70th anniversary for Lake cruiser MV Swan
Last updated 09:36, Friday, 08 August 2008
IT'S always good to keep busy when you're getting older, but one lady from Windermere appears to have gone overboard.
On MV Swan's 70th birthday Evening Mail reporter RICHARD MORRIS visited Lakeside to meet the vessel's crew and find out why the Swan is still a big hit with passengers.
By Richard Morris
A party was held in the Swan’s honour at Lakeside last week to commemorate the vessel’s maiden voyage back in 1938, and there were plenty of guests invited.
Former crew members were there alongside current employees sharing stories and memories.
Jennings Brewery came on board for the trip, and gave away free sample its newest tipple – Swan Lake – which will be available from this October.
Six-year-old Alana Halpin was joined on board by all the other pupils from St Ursula’s School in Wigton, after she won a competition to have her design made into a flag which was hoisted during a special ceremony.
MV Swan’s owners invited anyone also celebrating their 70th birthday this year to travel for free. To make sure the party went with a swing, there was music from the New Hall Jazz Band.
Tony Stockton is now the operations manager at Lakeside but for nine years he captained the Swan.
He said: “You have the best office window in the world. It’s nice to get back on the boat. The crew on the Swan and the friendships are great.
“You don’t see a lot of unhappy people on the boat and you get people coming back year after year to sail on the Swan. They come up to the ticket office and ask when it’s going.”
Captain Ken Macleod has worked for Windermere Lake Cruises for 11 years and says the seasonal nature of the job suits his lifestyle and allows him to go skiing for three months of the year. He says it is a lot quieter on Windermere now the 10mph speed limit is in force. He thinks although jet skis could be a pest with some people showing off in front of the Swan’s passengers, which was dangerous, the waterskiers are missed.
He said: “The Swan was my first boat back in 1995. We get a lot of characters who will come back and say that they’ll only sail on the Swan or the Tern.
“We get a lot of characters coming on all the time, and there are a lot of characters who work here as well. Every day is special and different on the lake.”
The vessels come out of the lake every year to be inspected. Last winter the Swan had the original 1938 timber on her top deck replaced.
Chris Woodburn has been a leading hand for over two years. He said: “I do enjoy working on the Swan and I do it every summer.
“It is certainly better than working in an office. The surroundings are beautiful and the passengers are always happy as they are on holiday. People love the boat because it is traditional and well kept. It is a piece of the lake’s history now that it has been here this long. My dad worked on it when he was my age.”
Philip Ridley is a ticket collector and deckhand and is the longest serving member of the steaming division having worked for the firm since 1967.
He said: “The Swan is never a problem – everything is always like clockwork. I am the ticket man and so I see everyone who comes on the boat. Having the craic with them is the best part of the job.”
Mr Philip said he’s seen a fair number of famous faces smiling back at him while they’ve made their way on to the ship.
Celebrities to who’ve enjoyed a relaxing sail on Windermere include Rowan Atkinson, David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in Star Wars, and wife of the former Labour prime-minister Cherie Blair.
Mr Philip said of Cherie: “The thing I liked about her was that there was no fuss. She sat down with the passengers and had a chat with them. She didn’t reserve a seat or anything.
“I love the job and enjoy the tickets more than anything else because you get so much passenger contact and can make sure everyone has a good holiday.”
While MV Swan looks set to keep tourists coming to the Lake District for a few years yet, she’s still got quite a job if she wants to catch up with the Tern, which has been in service on Windermere since June 1891.
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