Volunteers operating Southampton's historic steamship have unveiled the sailing programme for her 70th anniversary year in 2025.
The ‘flags will be flying’ on SS Shieldhall’s opening cruise of the season on May 24, and again on a special celebratory weekend when Shieldhall’s trips will pass by the depots she visited when in the service of Southern Water (July 12) and an extended trip out to the Nab Tower (July 13).
Also new for 2025 will be an extended trip west of the Needles (June 15, Father's Day) and a special ‘Liner’s Day’ with an enthusiast’ exhibition on board and an opportunity to cruise past five cruise shipping" target="_blank">ships expected in the port of Southampton on August 30.
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As well as Shieldhall's own 70th birthday celebrations, other notable anniversaries will be marked by sailings, including an 85th Dunkirk / 80th VE & VJ Day cruise to Portsmouth Harbour on May 25; a trip celebrating steam to mark Rail200 (August 23) and a ‘Jane All at Sea’ cruise, again into Portsmouth, which will highlight Jane Austen’s nautical connections, linking with the Jane Austen 250 themed year on August 31.
For 2025, Shieldhall will steam to the Solent to watch the spectacle of the Round the Island Race on June 7 and the Fastnet Race on July 26, which will mark 100 years of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC).
Musical highlights of the 2025 programme include the Selsey Shantymen performing on board on Junen 8 and Southampton’s own Salty Sea Dogson July 27. The wonderful samba rock of Tuto Tribe will grace Shieldhall’s main deck on June 13, whilst Songs of the Sea will be performed in their own inimitable fashion by Jim Splice and the Main Brace on June 28.
Shieldhall Chairman Martin Phipps said: "In addition to our cruises we will be marking our 70th anniversary by staging a number of free, alongside visit days, where guests can find out more about Shieldhall and what is involved in taking a heritage steamship out to sea."
Shieldhall volunteers put in 25,000 hours of commitment annually and were recently awarded the King's Award for Voluntary Service.
Steamship Shieldhall is one of the country’s most important historic vessels, part of the National Historic Fleet and fully operational.
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