At 10:15 on Friday, 1 October 2021, at Temple Pier, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman William Russell, piped away his two Sheriffs, Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli and Chris Hayward CC. Having completed an extraordinary two-year term…
Remarks to: the Company Of Watermen & Lightermen, on paddle steamer Elizabethan, on 8 July 2021. Master, Wardens, Fellow Freemen, Ladies & Gentlemen. Thank you Master for inviting me to join our company on this evening, as we pay tribute…
Toast To The Immortal Memory Of Charles Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli Remarks to the City Pickwick Club at the George & Vulture, London, 25 March 2019
Thames sailing barges (“barge” meaning without a deep keel) were amongst the fastest and most versatile trading ships ever built. Famous for their ochre sails, able to point well into the wind, suitable for waters as shallow as five feet,…
Another magical trip to the North Sea and Never Never Land. This time starting with Amrum and then to Helgoland again. Depite whistful (sic) and fun memories, the trip ended on a sad note as my dear friend’s mother died while…
We were delighted with today’s BBC1 coverage of Lady Daphne in Heir Hunters, Series 9, Episode 5 (of 20), “Morris/Evans” (09:15, Friday, 27 February 2015). Not only did they have a great case to solve with Robert Evans, and made it…
The observant among you may have noticed that the Mainelli’s spent two weeks of August in Scotland, followed by Wales, and sailing in England. We left in early August when polls for the Scottish Referendum predicted a 22 point “No”…
One of the joys of restoring a Thames Sailing Barge, our beloved S B Lady Daphne, is racing her. Racing her? Indeed. Thames Sailing Barge racing is the oldest continuous boat racing in the world and, despite the size, slow turns,…
For over two decades my great sailing buddy Axel has gone on and on about Helgoland, sometimes rendered in English as Heligoland. The wonderful sail, the interesting tides, the fantastic island, the duty free. But for those two decades and…
Kathleen Tyson-Quah is a generous friend letting us bounce around the Regents Canal with her several times on her assortment of river craft. Literally bouncing off the banks on a few occasions. We had just had some fun at the 2014…
