Helping to bring the TS Queen Mary back to life
All aboard…….John with Iain Sim on board the TS Queen Mary
The Watson Foundation is helping to bring an iconic Clyde-built steamer back to life.
The Foundation has made a donation to the ongoing work of restoring this much-loved ship which was widely regarded as a jewel in the Clyde steamer fleet.
Built at Dumbarton in 1933 the TS Queen Mary is currently undergoing a huge refit after being successfully brought back to the Clyde from Tilbury in Essex.
The money has been donated to Friends of TS Queen Mary which is turning the ship into one of the UK’s largest interactive maritime exhibits which will provide an unparalleled way of learning about our maritime and social history.
As a museum, she will connect local people with their river and its industrial heritage. Queen Mary will offer a range of exciting curriculum-linked learning experiences to all schools in the Strathclyde.
Queen Mary will also be one of Scotland’s most unusual dining, wedding, corporate function, concert and arts venues. In addition to being made available to the public to hire, she will host an attractive, inclusive events programme each year.
There will be an emphasis on local festivals and events that will be promoted extensively to attract people from the Strathclyde region.
The donation from the Foundation is being specifically used to restore the ship’s beautiful and irreplaceable Burmese teak deck.
John M Watson OBE said: “This iconic ship is much loved by anyone who has an association with the River Clyde. To see her back on the river is magnificent and the work being undertaken by Friends of Queen Mary is hugely-deserving of support.
“The Foundation is delighted to contribute to the restoration of arguably the finest steamer ever to sail the Clyde.”
Iain Sim, Trustee and Secretary of Friends of Queen Mary thanked the Foundation for its generous contribution.