THREE women based in Brightlingsea are hoping to raise £500,000 to restore the 1891 Thames Sailing Barge May. Jane Harman, Connie Gadd and Helen Swift reached their first goal of raising £4,000, in just four days in May – to hire a Heritage Specialist who can work with them to help raise awareness and funds, hopefully with help from the National Lottery.
Between them they have 70 years of experience of being involved with Thames barges. Connie’s late husband Gerald Gadd, who died from cancer last year, owned May, and Jane Harman, together with her husband Andy, runs the famous Edme barge and St Osyth boatyard.
The trio have called themselves the Bread and Roses Barge Group. The evocative name refers to the May‘s trading days as a grain and flour carrier for her owners Cranfield Millers. But this female-led project also has the wider goal of using May as a floating bakery and as a safe maternal environment to support women who are in difficulty.
“The plan is for May to become a regular visitor to communities along May‘s historic trading routes, building friendships and support networks along the way. We intend to offer the facility to groups and organisations working tirelessly to improve the lives of women and their children who have suffered trauma and need a safe space to move forward,” they say.
The 80ft 11in (24.69 m) 70 ton spritsail barge was built in wood by Cann, John & Herbert, of Harwich, Essex and for many years she has been a charter vessel. Importantly, in a county famed for its sailing barge revival, she is its oldest. In her long history she was used in 1972 to transport 50 tonnes of Portland stone for the restoration of St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
And in April 1976, she was transported by Redpath Industries to the Canadian Great Lakes for the Olympic Games sailing a 1,500 mile goodwill tour visiting Montreal, Hamilton, Windsor, Buffalo, Kingston and Toledo. There is an extraordinary photo of her sailing full-and-by with Toronto’s famous CN tower in the background!
She will spend a quiet year at the St Osyth boatyard while the Bread and Roses ladies raise the funds to restore her to her full glory.
Anyone can help restore and preserve the May in sailing condition by donating £1 (or more!) at the Bread and Roses website. DMH
