Steam Tug Brent Trust

www.steamtugbrent.org

Email: info@steamtugbrent.org

Steam Tug Brent of 1945

Steam Tug Brent (@steamtugbrent)

NEWSLETTER December 2016

Dear Brent Supporters

We hope you have enjoyed following our progress on Facebook and Twitter and here at Maldon
where the task of smartening up the ship continues.

Logo news; as above was most popular, but the decision still not finalised.

We have been busy! This autumn has seen a great deal of activity on the part of the Trustees and
Volunteers.

Early in September the Brent, looking smart

with her newly painted name, welcomed a
visit from Ray Clarke of Radio Caroline fame
and currently hosting a Saturday morning
show on Radio Essex.
He came on board with all his recording
equipment to interview Janet Hall,
Paul Burgoyne and Andrea Raiker.
We listened keenly to his show and were
delighted to find that he made many
references to Brent as well as
A stencil was made to ensure that the newly
broadcasting the interviews and painted name matched the old. Looking at old
promoting our open day on the day of photos the lettering has remained unchanged
Maldon Town Regatta, 17th September. since first painted in the 1940s

September 16th was a day of high winds and squalls, which resulted in many of the vessels due to
sail up to Maldon for the Regatta, being unable to. The wind abated by the afternoon of the 17th of
September and the Regatta, all be it with fewer vessels than had been expected, was able to go
ahead.

The Brent crew were there; we had our stand on the shore and the Brent open for viewing.

Reg. Charity. No. 1139414. Reg. Office. 12 The Hythe Maldon Essex CM9 5HN. Tel. 01621 855058. Reg. Company.
07404307
A good number of people came on board and bought from our stall and we enjoyed being part of
the activity on the waterfront.

The weeks following the regatta were a frenzy of activity behind the scenes preparing for events in
October.
On the 4th October the Trustees met with Kate Brown, Development Manager for the
Heritage Lottery Fund, East of England and based at Cambridge. We had a very positive meeting
discussing lottery funding.
We were able to discuss our ideas for Brents future with her, but realise that we are still quite a
way from making the application.

Reg. Charity. No. 1139414. Reg. Office. 12 The Hythe Maldon Essex CM9 5HN. Tel. 01621 855058. Reg. Company.
07404307
Our promotional even

Our invited guests included local

dignitaries, members of local
organisations and others from the
waterfront community here at
Maldon.
They were able to have tours of
the Brent and a keen interest was
shown in the tug. We housed our
exhibition, at Cooks Yard. We are
grateful to Topsail Charters for
allowing us the use of their
workshop.

Saturday 8th saw our end of season meal for the trustees and volunteer group. A fish and chip
supper held in the Brents newly furbished aft cabin was enjoyed by all.

The aft cabin has been stripped of its additional panelwork leaving the basic fitting out
arrangement of the TID tugs, as below. This is as it was when Brent was a working vessel. The
eight cupboards behind the seating are food lockers and wardrobes! We managed to fit 14 of us
into the cabin for our meal.

The nearly finished aft cabin being

used for our shop.

Reg. Charity. No. 1139414. Reg. Office. 12 The Hythe Maldon Essex CM9 5HN. Tel. 01621 855058. Reg. Company.
07404307
On Tuesday 11th October, the Maldon Little Ship Club held the first of their regular Soup Lunches at
the Clubhouse, here at The Hythe. Steam Tug Brent Trust was the chosen charity. We had a small
display and I gave a short talk. The trust are grateful to the Little Ship Club and in particular to Di
and John Rogers who have been so supportive. The image below is from The Maldon and Burnham
Standard who included a short article about Brent.

The Trustees were delighted to receive such a generous donation to their funds and the soup was
delicious!

In November we sadly said goodbye to

our resident cat, who did a valiant job
as night watchman and tourist attraction.

She will be greatly missed.

Those of you interested in the history of TID Tugs will know the book, Richard Dunston Ltd of
Thorne and Hessle, Yorkshire Shipbuilders by Mike Taylor. Dunstons built some 150 of the 182
TID Tugs and the book has several pictures of TIDs. Mike Taylor has written several books on the
Humber waterways as well as many magazine articles, including one on TID Tugs in The Archive,
Issue 54.

Reg. Charity. No. 1139414. Reg. Office. 12 The Hythe Maldon Essex CM9 5HN. Tel. 01621 855058. Reg. Company.
07404307
Mike has kindly given us permission to use his images and has sent us, by post, a selection of
photos which we can keep in our archive.

One of these shows TID 170 being loaded onto a ship in Alexander Dock, Hull.

Both during and after the war many TID Tugs were shipped out to Africa, India and the Far East. A
number went to Burma, Hong Kong and Singapore.

We know that nearer to home many went under their own steam to Europe. A TID wreck lies at
Bear Island, Eire and one is high and dry on a beach in Cyprus.
There is one TID tug, and may be more, still working in Finland, having been converted to diesel,
and one, called Tommi, still with her steam machinery and under preservation.

TID 170 being lifted onto a ship.

Alexander Dock, Hull, for
transportation abroad, circa 1946.

TID 142 at work in Singapore, pre

1970.

Reg. Charity. No. 1139414. Reg. Office. 12 The Hythe Maldon Essex CM9 5HN. Tel. 01621 855058. Reg. Company.
07404307
 And so, the end of another year. The
Brent under her cover and the tree at
the top of the mast.

Trustees: Richard Albanese, Chairman Paul Burgoyne Janet Hall Andrea Raiker

Volunteer Team: Paul Burgoyne, Janet Hall, Amelia Hall, Tony Kirk, Penny Kirk, Tony Seaman, James Morgan,
Richard Cooper, Mandy Cooper, Mark Watsham, Gill Clegg, Ray Binning and Sue Stewart.

Reg. Charity. No. 1139414. Reg. Office. 12 The Hythe Maldon Essex CM9 5HN. Tel. 01621 855058. Reg. Company.
07404307