The fight to bring Wearside's most historic ship home has now become a battle of the bands.
Renowned musicians Pete Dodds and Paul Jackson have penned an ode to the 150-year-old City of Adelaide clipper ship.
The Sunderland City of Adelaide Recovery Foundation (Scarf) plans to sell a CD of the song to raise funds.
But a rival crew from Australia has produced their own song to cheer on their efforts to take the Wear-built clipper Down Under.
Read more
Friday 26 February 2010
Wednesday 24 February 2010
YouTube: Peter Maddison (SCARF) interview with Gary Brown (Island 92)
Peter Maddison of the Sunderland City of Adelaide Recovery Foundation (SCARF) speaks to Gary Brown of Island 92. The interview was part of Gary's 'Yachtblast' show which was broadcast in January.
Click here to view
Click here to view
Press letter: Time is running out
I READ with interest recently how the City of Nottingham is to benefit from a new Art Gallery costing £20million, a significant amount of which, I understand, has been paid for by the local authority.
Come on City of Sunderland have you not heard of the Bilbao effect? The Glass Centre, despite its attributes, has not succeeded in giving Sunderland the Bilbao effect. Everybody except the local authority seems to think the City of Adelaide has such a capability.
We are told a mere £5000,000 loan by the local authority would enable the ship to be brought to the Wear. I have personally pledged £250. I will double my pledge if the City of Sunderland provides a loan. Come on, time is running out.
Geoff Pearson, Sunderland
Come on City of Sunderland have you not heard of the Bilbao effect? The Glass Centre, despite its attributes, has not succeeded in giving Sunderland the Bilbao effect. Everybody except the local authority seems to think the City of Adelaide has such a capability.
We are told a mere £5000,000 loan by the local authority would enable the ship to be brought to the Wear. I have personally pledged £250. I will double my pledge if the City of Sunderland provides a loan. Come on, time is running out.
Geoff Pearson, Sunderland
Press letter: Buy Adelaide CD
I HAD the pleasure of being at the first official airing of the Adelaide song at Paddy Whacks pub in Sunderland City Centre recently.
What a tremendous night it was and all for a very good cause. I really hope this song galvanises the Adelaide campaign, and having talked to Scarf leader and Sunderland Independent Councillor Peter Maddison on that memorable night in Green Terrace, I was left in no doubt as to the importance of the Wearside icon coming home.
What I fail to understand is why other local politicians do not back this historic campaign. Why are there question not being asked at a higher level about the massive funding of the Cutty Sark ship while the Adelaide is completely neglected or maybe as the Cutty Sark is London based then the north-south divide rears its ugly head once again?
Fair play to the Echo for putting the Adelaide song on the Echo website and I look forward to seeing the performance of the song again on the forthcoming BBC documentary about the Adelaide.
I would urge everyone who cares about Sunderland to buy the Adelaide CD and by doing so play a part in bringing the Adelaide ship back to its rightful place on the Wear.
Tom Harvey, Sunderland
What a tremendous night it was and all for a very good cause. I really hope this song galvanises the Adelaide campaign, and having talked to Scarf leader and Sunderland Independent Councillor Peter Maddison on that memorable night in Green Terrace, I was left in no doubt as to the importance of the Wearside icon coming home.
What I fail to understand is why other local politicians do not back this historic campaign. Why are there question not being asked at a higher level about the massive funding of the Cutty Sark ship while the Adelaide is completely neglected or maybe as the Cutty Sark is London based then the north-south divide rears its ugly head once again?
Fair play to the Echo for putting the Adelaide song on the Echo website and I look forward to seeing the performance of the song again on the forthcoming BBC documentary about the Adelaide.
I would urge everyone who cares about Sunderland to buy the Adelaide CD and by doing so play a part in bringing the Adelaide ship back to its rightful place on the Wear.
Tom Harvey, Sunderland
Press letter: Give Sunderland back its soul
I AM Sunderland born and bred, and have only just become aware of the sad plight of the City of Adelaide, a clipper built in Sunderland in 1864 and which in 1992 was declared part of the UK National Historic Ships Core Collection.
My family has roots going back many generations in Sunderland, and I lived there until 1985.
My heart goes out to the group Scarf, Sunderland City of Adelaide Rescue Foundation, and in particular Peter Maddison and his supporters who are trying so hard to prevent the destruction of part of Great Britain's heritage which was born out of Sunderland – the greatest shipbuilding town the world has seen.
I sadly, am one of thousands of people who witnessed part of Sunderland dying as a result of the shipbuilding industry disappearing from the Wear. I am passionately heartbroken about the effect this had on a city which was built around, and gained worldwide acclaim for the ships which were built in the shipyards on the Wear.
I have a particular interest and passion, as I spent time working in the Doxford shipbuilding yards at Pallion, Deptford and North Sands. I worked for almost 20 years as a PA in the industry.
When I first began work at Pallion, the offices were a picture of Victorian elegance, with the scaled models of past ships standing in ornate glass cabinets, one, a model of the HMS Victory, had been made by prisoners of war, and every piece had been honed and sculpted from pieces of bone. I remained there until I was made redundant.
