For many years May Flower’s cabin lamp has hung in the last two of my mother’s homes, decorously, but never lit. My sister found a new shade/reflector glass for it some years ago too…
A couple of years ago, I asked my mother (after talking to my other three siblings) if she minded ‘me having’ the lamp in time: I knew a good home for it. She also thought the idea suitable too: it really belongs aboard a Thames spritsail barge.
How old the lamp is no one really knows, however, it was aboard the May Flower in 1951.
Picture from: The May Flower A Barging Childhood, published by The History Press.
It hung for many years in the saloon aboard my sailing barge childhood home and was the first lamp to be lit when returning after dark. That done, the tilley lamps were lit in relays of two to three at a time…
Suffering from Covid Syndrome and having suffered a series of falls resulting in hospital stays, we all decided that it would be best for our dear mother to be looked after in a care home. Needs must and for her own safety and well being. It was something she always wanted to avoid and none of us were happy about it.
I and my wife Christobel were on hand for her move from hospital to her new home. Clearance of her flat commenced … the bulk of this fell to our sister who lives in Devizes!
The lamp journeyed back to Essex cocooned in a box wrapped in towels and stuff! I took it apart and cleaned the lamp/burner unit, however, there was a break in the hood support ring, which a chap at my yacht club repaired for me. The ring is of cast bronze/brass and took some ‘fixing’!
A jewellers in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, Hatton Jewellery of Elm Road, was visited and a inscribed presentation plaque was ordered. This, ultimately, they provided free of charge, knowing it was for a charity presentation.
At the end of the winter lockdown phase and we were allowed to go a little further afield, I contacted Hilary Hilajko the chair of trustees of the Sea Change Sailing Trust to say that the lamp was awaiting delivery…
A date was agreed and a Covid ‘distanced’ hand-over was made with Richard Titchener, the trusts Executive Officer and Primary skipper, in the road outside their house!
See: https://www.seachangesailingtrust.org.uk
The inscription reads: ‘Presented to Blue Mermaid and the Sea-Change Sailing Trust by Mrs Gwendoline D Ardley.’
It will be grand to see it hanging in whatever cabin it graces aboard the Blue Mermaid.
As a historical ending to this happy event, the May Flower witnessed the demise of the original Blue Mermaid near the West Hook Middle on 8 July 1941. Both barges were tacking ‘northward’ and the steel built Blue Mermaid detonated a magnetic mine … the May Flower being of wood escaped, but her crew turned back … sadly nothing of the barge or her crew were seen.
The lamp used to be the one my sister took through to her cabin, aft, for many years. She too feels the lamp has ‘gone home’…
As a postscript to this piece of news, I received a communication from the Sea Change Sailing Trust – the Blue Mermaid was making her passage to London to represent heritage Afloat in the old Royal Docks. The barge will be on show by the EXCEL Building for the bank holiday weekend.
They sailed up the Thames and got as far as Erith yesterday (Sunday 23rd May). Richard, the skipper, sent a photograph of the ‘May Flower‘ lamp lit and in use above the supper table.
Lovely. Just as it should be…
News from ‘docklockandriver’ post – the Blue Mermaid arrives in London’s old Royal Docks with her token cargo…
See: https://docklockandriver.wordpress.com/2021/05/29/blue-mermaid-delivers/