Changes in the Current -- A local history and community arts project 2012
‘Changes in the Current’ is The Right Step Dance Company’s FUSE Medway Festival Spark Commission. The project will consist of dance workshops and story-telling and, together as a community, will explore The River Medway. The project will culminate in a site specific dance performance supported by music, photography and the written word. Local peoples’ river Medway stories and photographs will be collected and stories be used as inspiration. This material will be displayed during the performance and will be offered to Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre after the project.
WHAT TYPE OF STORY? These stories could be well known or very personal. They could be modern or historical, long or just a sentence. Whatever your story the Right Step Dance Company would like to hear it. If you know someone that might have a story, why not ask them? You might be surprised by how much people have to tell! Right Steps would also like to see photographs or drawings of the river as you remember it.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Right Steps would like you to write down something you remember about the River Medway or find a photo and send it to us. They would like stories from people of all ages so why not ask a friend what they remember about the River Medway and send that in too?
19th May 2012 is the deadline for all contributions to The Right Step Dance Company, PO Box 653, Rochester, ME1 9HP or email it to info@therightstepdc.co.uk. Enquiries to 07850 644 633 or visit www.therightstepdc.co.uk
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH Bell is handed over to the Royal Navy for New Aircraft Carrier
Thursday, 11th November 2010: The Ships Bell from HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, a Dreadnought class Battleship commissioned in 1915 who served her country in both wars was handed over from Chatham Dockyard Historical Society to the Royal Navy. The Bell which had been on display in the Museum of the Royal Dockyard at Chatham will be proudly displayed in the Ward Room on board the new Air Craft Carrier, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH.
During National Warship week in 1942 the Baltic Exchange who participated in the national savings campaign adopted the HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH. When the ship was scrapped, the Exchange was presented with a plaque and the ships bell, on the condition it may be re-called to service at a later time. The bell was used on the floor of the exchange, where it was rung daily to indicate the end of trading. In 1992 the Baltic Exchange suffered a bomb attack and the bell was later put on display in the Museum of the Royal Dockyard in Chatham.
Shirley Goodhew, Chairman of the Chatham Dockyard Historical Society handed over the QUEEN ELIZABETH bell to Michael Robson, Director of the Baltic Exchange and on to the Royal Navy. Commander James Hawkins RN and Lieutenant Commander David Bingham RN received the bell on behalf of the Royal Navy.
Michael Robson, Director at the Baltic Exchange said; “The Chairman, Board and Members of the Baltic Exchange are delighted to be able to hand back the Bell of the first HMS Queen Elizabeth to the Royal Navy in preparation for its installation on the new HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH. The Baltic has a long association with the Royal Navy and especially the HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH. The Bell was given to the Baltic in recognition of its adoption of the battleship and meeting some of the cost of her refit in the dark days of 1942/43. The Bell was used to start and end the sessions of fixing cargo vessels on the old Trading floor of the Exchange. Trading is now done on screens, but it is still the British and foreign flag vessels which are being traded and that belong to our membership. The seaborne trade makes up 95%of the World’s trade, so we more than most, understand the importance of the Royal Navy’s role in keeping the shipping lanes open at all times, especially with today’s growing pirate risk around the Globe. So it is our great pleasure to see the Bell going back to its spiritual home with the Senior Service and to renew our association the new HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and her future crews”.