. He served as a
Master Shipwright at Woolwich, Plymouth, Chatham, and Deptford
dockyards. He eventually owned a large estate in the West country
and died at Bath. Slade is famous for several designs that include the
standard Royal Navy 74-gun ships and frigates built to compete with
the new French 74's. The Victory was his most famous single vessel,
the most successful first-rate ship of the line ever built and on whose
deck Admiral Lord Nelson died at Trafalgar in 1805. Of the 33 British
ships at Trafalgar, eight were built to Slade's designs. The pub, which backs onto St Clement’s, was changed from The Ark to the Lord Nelson, when Nelson was appointed High Sheriff of Ipswich in 1801.
From early in his career, Slade often visited the shipyards at Ipswich and Harwich to oversee warships being built for the Navy by local shipwrights. He was commissioned to oversee the building of the 50-gun Hampshire and the bomb ship Granado (1742). These were built by John Barnard of Ipswich, at a yard close to where the Orwell Bridge is today and featured in John Cleverley the Elder’s painting of Orwell shipbuilding of 1748. Whilst in Ipswich as a young man, Slade met Hannah Moore and they married at Nacton. Hannah was the daughter of Elizabeth and Captain John Moore, a family who lived next door to St Clement’s church. They married and are now buried alongside each other in the churchyard.
This makes the church a fitting home for the fine model of HMS Victory.
John Warren
Some images of the model
IMT Time for Change
About a week ago all IMT members on email should have received an
email from Jon Cobbold, who along with his wife Angela, have been
recently appointed Trustees of the IMT.
[If you received this Newsletter by post there will also be a copy of the
communication enclosed].
The Ipswich Maritime Trust is facing challenges to continue and fulfil its
aims, as are many many voluntary organisations across the country.
Jon’s email highlights some of the problems ahead and the Trustees are working to ensure the continuing functioning of the Trust.
If you think you can help can the continuing function of the Trust, please get in touch with Jon by email at info@ipswichmaritimetrust.org.uk or by contacting Geoffrey Dyball on 01473 214004 or Des Pawson on 01473 690090.
If you missed the email it can be downloaded by clicking on the link HERE
IMT donation to Sea Change Trust
Earlier this year we had a talk from Richard Titchener from the Sea Change Trust (see talk review later in the Newsletter). The Sea Change Trust does excellent work with young people and as part of our remit the Trustees agreed to donate £1000 to sponsor a person on their activities. Our main requirement was that it should be a local person whose circumstances were that they would not be able to take part in such activities without outside financial help.
We are very pleased to learn that after the Sea Change Trust had been in touch with a number of Ipswich state schools and Northgate High School, a young man who has shown great interest has been sponsored for a week on board the barge ‘Blue Mermaid’ this summer.
This is just the sort of good charity work which the IMT has done in the past and would like to do more of in the future.
https://www.seachangesailingtrust.org.uk/
Window Museum News
The window wizards are shocked and saddened by the death of Doug Nicholls who was an active member of the team that puts together the displays. He was particularly the driving force behind “Ipswich and the Grain Race”, but also a font of knowledge on all things to do with barges.
Late September will see the current display on the Railway on the Dock being replaced by a display “A Summer to remember Maritime Ipswich 1982” marking 40 years on from the events that changed the perception of Ipswich wet dock as a dying part of Ipswich without a future to the possibility that something splendid could be born out of the industrial port. The rest as they say is the history and you can see the result everywhere round the Waterfront as we now know it.
A video of the running of the model railway, part of which has been loaded by Bury St Edmunds Model Railway Club for this exhibition, can be seen at https://vimeo.com/690053920
Whilst we are working on this window we are also putting our minds to the window #24 that we hope to install in the spring of 2023 “The New Cut”, it is early day as yet but we have been donated by the Environment Agency a couple of quite large models of the Tidal Barrier and are certain that the paddle steamers will feature as well as the industries and people that populated this part of Ipswich.
We would very much welcome some more people into the team that research and prepare and install these displays, no experience or special skills required just the wish to help creating displays that communicate all kinds of aspects of Ipswich’s maritime story to the public. Please contact Des Pawson on 01473 690090 or at des@despawson.com
Doug Nicholls
6.12.1947—10.5.2022
Doug had not been in the best of health for the last year or so, but his death came as a great shock to all his fellow Window Wizards.
