email.www.merseaislanders.co.uk

Ron and Wendy Green  Pond House  Mersea Island

www.merseaislanders.co.uk

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WENDY’S DIARY Updated 14th March 2013

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Mersea Islanders
Ron and Wendy Greens
web site

Mermaid of Mersea launch May 2012

‘Mermaid’ moored near

Dabchicks Sailing Club

17th October 2012

A glimpse at Ron’s collection of Barge pictures.

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Society for Sailing Barge Research

SSBR

Sailingbargeresearch.org.uk

Spinaway C

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CK46   ‘Gracie’

May

Mary CK78

Thames Sailing Barges

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Ron’s latest watercolours of loaded Hay Barge and bawley ‘Marigold’ of Maldon

Prints available

Email  Wendy@merseaislanders.co.uk for details

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The Brownie’ at the Strood

with timber for local builder Horace Martin in the 1920s

Watercolours by Ron Green

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Sailing Barge ‘Una’ at Waldringfield

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Sailing Barge Primrose at Woodbridge

On a visit to a garden centre at South Woodham Ferrers in April, having parked the car we approached the main entrance, passing an old clinker built dinghy filled with Pansies in full bloom.

The hull had been fibre glassed over but the stern had not received this treatment and to my great surprise, I saw the name ‘BIJOU IPSWICH’ carved into woodwork.  The reason for my surprise was that the sailing barge ‘Bijou’ was burnt out at Mistley during a bombing raid on the 3rd July 1940, yet here was her boat, having survived the fire, and still serving a useful purpose 65 years later.

An inboard engine had been fitted at one time and a hole had been cut into the stern for the exhaust, suggesting that she had, at one time, been used as a fishing boat.

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Sailing barge  ‘Mayland’ at Bradwell Quay

March 2007

On our return visit to the Meadow Croft Garden Centre yesterday, we asked a member of staff where the boat was. He put us on to Peter, owner of the boat who, we discovered, was keen to add to his knowledge of its history and to tell us what he knew. Peter is keen on restoration of old vehicles and eager to put his skills to work on this boat. In the meantime, it is planned to display the boat as a special feature at the Centre with details of its history.

The sailing barge ‘ Bijou’ was built by R & W Paul at Ipswich in 1906 for their own use and was named ‘ Ena’ . Her official number was 122791. Soon after this, she was renamed Gravelines II and registered in London because of a possible French connection.

1912 saw her back with the Ipswich fleet and because Paul’s now had another barge named Ena, it was decided to rename the barge ‘Bijou’

On 8th June 1940, Bijou arrived at Mistley with a cargo of maize and tied up at the quay. During a bombing raid on 3rd July, the quay side buildings were set on fire and Bijou was set adrift in an attempt to save her but she was already on fire and drifted on to the mud opposite where she burnt out. Her remains are still visible today.

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Ron & Peter with Bijou’s boat March 07

April 20006

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Sailing Barge ‘Bijou’

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Remains of Bijou at Mistley

Bijou’s boat Meadow Croft April 2006

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Remercie

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Barges at Maldon