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NEWS

26th September 2012
A successful Museum reopening?.
At least a visitor book brimming with positive comments! Ramsgate Maritime Museum visitors book
Ramsgate Maritime Museum visitors book
Ramsgate Maritime Museum visitors book
Ramsgate Maritime Museum visitors book

Click Here to see more pages from the Museum's visitor books May through August.
We are surprised and cheered by almost unanimously positive comments from hundreds of visitors, many of whom commented on their appreciation of the re-opening and pronounced their support and good will for the future... Our thanks in return to all those who've taken the time on their visits to write so many interesting, useful and positive things!


20th September 2012
Torpedo Boat MTB 102 visits Ramsgate Torpedo Boat MTB 102 at Ramsgate on 20th September 2012
Torpedo Boat MTB 102 at Ramsgate on 20th September 2012

Local residents will have noticed a striking visitor to the Royal Harbour this week, in the form of MTB 102, a historic torpedo boat. Ramsgate Maritime Museum was pleased to host this historic vessel it's heritage pontoons in the Royal Harbour for several days.

MTB 102 is one of few surviving motor torpedo boats that served with the Coastal Forces of the Royal Navy in the Second World War. She was built as the Vosper Private Venture Boat as a prototype, but was purchased and taken into service by the Admiralty.
She was the smallest vessel to ever serve as a flagship for the Royal Navy
More information on MTB 102 at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTB_102



29th August 2012
"HARBOUR STEAM" success! HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012
HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012
HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012
HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012
HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012
HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012
HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012
HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012

The Steam Museum Trust held its first full scale event over the August bank holiday weekend in support of the Ramsgate Maritime Museum.
"HARBOUR STEAM" proved a huge success, with many more people than expected visiting Pier Yard to view the festivities which included visiting steam boats, a vintage fun fair, steam and vintage road vehicles, maritime working displays, and the resident steam tug CERVIA's 1,000 H.P. triple expansion steam engine running under steam. All this was backed up by many other activities in and around the excellent Clock House museum in conjunction with the arts activites of the "Summer Squall" festival. The combined events attracted record crowds of an estimated nearly 20,000 people to the town.
Many residents commented that the weekend was reminiscent of the vanished atmosphere of the 1950's, bringing a diverse crowd of people young and old to the Royal Harbour in numbers unseen for very many years. Let's hope this is a positive start to the reinvigoration of the Museum and its surrounds, and for bigger and better events to follow...

From Cllr Clive Hart - Leader of Thanet District Council:
"Congratulations to the Steam Museum Trust and their partners who have provided local residents and visitors with the excellent Harbour Steam Bank Holiday event in Ramsgate. It has been simply wonderful to see so many people enjoying themselves in such a beautiful setting".



14th August 2012
Steam engines, locomotives and organs are being prepared for "HARBOUR STEAM" at Ramsgate Harbour 26th & 27th August... HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012
HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012
HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012
HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012
HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012
HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th &27th August 2012

Lots of busy preparations are underway at both Preston and Ramsgate for the "HARBOUR STEAM" event taking place in two weeks time on 26th &27th August. Today, boiler steam tests were carried out on serveral machines, as the above photos show, including a Cagney 15" gauge railway locomotive which hails all the way from a New Zealand theme park and hasn't been run in some 50 years! These, plus lots of other interesting machines, boats and cars, etc will be visiting the Clock House at Ramsgate over the weekend. Tomorrow, the testing of steam tug Cervia's engine will begin at Ramsgate, -this huge 1,000 H.P. triple expansion steam engine hasn't been in steam since 2000...


HARBOUR STEAM at Ramsgate 26th & 27th August.
Click here to visit the new Ramsgate Maritime Museum website... Go To


31st July 2012
Childrens Bookclub at the Clock House Childrens Bookclub at the Museum

Recently in July the Museum hosted a Children's Storytelling Session. These are run by Emily Parrish from Scandalmongers Theatre Company, who hold many storytelling eventsthroughout the summer. The sessions are free to children of 4 - 11 years with an accompanying adult, and demonstrate the museum working in the community. Workshops are funded by Kent County Council.