Doug trained as a marine engineer and spent some time in BP tankers travelling the world, until coming ashore to see more of his young family. He worked for a while as a computer engineer both in London & Oxford. He got his Barge Master’s ticket in 1987, by which time he was living on a smallholding in Wales. The commute to the east coast at weekends to skipper barges became too much, and he and Janet, his second wife, moved to Suffolk, living at Hollesley from where he operated the ferry to Orfordness. During 1996-7 he oversaw the refit of the Pauls Barge ENA and took her to Maastricht for Pauls, a story he told in the booklet With ENA to Maastricht, which was reviewed in IMT newsletter #41 July 2021. He retired in 2008. He and Janet moved to Melton, living for a while on a Dutch Barge, whilst doing up a cottage there. For the last 5 years Doug had been a useful member of the Window Wizards. It was his idea that we should create a window to celebrate the anniversary of the Last Grain Race to Ipswich, and he did much of the research to make it happen.
We are devastated that we shall no longer have his knowledge of barges and commercial sail to call upon. Our thoughts go out to Janet, his wife, and all his family.
Des Pawson on behalf of the Window Wizards.
Future Events - Talks and Exhibitions
IMT 2022 Barge trips on Victor
There is still one more trip on Victor for 2022 – 22nd September is ‘Visit Historic Harwich trip with a tour led by volunteers from the Harwich Society. Details and booking information can be found on the flyer at the end of the newsletter.
Heritage Open Days – 10th and 11th September This year sees us putting on an exhibition in St Clements Church when it opens for the first time on Heritage Open Days.
Our Window Wizards team is preparing the exhibition material, it is only a few weeks away!
For this busy two-day event we always need volunteers to represent IMT, so if you can offer us a one or more ‘time-slots’ on either 10th or 11th September, Angela Cobbold would very much like to hear from you. The available slots are 10am-12pm, 12pm-2pm and 2pm-4pm.
Please contact Angela either by email at info@ipswichmaritimetrust.org.uk or call 07531 083 576 and please leave a message and we will get back in touch with you.
Come and visit us, 10am to 4pm on either day and see the model of HMS Victory, our exhibition and the interior of this great local church in its process of regeneration.
Autumn 2022 talks
We have three more talks booked for this autumn, starting on the first Wednesday of October. The talks will be held in the Waterfront Building of the University of Suffolk.
We made many attempts to be able to offer free parking for the talks again, but with the changes that have taken in the administration of the car parks since the time of the construction of The Hold, it has proved impossible to achieve without incurring the Trust in inordinate costs.
The free tea, coffee and biscuits will still be offered after all the talks.
October 5th 7.30pm
‘Antarctic Sketchbook’
by Claudia Myatt
Maritime artist Claudia Myatt has recently returned from a trip to South
Georgia and Antarctica with full sketchbooks and tales to tell.
Appointed as Artist in Residence by Friends of Scott Polar Research
Institute for 2021/22, she spent five weeks as the only civilian on board
HMS Protector, the Royal Navy's ice patrol ship. From old whaling stations to conservation areas, melting glaciers to giant icebergs.
The challenges of sketching in extreme cold and tales of life on board a
navy ship, Claudia's sketchbooks and photographs will be entertaining and wide ranging.
Claudia is a well-known marine illustrator and writer, contributing regularly to Classic Boat Magazine and other national yachting magazines. She is the author/illustrator of the RYA Go Sailing series. She lives on an elderly tugboat on the River Deben and runs away to sea as often as possible, both on sailing boats and as art tutor on cruise ships. Later in 2021 she will be joining Royal Navy icebreaker HMS Protector for a sketching trip to the Antarctic as Artist in Residence to Friends of the Scott Polar Research Institute. She insists that she is not, in fact, a particularly tough sailor, just a rather timid lady in her sixties who has discovered the importance of behaving badly and having adventures before it's too late.
2nd November
‘Kings of Pin Mill, the boat building years’
by Sarah Curtis
There has been a boatyard on the same site at Pin Mill since
George Garrard set it up in 1850. Harry King, one of George's
apprentices, took over the yard in 1898 and turned it into the
yacht building centre it became famous for all over the world. This
talk will cover a brief history of the yard but will mainly focus on
the most productive yacht building years from the 1930s.
7th December
‘Around the world in 80 days … or more’
by Cathy Shelbourne
What do Christchurch Mansion, the island of Mactan and the
recently released Amazon video Boundless all have in common?
The answer is the first ever recorded circumnavigation, 500 years
ago this September.
Maritime historian and cruise ship speaker Cathy Shelbourne will
be giving a Suffolk-centric talk on the early circumnavigators,
including Trimley St Martin’s own Thomas Cavendish and Ipswich’s
Thomas Eldred – and sharing her original research into the
mystery of the missing Eldred mantelpiece!
Cathy has created a very unusual and informative pack of
Monumental Maritime Heroes playing cards, and these will be
available for sale after the talk.
