00:00I'm Paul Semple, General Manager for Paddle Steamer Waverley and today is the first day
00:29of the 2024 sailing season.
00:32Waverley has been given the status of the National Flagship of the Year by National
00:37Historic Ships.
00:38So, Pasha's about to board the National Flagship for the first sailing of the 2024 season and
00:43the first of several months of sailings in Scotland and also Waverley will make her way
00:47down south, the south coast, the Thames, the Bristol Channel, north and south Wales.
00:52Well, she is the world's last seagoing paddle steamer but Waverley holds a very special
00:56place in many people's hearts, particularly the west of Scotland and the Clyde Coast.
01:02And this year is the 50th anniversary since Waverley was gifted for a pound to the Paddle
01:06Steamer Preservation Society and even 50 years ago people couldn't have possibly imagined
01:10that Waverley would still be going strong and our popularity after last year seems to
01:14be soaring.
01:15We've just gone through a winter refit where over £700,000 has been spent on Waverley.
01:21This year we're focused on refurbishing areas so some of the pasture lounges have been refurbished
01:25and also the crew accommodation because it's important that we continue to invest in the
01:29ship because she is a ship that needs constant maintenance and investment to keep sailing.
01:34If you fancy a new trip on the Waverley port, how is that possible?
01:38So passengers can go to our website, waverleyexcursions.co.uk and book tickets.
01:43There's also tickets available when you turn up on board and there's a full sailing programme
01:48which can be viewed online.
01:49Waverley's main summer season in Scotland will be the end of June until the end of August
01:54but this is the opening weekend on the Clyde before she heads up north to Oban and then
01:58our Hebrides next week.
02:00As well as sailing on the Clyde, Waverley also ventures down south so she'll be heading
02:05for the Bristol Channel in June and then in September and October she heads for the South
02:09Coast and the Thames but this year for the first time in over two decades she'll be operating
02:15on the South West with sails from Plymouth, Penzance, Falmouth and Dartmouth and the real
02:20highlight of the season should be when Waverley meets Paddle Steamer Kingsweir Castle on the
02:25River Dart.
02:26It'll be the first meeting ever of the two ships on the River Dart.
02:30Hello, we are three sisters, Margaret, Mary and Josephine.
02:35Myself, Mary and Josephine, we did work on the Waverley.
02:39Josephine was a teenager at the time, she'd been around about the 17 and I'm...
02:43No, I was 14.
02:4414, right.
02:45She was 14 and I'd say I'd been about 18, about 18.
02:48And what year was that?
02:5069 or 70.
02:51So fond memories of working on the Waverley?
02:52Very fond memories, very fond memories.
02:54It was hard work but it was a good crowd.
02:59What brings you back today?
03:00My birthday tomorrow.
03:01It's her birthday tomorrow.
03:02And my sister treated me.
03:03And are you going to get her fish and chips?
03:04Oh yes.
03:05Well, we're definitely going to have something.
03:06That is my favourite, fish and chips everywhere I go.
03:07I'm a connoisseur of fish and chips.
03:19I'm a connoisseur of fish and chips.
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