19 June 2012
The Sea Scouts Tour
Steam Tug "Cervia"

Sea Scouts Visit
The 1st St Peter's-in-Thanet Sea Scout Group line up for a photo on the aft deck of Steam Tug Cervia. Sea Scouts Visit
A view of Cervia showing some of the restoration progress to the port side of the steam tug. Sea Scouts Visit.
The scouts are shown around Cervia's boiler room. Sea Scouts Visit
Mike Houckham explaining the workings of the steam tug. Sea Scouts Visit
Testing out the captain's cabin..
Sea Scouts Visit


18 June 2012
Kent's Mayors Visit the Museum
Visit the Ramsgate Maritime Museum's website Go To Click here to visit the Ramsgate Maritime Museum website...
Some of the various Mayors of Kent towns line up for a photo whilst visiting the RMM yesterday.

Yesterday, the 17th June, various mayors from local Kent towns attended a gathering to inspect the newly re-opened Museum.. Apparently they were pleased and impressed with what they saw, including restoration progress with the Steam Tug "Cervia" and the new artist's studio (in the old "Gun Room") where a local maritime artist is busy painting scenes of Ramsgate and adding some new life to the museum. Various future plans for the improvement of the museum were discussed, and all is looking positive for the RMM..! Do keep an eye on the RMM website for updates on our many future plans and events.




14 June 2012
1885 Steam Yacht "Amazon' visits Ramsgate Harbour Click here to visit the Ramsgate Maritime Museum website...
Click here to visit the Ramsgate Maritime Museum website...
S.Y. Amazon, moored alongside Harbour Street, Ramsgate, adding much style and grace to the marina.

Click here to visit the Ramsgate Maritime Museum website...
The beautiful 1885 Steam Yacht Amazon on one of her many travels.

The beautiful steam yacht Amazon is currently visiting Ramsgate's Royal Harbour as the guest of the Maritime Museum. This stunningly elegant vessel was once the property of Arthur Lowe (Captain Mannering of Dad's Army fame) and she used to be aregular visitor to Ramsgate in the 1970's. Some may remember the many riotous parties held onbaord Amazon with some colourful characters including John Le Mesurier (who lived in Ramsgate) and other members of the Dad's Army cast. Amazon will be in Ramsgate until the end of June, so make sure to visit before then..!




4 June 2012
Motor Yacht "SUNDOWNER" attends the Jubilee Pageant Visit the Ramsgate Museum website
Sundowner at the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on Sun 3rd June 2012

Sundowner, the Dunkirk little ship and famous resident of Ramsgate Harbour, attended the Thames Jubilee Pageant in style sailing with the flotilla from Putney Bridge to St Katherine Dock. Her crew survived the rain in high spirits and she is now back at her berth in Ramsgate.






16th April 2012
RAMSGATE MARITIME MUSEUM TO REOPEN!
Visit the Ramsgate Maritime Museum's website Go To The Ramsgate Museum Clock House
The Clock House at Ramsgate

Opening May Bank Holiday Weekend 5th, 6th & 7th May 2012

After 6 long years of negotiation with Thanet District Council (owners of Ramsgate Harbour), the Steam Museum Trust yesterday signed a lease to operate Ramsgate Maritime Museum.
The aim is to reopen the Museum for the May Day bank holiday weekend, subject to some TDC minor building works. This is the council's press release issued on Friday afternoon:

Thanet District Council Press Release regarding the Museum lease signing



Steam Tug CERVIA Open from May 2012 !
Steam Tug Cervia will be open for May Day bank holiday, Whistsun, all weekends in June and for the summer school holidays - dates will be published shortly. (Usual opening times will be 11.00 am to 6.00 pm.)
The Dockyard Boiler recently arrived at Preston, for CERVIAThe Dockyard Boiler recently arrived at Preston, for CERVIA

Guided tours of the tug will take place throughout the open days, conducted by original crew members who worked on the tug when it was operated by William Watkins (up to 1970). Their enthusiasm is infectious, and the one-time ships cook/deckhand Mike Houckham and friends are almost guaranteed to provide an informative and fun tour of Britain's last ocean-going steam tug.
If you can't make a weekend, Mike Houckham is also able to organise for small groups to come aboard each Tuesday and Thursday, and he can probably even be persuaded to break-off from work chipping and painting to give you a personalised tour..! Mike can be reached, in advance, on 07922 162363.
Admission to the tug is Adults £2.50 / Children £1.00 - and proceeds will help us continue with the restoration work...!



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