‘Pierhead’ paintings and the restored Porcellis masterpiece An Exhibition by the ‘Friends of Ipswich Museum’ (FoIM)
Friday 7 October
6.30pm for 7.00pm
Venue - Christchurch Mansion
We are delighted to share for the first time a collection of fine pierhead paintings that have been acquired by Des Pawson over 25 years, and which have now been purchased by The Friends of the Ipswich Museums, safeguarding their future in Ipswich.
Essentially domestic art, pierhead paintings were made for the captain or crew of a ship, who would take them home to be proudly displayed above the mantelpiece. The prolific artists who painted them sold the pictures at an affordable price to ordinary seafarers, and the seven paintings (that have been acquired at a very generous discount from Des) all have an Ipswich connection, with the ships mostly built, owned or registered here.
In this FoIM event, that is open to members of the Ipswich Maritime Trust, Emma Roodhouse will join Des to put the paintings in context and to share with us some of the stories that surround them. We will also have the first chance to get up close to the Porcellis maritime masterpiece that has been restored thanks to the generosity of the FoIM Angels. This will feature in the CIMS Landscape Rebels exhibition that opens at the Mansion on 22 October.
Cost - FoIM/IMT members £7, guests £9
(incl. refreshments)
Booking enquiries via contact@foim.org (please confirm your IMT membership at the time of booking).
How to Pay FoIM
• A Bank Transfer is quick and easy – please remember to add your name as the reference: The Friends of the Ipswich Museums
Account Number: 65886997 Sort Code: 08-92-99
• Cheques made out to ‘Friends of the Ipswich Museums’ can be sent with a covering note to Jean Attenborrow, 3 Holly Road, Ipswich, IP1 3QN
Past Events
Past Talks
In February there was the talk on the Excelsior story by Jamie Campbell Trustee of the Excelsior Trust, and in April, after the AGM, Andy Beharrel gave us an entertaining talk on the Maunsel Forts, which of course includes our local Roughs Tower.
Our March talk was on the Sea Change Trust and is mentioned here in more details to give some background to our recent donation to the Sea Change Trust.
Wednesday 2nd March at 7.30pm
Sea Change and Blue Mermaid
by Richard Titchener
Sea Change Sailing Trust was set up by Richard and his partner Hilary in 2007. It continues to develop its sail training work with young people. The New Barge
Appeal saw the completion of Blue Mermaid in 2019, a replica of the last barges built in the 1930s. Richard's talk will cover the Trust and the new barge and will offer some thoughts on the future of our maritime heritage. Richard became hooked on sailing barges as a boy growing up in Brightlingsea, when there were still retired fishermen proudly wearing jerseys emblazoned with the names of the big pre-war class yachts. He became a sailing barge mate in his late thirties with Xylonite and is now noted as a very skilful skipper.
The second of the IMT spring talks was given by Richard Titchener, the
Executive Officer of Sea-Change Sailing Trust, on the work of the Trust and especially the building of Blue Mermaid.
The Trust was set up in 2007 by Richard and his partner Hilary, to develop sail training for young people. The concept had come from the operation of the Outward Bound school; now, some 200 youngsters each year get training in traditional sailing vessels, mainly barges. These vessels were hired, one such being Cambria. The Trust in addition works with other charities, including our local Woolverstone Project.
The vision then came for the building of a new barge. The original Blue Mermaid dated from the 1930s and was one of the last barges to be built. She was steel-hulled and blown up by a magnetic mine in 1941. Her crew are remembered on a Merchant Navy war memorial. The location of the wreck is known, but the visibility there for divers is extremely poor.
Fortuitously, some blueprints for a sister ship were found, and planning got underway. The likely cost was put at not much over £500,000. The New Barge Appeal was professionally led and headed by Rear Admiral David Snelson. Funds soon enabled work on the hull to begin. This was carried out by C Toms and Son in Devon, at a cost of £293,000. The appeal then had to raise money for fitting-out; the eventual total cost was some £750,000.
Blue Mermaid has a welded hull; the original was rivetted. Her compass was purpose made in Hull by the last known maker in the country and is a thing of beauty. Her windlass is from Ena, reconditioned; the sails are from Jimmy Lawrence's loft in Brightlingsea. She is built to cargo ship rules, so can carry over 100 tons.
She won her first race. She was photographed at Mistley; set against a photo of the original craft in the same location, there is more than a striking similarity.
Ipswich Maritime Trust Gig Taster Day
In April this year a few of the IMT trustees, along with The Royal Harwich Yacht Club, Brightlingsea Coastal Rowing, Manningtree and Brightlingsea University Clubs, all organised a day bringing five, Harker’s Gig from Essex in order for the people from Ipswich to try their hand at rowing. They provided a demonstration race which was an excellent display of rowing and boat handling in tricky conditions as it was extremely windy on the Orwell that day.
