Hi From Belgium or Scotland

Joined
Jan 20, 2020
Messages
11
Points
58

Location
Eksel, Belgium
Hi, it has been a very long time since I built any kind of model main ones I used to build were radio control aircraft and cars.
I have built a few wooden boats but the last time was round about 1980, now that I'm retired I would like to take up some building again.

I love sailing ships and that is what I would like to build.

A bit of family history: in 1735 one of my ancestors, James Paul, started working with a Denny as an engineer building ships, later the Denny family became William Denny & Bothers Ship Builders in Dumbarton Scotland, from that start one of my family has always worked at Denny's until it closed in the 1960s my uncle was a marine architect specialising in steam turbines and gearboxes, and my father was a pattern maker in Denny's during WW2.
Denny's was the shipyard that finished off building the Cutty Sark and also famous for the Denny Stabiliser (later Denny Brown)
I myself was trained as a Radar Technician with Decca Radar working on the fishing boats around Scotland.
I'm now retired and married to a lovely Belgian woman and we split our time between Scotland and Belgium.
 
Very interesting history and background in your family.
Just took a look at wikipedia:
A warm welcome here on board of our friendly forum :cool:
Thank you, it is very interesting but alas I'm the last of my name, and a bit old now to try for more :D
The Denny Tank is still open as a museum and I take my grand kids there to see what it was like, and it was while visiting there and asking about one of the ships that they built that the subject of family that worked there came up. The records officer said "Wait a minute, I have something you might be interested in..." he disappeared for a few minutes and then came back with a very old book, it was a record of employment and there on the first page was "James Paul - Engineer; Date of employment 1735" after a bit more research and asking family he was a great -great... grandfather, he was about the 4th or 5th on the list of people employed by Denny and it predates the founding of William Denny's Shipyard by nearly 100 years. Now skip forward to the 1960s and my uncle was the last of our family to work for Denny's and his name was also James Paul.

These pictures were taken by my late uncle James, the first 4 are of the MS City of Winchester launched in 1952, and in the 4th picture you can see the ship yard on the River Leven in Dumbarton with all that remains of the yard is now the model tank which is the building at the top left of the picture. The 5th pic is of the last ship to be built by Denny's the GMV Aramoana, my uncle was out on her for the sea trials.

JDPaul366.jpgJDPaul416a.jpgJDPaul374.jpgJDPaul380a.jpgJDPaul026.jpg
 
Hi Alicatt,
Welcome. Very nice images there - this is one of my models of a Denny ship - RMS Papanui - Bob
Really nice model Shipbuilder, for your info the Denny Tank Museum still keeps the records of the ships they built, including the work books detailing everything that went into the build of that particular ship and some of those that worked on the ship.
 
I have the National Maritime books (Four volumes) that contain the information you mention. My interst in the Papanui was the fact that she lies sunk at the anchorage at St. Helena, where she came in on fire in 1911, and burned out after allthe passengers and crew were taken off. Here is the final visible part of the Papanui that I photographed some years ago (It has since collapsed under the sea.) It is the top of the steering gear with the ruder beneath it. I have climbed onto it several times over the years. My old ships called there regularly between 1973 and last year! Bob

9 Papanui Steering gear (Large).JPG11 Papanui plate Jamestown St. Helena.jpg
 
Hi, it has been a very long time since I built any kind of model main ones I used to build were radio control aircraft and cars.
I have built a few wooden boats but the last time was round about 1980, now that I'm retired I would like to take up some building again.

I love sailing ships and that is what I would like to build.

A bit of family history: in 1735 one of my ancestors, James Paul, started working with a Denny as an engineer building ships, later the Denny family became William Denny & Bothers Ship Builders in Dumbarton Scotland, from that start one of my family has always worked at Denny's until it closed in the 1960s my uncle was a marine architect specialising in steam turbines and gearboxes, and my father was a pattern maker in Denny's during WW2.
Denny's was the shipyard that finished off building the Cutty Sark and also famous for the Denny Stabiliser (later Denny Brown)
I myself was trained as a Radar Technician with Decca Radar working on the fishing boats around Scotland.
I'm now retired and married to a lovely Belgian woman and we split our time between Scotland and Belgium.
Hallo @Alicatt
we wish you all the Best and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Birthday-Cake
 
Hi, it has been a very long time since I built any kind of model main ones I used to build were radio control aircraft and cars.
I have built a few wooden boats but the last time was round about 1980, now that I'm retired I would like to take up some building again.

I love sailing ships and that is what I would like to build.

A bit of family history: in 1735 one of my ancestors, James Paul, started working with a Denny as an engineer building ships, later the Denny family became William Denny & Bothers Ship Builders in Dumbarton Scotland, from that start one of my family has always worked at Denny's until it closed in the 1960s my uncle was a marine architect specialising in steam turbines and gearboxes, and my father was a pattern maker in Denny's during WW2.
Denny's was the shipyard that finished off building the Cutty Sark and also famous for the Denny Stabiliser (later Denny Brown)
I myself was trained as a Radar Technician with Decca Radar working on the fishing boats around Scotland.
I'm now retired and married to a lovely Belgian woman and we split our time between Scotland and Belgium.
Hallo @Alicatt
we wish you all the BEST and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Birthday-Cake
 
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