Brit - Watchful - Brit - Yorkshire Lady - Coronia (2) - Great Yarmouth, Thames, Scarborough & Gibraltar Excursion Ship

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Brit - Watchful - Brit - Yorkshire Lady - Coronia (2)


This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the Scarborough diesel excursion ship Coronia (2) which had previously served at Great Yarmouth and on the Thames, and had participated at Dunkirk.

Contact the owner, Tom Machin, at 01723 363605 / 07855 381139 for details of the cruises currently run by this vessel at Scarborough.
Website:- mvcoronia.co.uk
Email:- mvcoronia@me.com

The Brit was built as in 1935 by Fellows & Co in Great Yarmouth. She was owned by Longfield Brothers for use from the same port, and was a revolution in the design of the Yarmouth's excursion boats - being a low draft manoeuvrable boat powered by twin Crossley diesels. As late as 1930, the Yarmouth & Gorleston Steamboat Company had built their double-ended steamboat Oulton Belle, essentially to a design dating back to 1895. Brit was very successful in the 1930s, generally making two 2-hour trips from the Town Hall Quay out to sea, embarking more passengers at the Britannia Pier. Evening trips were also run.

Brit was taken over by the Admiralty on September 16th, 1939 and used as the tender Watchful, and she attended the Dunkirk evacuation. In the years following the war, Brit again operated successfully from the Britannia Pier. The rival Yarmouth & Gorleston Company paid the ultimate compliment of rebuilding three of their boats, Norwich Belle, Hotspur and Oulton Belle, to a similar design as Brit. At the end of the 1949 season, Longfield Brothers were approached by Thames Launches to acquire Brit and use her on the Thames for the Festival of Britain. Brit looked rather strange with her cut down funnel and bridge to fit under the Thames bridges. She was not totally suited to Thames river operation, being designed as an open sea vessel, and was sold again in the spring of 1951 to D.Dalton and G.Round for use at Scarborough.

Brit was renamed Yorkshire Lady, becoming their fifth 'Lady' after White Lady, White Lady II, Royal Lady and New Royal Lady. She was painted white with a yellow funnel, which later received a house flag emblem. In 1954 she was joined in the fleet by her old rival the Oulton Belle, now the Regal Lady. The company was renamed Scarborough Cruises Ltd in the same year. The two vessels worked successfully during this boom era for UK holidays - at this time there were three boats working from Scarborough, Yorkshire Lady, Regal Lady and the larger Coronia (1). In 1961, Yorkshire Lady's original Crossley engines were replaced with new Gardner 6LX diesels, increasing her speed from 10 to 12 knots. She received a new wheelhouse at the same time, all undertaken at Eyemouth in Scotland. Foreign package holidays began to hit visitor numbers in the 1960s, and in the spring of 1968 Scarborough's largest cruise boat, the Coronia (1), left for Bournemouth. J.W.Johnston replaced her with the Yorkshire Lady, renamed Coronia (2). He also chartered the Regal Lady. Regal Lady was returned to her owners Scarborough Cruises at the end of the season and placed on the sales list. She ran with them for two more seasons before being sold, leaving Coronia (2) to continue alone at Scarborough. She ran successfully through the 1970s, but was sold to Don Robinson in in time for the 1980 season. In 1985 she was sold to Don Robinson's manager Tommy Hanson, but not for use in Scarborough. Instead, she headed south to Gibraltar where Coronia (2) ran for six years, on short cruises around the rock and to see dolphins. There was no excursion vessel in Scarborough in 1985 and 1986, but for 1987 the Regal Lady returned under the ownership of North Sea Leisure. They bought the Coronia (2) in 1991 and brought her back from Gibraltar to join her previous fleet mate. The two vessels have remained in service together since.

Expensive hull repairs were required by Coronia during the winter of 2007. A superb book has been produced from which the proceeds go to paying for these repairs


Contacts:-
Tom Machin (owner):- 01723 363605 / 07855 381139
Website:- mvcoronia.co.uk
Email:- mvcoronia@me.com

Sections on This Page:-
Brit (Great Yarmouth: 1935-1949)
Brit (Thames: 1949-1951)
Yorkshire Lady (1951-1968)
Coronia (2) (Scarborough: 1968-1985)
Coronia (2) (Gibraltar: 1985-1991)
Coronia (2) (Scarborough: 1991- )

Associated Pages:-
Scarborough Excursion Vessels - Page 1
Scarborough Excursion Vessels - Page 2
Croson Ltd
UK Excursion Ships
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates
Simplon Postcards - Home Page

References:-
Pleasure Steamers of Old Yorkshire by Arthur Godfrey - c.1975
British Pleasure Steamers 1920-1939 by Geoffrey Grimshaw - Richard Tilling 1945
MV Coronia 1935-1995 by Tom Machin - Carrick Publications, Scarborough 1995
60 Years A Lady 1930-1990 by Tom Machin - Carrick Publications, Scarborough 1990

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(Great Yarmouth: 1935-1949)

The Brit was built as in 1935 by Fellows & Co in Great Yarmouth. She was owned by Longfield Brothers for use from the same port, and was a revolution in the design of the Yarmouth's excursion boats - being a low draft manoeuvrable boat powered by twin Crossley diesels. As late as 1930, the Yarmouth & Gorleston Steamboat Company had built their double-ended steamboat Oulton Belle, essentially to a design dating back to 1895. Brit was very successful in the 1930s, generally making two 2-hour trips from the Town Hall Quay out to sea, embarking more passengers at the Britannia Pier. Evening trips were also run.

