Weybridge Mariners Club

Welcome to the Weybridge Mariners' Website which covers some of what we do. If you are a new visitor please see our Membership Page for News on changes being introduced for people wishing to join this friendly boat club.

You can also visit our Facebook pages at the link below which was originally set up by Gavin Streeter. Gavin is no longer a member but has given access rights to our Newsletter Editor Lynne Pothecary.

http://www.facebook.com/weybridgemarinersclub.

The centre picture of our heading features HRH Prince Michael of Kent with Wendy Hurrell our Commodore in 2009 when he visited our club with the Dunkirk Little Ships. Also pictured is the MTB102 which once carried Winston Churchill and General Eisenhower to review an assembled fleet on the south coast for the D-Day landings.

The club has had a close connection with the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships and each Autumn the Club pays host to the Dunkirk Veterans. They arrive in a fitting fashion on a river trip provided by the Dunkirk Little Ships based on the Thames . We have an undertaking that we will continue this event as long as there is a last Dunkirk survivor fit enough to make the trip and wants to do so.(See pictures in the Photo Gallery)

This year (2019) the following vessels of the Dunkirk Little Ships visited our club : Aureol, Breda, Elvin, Gay Venture, Hilfranor, Janthea, Jeff, Lady Gay, Lady of Man, Lady Lou, Lazy Days, Letitia, Margo II, Mary Irene, Nydia, Nyula, Ruis II, Tom Tit, Wairakei and Wanda. The weather was perfect.

Our guests included 7 Dunkirk Veterans,   Laurence Churcher, Stanley Chappel, William Mathews, Regine Gray, Ted Oates, Duncan McInnes and Dennis Brock. Also attending were Normandy Veterans, Coastal Forces, members of the Not Forgotton Association including vets from the Malay and Borneo actions, Veteran Wrens, Project 71 (Vets Group from Portsmouth), members from the Royal Marines Association and other vets including a Far East Prisoner of War.

Again, help was provided by the cadets from HMS Collingwood watched over by their Commander Mark Walker.

The visitors were greeted by the pipes of the Bolton Pipe and Drum Band.

        Pictures will be updated when received

                     WMC Clubhouse Visitors 2018

Our 4 Visiting Dunkirk Veterans

Some of the ADLS vessels arriving at WMC

Entertaining the Veterans is the big event of the year on the Weybridge Mariners’ calendar. It has again been organised by Ian Gilbert. The Veterans’ Cruise had the Little Ships bringing the Dunkerque Veterans and visitors up river from TMYC to our clubhouse. As the vessels approached the sounds of the bagpipes greeted them and assistance off the boats was afforded by cadets from HMS Collingwood and WMC members. After the visitors had disembarked the Little Ships tied up across the river from the clubhouse.

Our Commodore Roy Nash welcomed everyone. The pipers started the entertainment and after lunch the visitors were once again feted by the fabulous Sophie Garner as glamorous as ever singing many of the old wartime songs.

The Mariners' site includes the latest Down River Cruises. Over the years, our often small boats, have visited many places where other Thames boaters have not been. Read about some of our more recent adventures under Articles. See our History which has been amended to cover previous omissions. We are indebted to the late Vic and Joyce for the pre fire write up which took over a year liaising with Len Outtrim and Terry Tappin.

Visit our Gallery to see pictures of the 2010 Dunkirk Vets visit to our clubhouse with the Little Ships. See the video to watch part of the entertainment. Also added to the Gallery under Sailpast are pictures of vessels participating in the annual tribute to the current Commodore of the year.

See also pictures from the past in the Gallery under 'Historical' supplied by Spencer Smith, grandson of Wally Hillyer, who was a past member of the Mariners.

Roger Francis carried out a restoration and modification project on an old river tug that was built in Faversham. Continuing on from the WMC Dunkirk 2000 crossing he and Jean spent a considerable time in Europe. The account of this and other trips can be viewed under Articles. See also 'A Letter from America' - not from Alistair Cooke but Jonathan Cooke. This is a very interesting input from an early member of WMC. Please see under History where it has been added to supplement the current write up. An article on the 'Amy Jane' ferry has also been added.

Our aim is to make this the most popular club on this part of the Thames. We are particularly keen to attract young boaters. If you want to have company on a first trip down to St. Kats, Queenborough or further - this is the club for you to join.

Please see the link on our Events page for a You Tube clip of Gronya our host singer at St. Patrick's Lunch 2016

Weybridge Mariners Club was formed in 1960. It’s first home was part of a Wey Wheat Barge called Greywell. In 1973 the ‘club’ moved to its site on Shepperton Lock Island . Sadly on March 2nd 2006 disaster struck and a fire broke out in the clubhouse. The clubhouse was completely destroyed along with all of its memorabilia. Building Regulations, Planning requirements, Health and Safety commitments and standards for the utilities are all to a far more stringent level from when the clubhouse was first renovated in 1972. This resulted in a considerable shortfall on our Insurance cover as it had been based on the costs of the original renovation updated for inflation. Fortunately, we had an architect within our membership plus many building skills. Members rallied together and we now have one of the finest clubhouses on the Thames. See our History page for the full story

Through the years 'The Mariners' joined the Association of Thames Yacht Clubs (ATYC), the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) and the RNLI. They have exerted their influence in all manner of things boating and are members of various working groups, such as the River Users Group 8 (RUG8).

Congratulations to Steve Newman our local Lock Keeper. Steve has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Inland Waterways.

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