The demonstration and trial trips were to encourage people of Ipswich and the surrounding areas out on to the water. Several sea cadets from Ipswich were persuaded to attend the event, and they very much enjoyed the opportunity it provided. As did I, having never been part of a rowing team I was unaware of how difficult it would be. It was surprisingly easy and although by the end of the trip I knew I had been rowing it was not uncomfortable. It is a sport for people of all ages to get involved with and the crews that came along varied greatly in age and gender.
From witnessing this demonstration and having a try, it is clear there are a number of benefits to rowing a Harker’s Gig. This could promote the people of Ipswich and the surrounding areas to take up a healthy relaxing sport which has a recorded effect on people’s mental health and wellbeing:
• Promotes healthy body composition.
• Enhances cardio-respiratory system.
• Offers low impact exercise.
• Promotes weight loss.
• Helps the heart.
• Builds muscle strength.
• Reduces stress
• Stabilizes the body.
• Improves muscle and joint mobility.
• Offers a full-body exercise.
Below are pictures from the day and some of the rowing in action:
Summary:
This was an enjoyable day out and well organised event. The sun
was shining and eventually the wind settled down.
Gig racing as a rule is in the winter months, it is a method of
getting several people on the river from a wide cross section of
the community.
It is for people of any age or gender and although various crews
may separate into age groups etc its one Gig for all. A great way
of encouraging people to use the beautiful river we all love and
gets the people of Ipswich out and interested in maritime
matters which is at the heart of what we do.
Look forward to the next IMT event on the river whatever it may
be.
Jon Cobbold
News from The River Gipping Trust
The River Gipping Trust has recently published a book “The Ipswich to Stowmarket Navigation – John Rennie’s First Canal Project”. Written by Ian Petchey, in conjunction with the River Gipping Trust, this is a handy companion for the riverside walk between Ipswich and Stowmarket.
The history of the river from Roman times is well described and with excellent maps, pictures and photographs. The bridges, mills, industry and people of the river are carefully researched and documented. Stories include the 1,000 works of art at Baylham Mill; one painting from 1625-6, found under a sack, is now in the Israel Museum and valued at over £12m.
As a Member of the Ipswich Maritime Trust, who made a generous donation to the cost of producing the book, we are writing to offer you the opportunity of purchasing it at a special price of £5.00 plus p&p (£2.50). The book has been professionally printed by Tuddenham Press, Ipswich
More information on the book is available at https://www.gippingrestoration.uk/history-and more/history-book where there is also a link to the list of the contents.
If you would like to take advantage of this special price please send an email to secretary@rivergippingtrust.org.uk with your details and I will send you the bank details so that you can make a direct payment or you can pay by cheque. Once payment has been received we will send you your copy of this informative book by post.
Alternative, you can purchase the book at its full price of £10.00 plus p&p from eBay or from Waterstones online.
More information on the River Gipping Trust can be found at https://rivergippingtrust.org.uk/
IMT Membership news
IMT members
Our membership currently stands at a healthy 329 – a ‘thank-you’ to you all for continuing to support us.
New Members
A warm welcome to members who joined us since December 2021
Ivan & Jane Chevous
Chris Dean
Fabian Tompsett
Peter Turner & Liz Taylor
Fraser Yates
Visit Historic Harwich all day trips Thursday 22nd September 2022 at 9am
Leaving from outside the Old Custom House, Ipswich at 9am and return about 4.30pm to 5pm, ‘Victor’ will motor/sail to Harwich Ha’penny pier with mid-morning coffee, biscuits and bacon roll on the way. After a 90-minute tour of Harwich with guides from the Harwich Society, we return to the Victor at 12.30 for drinks and a two-course lunch with wine, picnic style if Covid restrictions are in place. Victor will then leave Harwich to sail/motor back to the Old Custom House with a tea on the way.
Victor was built in 1895 by Shrubsalls at Ipswich for Owen Parry of Colchester, mainly for use in the linseed oil trade. In 1947 she was the last sailing barge to be decommissioned. She was restored in 1974 and beautifully maintained since.
The cost is £65 per head, including a donation to the Harwich Society
Booking and Payment information:
For all trips please book and pay-online at https://ipswichmaritimetrust.setmore.com
Booking questions, parking and special dietary requirements:
Limited parking available on the Island site by prior arrangement, courtesy of ABP. For additional questions, a parking permit or for special dietary requirements please contact: John Warren at jbwarren5@gmail.com or on 07789 825 68