Posted by PeterH on November 13, 2006 at 18:48:17 from 86.130.137.149 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: The Lakeland Pedlar posted by Owen Roberts on November 13, 2006 at 14:10:00:
First, thanks to you too, Owen, for reminding me about the book. I bought one when it first came out, but I'd forgotten I'd got it!
As to the location of the Fairy Queen in the photo, there is a shingle beach in the background. These occur on Windermere (as we know from AR). Is it a rather large 'Horseshoe Bay'? Or, it might even be somewhere on Esthwaite Water where the vessel was sometimes relaunched, having been hauled overland 'by horses' (so we are told), but I think it is Windermere.
Fairy Queen was presumably broken up eventually, and so is not listed in the National Register of Historic Vessels, but one of the other Fildes vessels mentioned in 'Lakeland Pedlar' - Dolly (built 1850) - was raised from the bed of Ullswater and preserved and is listed. She is at present in the Windermere Steamboat Museum, and is alleged to be the oldest mechanically propelled boat in the world. Depressing news, I'm afraid, about the privately-owned WSM. It is about to close. The boats will be lifted out for urgently-needed conservation by the Lakeland Arts Trust, which has obtained funds for this. However, the long-term future of the collection, and a future home for them, is uncertain at present. The Inland Revenue are involved :-(