Wings & Wheels Society steam enthusiasts Rich, Rob, Terry & Pete recently had a brilliant day out, travelling by train to sunny Southampton, then a taxi to the nearby Docks "Berth 110" where they boarded the mighty preserved freighter the SS Shieldhall for a Solent Cruise. The Ship is the largest working steamship in Britain. Operated by a team of dedicated volunteers, the SS Shieldhall preservation trust offers punters whilst aboard to experience and view the impressive engine room with its original 2 steam engines at work and the bridge, with its traditional instruments and gleaming brass work, also you can admire the ship's steam assisted steering gear (similar to that used on Titanic), meet the captain and crew and listen to the commentary as we passed the sights of Southampton Water and the Solent. On our trip on the 24th of June this Sailing was dedicated to the 75th Anniversary of the Windrush arriving at Tilbury Docks from the Caribbean. As part of this celebration the Shieldhall hosted "Black History" stories and entertainment on deck throughout the sailing featuring Reggae and Soul classics belted out by performers with a DJ whilst we dined on excellent Caribbean fayre and swilled it down with Alton Brewery's finest Ales! We visited the Engine and Boiler room that had many moving parts and the heat was incredible approx 43 degrees. The ship now burns a type of low ash marine diesel fuel and our trip burned about 3.5 tonnes of fuel. The sailing was very smooth seeing us cruise at about 11 knots taking in many sites, that included massive container and cruise ships, Fawley and Marchwood areas and a distant view of the Isle of Wight. The Shieldhall attracts lots of attention as its not every day you see a 1955 Clyde built steam ship operational. For more information and bookings on the vessel please visit https://ss-shieldhall.co.uk (which we would recommend). So after great food, ale, entertainment, and some mega steam ship action, we disembarked the ship thanking the crew, volunteers, caterers, bar staff and entertainers for making our trip a very special one that we will not forget. So from Rich, Rob, Terry, and Pete, Three Cheers to the Shieldhall and its crew. Many thanks again for a brilliant cruise and day out. Below the picture Gallery there is a short video from the event.
Copyright of all pictures in this gallery belong to R Kelsey and R Stopford.