Brit was taken over by the Admiralty on September 16th, 1939 and used as the tender Watchful, and she attended the Dunkirk evacuation. In the years following the war, Brit again operated successfully from the Britannia Pier. The rival Yarmouth & Gorleston Company paid the ultimate compliment of rebuilding three of their boats, Norwich Belle, Hotspur and Oulton Belle, to a similar design as Brit. At the end of the 1949 season, Longfield Brothers were approached by Thames Launches to acquire Brit and use her on the Thames for the Festival of Britain.


Postcard of Brit in Great Yarmouth service.
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Brit
(River Thames: 1949-1951)

At the end of the 1949 season, Longfield Brothers were approached by Thames Launches to acquire Brit and use her on the Thames for the Festival of Britain. Brit looked rather strange with her cut down funnel and bridge to fit under the Thames bridges. She was not totally suited to Thames river operation, being designed as an open sea vessel, and was sold again in the spring of 1951 to D.Dalton and G.Round for use at Scarborough.


Charkes Skilton photographic postcard of Brit cut down for Thames service.
Click to open larger image in new widow






Yorkshire Lady (Scarborough: 1951-1968)

Brit was not totally suited to Thames river operation, being designed as an open sea vessel, and was sold again in the spring of 1951 to D.Dalton and G.Round for use at Scarborough. Brit was renamed Yorkshire Lady, becoming their fifth 'Lady' after White Lady, White Lady II, Royal Lady and New Royal Lady. She was painted white with a yellow funnel, which later received a house flag emblem. In 1954 she was joined in the fleet by her old rival the Oulton Belle, now the Regal Lady. The company was renamed Scarborough Cruises Ltd in the same year. The two vessels worked successfully during this boom era for UK holidays - at this time there were three boats working from Scarborough, Yorkshire Lady, Regal Lady and the larger Coronia (1). In 1961, Yorkshire Lady's original Crossley engines were replaced with new Gardner 6LX diesels, increasing her speed from 10 to 12 knots. She received a new wheelhouse at the same time, all undertaken at Eyemouth in Scotland. Foreign package holidays began to hit visitor numbers in the 1960s, and in the spring of 1968 Scarborough's largest cruise boat, the Coronia (1), left for Bournemouth. J.W.Johnston replaced her with the Yorkshire Lady, renamed Coronia (2).


Postcard of Yorkshire Lady.
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Same postcard of Yorkshire Lady updated to show later colours and funnel cap
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Webster postcard SK75 of Yorkshire Lady.
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Salmon postcard 1561c of Yorkshire Lady.
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Photo Precision Colourmaster postcard PT19924 of Yorkshire Lady.
Posted 1978.
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Bamforth postcard of Yorkshire Lady.
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Chadwick postcard of Regal Lady, Yorkshire Lady and Coronia (1).
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Photograph of Yorkshire Lady, Regal Lady and Coronia (1).
Photo: © Terry Boyle, c.1962
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Coronia (2)
(Scarborough: 1968-1985)

Foreign package holidays began to hit visitor numbers in the 1960s, and in the spring of 1968 Scarborough's largest cruise boat, the Coronia (1), left for Bournemouth. J.W.Johnston replaced her with the Yorkshire Lady, renamed Coronia (2). He also chartered the Regal Lady. Regal Lady was returned to her owners Scarborough Cruises at the end of the season and placed on the sales list. She ran with them for two more seasons before being sold, leaving Coronia (2) to continue alone at Scarborough. She ran successfully through the 1970s, but was sold to Don Robinson in in time for the 1980 season. In 1985 she was sold to Don Robinson's manager Tommy Hanson, but not for use in Scarborough. Instead, she headed south to Gibraltar where Coronia (2) ran for six years, on short cruises around the rock and to see dolphins. There was no excursion vessel in Scarborough in 1985 and 1986, but for 1987 the Regal Lady returned under the ownership of North Sea Leisure. They bought the Coronia (2) in 1991 and brought her back from Gibraltar to join her previous fleet mate. The two vessels have remained in service since.


Dennis postcard of Coronia (2), ex-Yorkshire Lady.
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The same card of Coronia (2) was later reissued with a red funnel
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Coronia (2)
(Gibraltar: 1985-1991)

In 1985 Coronia (2) was sold to Don Robinson's manager Tommy Hanson, but not for use in Scarborough. Instead, she headed south to Gibraltar where Coronia (2) ran for six years, on short cruises around the rock and to see dolphins. There was no excursion vessel in Scarborough in 1985 and 1986, but for 1987 the Regal Lady returned under the ownership of North Sea Leisure. They bought the Coronia (2) in 1991 and brought her back from Gibraltar to join her previous fleet mate. The two vessels have remained in service since.


Rock Photographic postcard of Coronia (2), ex-Yorkshire Lady at Gibraltar.
Posted 1992.
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Postcard of Coronia (2), ex-Yorkshire Lady at Gibraltar.
Published by E.T.W.Dennis - caption states at Scarborough
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Coronia (2)
(Scarborough: 1991- )

There was no excursion vessel in Scarborough in 1985 and 1986, but for 1987 the Regal Lady returned under the ownership of Tom Machin. He bought the Coronia (2) in 1991 and brought her back from Gibraltar to join her previous fleet mate. The two vessels have remained in service since.

Contacts:-
Tom Machin (owner):- 01723 363605 / 07855 381139
Website:- mvcoronia.co.uk
Email:- mvcoronia@me.com


John Storey art postcard 2 of Coronia (2) back at Scarborough
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John Storey art postcard 4 of Coronia (2) back at Scarborough
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