I have eerily poignant pictures in my mind of the first launch I attended in 1971, hearing the chocks being knocked away, the noise of the chains being dragged, and the clouds of rusted dust billowing as the ship slipped into its new home, the beckoning river.
I am sure that I will be only one of an army of Sunderland people, who felt the heart was cut out of Sunderland with the shipyard closures and the effect this had.
Surely now is the time to put the soul back into Sunderland – the return of the City of Adelaide to its birthplace would achieve this.
I believe March 31 is the deadline. The City of Adelaide is the oldest clipper in the world – what an accolade – this clipper, once restored, could be the "Cutty Sark of the North". The revenue and tourism this would bring would be permanent and lucrative.
Margaret Snowdon
My family has roots going back many generations in Sunderland, and I lived there until 1985.
My heart goes out to the group Scarf, Sunderland City of Adelaide Rescue Foundation, and in particular Peter Maddison and his supporters who are trying so hard to prevent the destruction of part of Great Britain's heritage which was born out of Sunderland – the greatest shipbuilding town the world has seen.
I sadly, am one of thousands of people who witnessed part of Sunderland dying as a result of the shipbuilding industry disappearing from the Wear. I am passionately heartbroken about the effect this had on a city which was built around, and gained worldwide acclaim for the ships which were built in the shipyards on the Wear.
I have a particular interest and passion, as I spent time working in the Doxford shipbuilding yards at Pallion, Deptford and North Sands. I worked for almost 20 years as a PA in the industry.
When I first began work at Pallion, the offices were a picture of Victorian elegance, with the scaled models of past ships standing in ornate glass cabinets, one, a model of the HMS Victory, had been made by prisoners of war, and every piece had been honed and sculpted from pieces of bone. I remained there until I was made redundant.
I have eerily poignant pictures in my mind of the first launch I attended in 1971, hearing the chocks being knocked away, the noise of the chains being dragged, and the clouds of rusted dust billowing as the ship slipped into its new home, the beckoning river.
I am sure that I will be only one of an army of Sunderland people, who felt the heart was cut out of Sunderland with the shipyard closures and the effect this had.
Surely now is the time to put the soul back into Sunderland – the return of the City of Adelaide to its birthplace would achieve this.
I believe March 31 is the deadline. The City of Adelaide is the oldest clipper in the world – what an accolade – this clipper, once restored, could be the "Cutty Sark of the North". The revenue and tourism this would bring would be permanent and lucrative.
Margaret Snowdon
Press letter: Let's bring the City of Adelaide home
I WAS lucky enough to be present at a heaving paddywacks pub in Sunderland city centre to witness the lauch of the City of Adelaide campaign song and a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable night it was.
The emotional Adelaide song was performed superbly by local musicans Paul Jackson and Pete Dodds and an excellent backing band which was being filmed as part of a BBC documentary on the Adelaide.
Talking to Paul Jackson a co-writer of the Adelaide song, I was able to gain an insight into the man's passion for the Adelaide campaign and this passion was was shared by the entusiastic gathering of proud Wearsiders at the special event.
It was interesting looking around the audience and seeing such a cross-section of the Wearside community united as one and together in such a hugely worthwhile cause for Sunderland. A cause, if successful, could help today's families and their children experience the pride of Sunderland's rich shipbuilding history.
To my knowledge there was no local politicans present at this important event other than the staunch passionate Adelaide campaigner Councillor Peter Maddison, and here lies the crux of the matter.
In the main, Sunderland City Council have been very quiet in relation to the Adelaide issue. The silence from the Civic Centre has been deafening about this masively important local debate.
The Australians are also interested in the Adelaide and their local politicans have supported their bid, eg. two local mayors have spoken out in favour of their Adelaide iniative.
If the Sunderland City of Adelaide Recovery Foundation (Scarf) campaign does not achieve its ultimate aim in bringing the Adelaide home to the river Wear then certain Sunderalnd councillors should hold their heads in shame. Let's bring our beauty home despite council indifference.
Tony Ratton, Sunderland
The emotional Adelaide song was performed superbly by local musicans Paul Jackson and Pete Dodds and an excellent backing band which was being filmed as part of a BBC documentary on the Adelaide.
Talking to Paul Jackson a co-writer of the Adelaide song, I was able to gain an insight into the man's passion for the Adelaide campaign and this passion was was shared by the entusiastic gathering of proud Wearsiders at the special event.
It was interesting looking around the audience and seeing such a cross-section of the Wearside community united as one and together in such a hugely worthwhile cause for Sunderland. A cause, if successful, could help today's families and their children experience the pride of Sunderland's rich shipbuilding history.
To my knowledge there was no local politicans present at this important event other than the staunch passionate Adelaide campaigner Councillor Peter Maddison, and here lies the crux of the matter.
In the main, Sunderland City Council have been very quiet in relation to the Adelaide issue. The silence from the Civic Centre has been deafening about this masively important local debate.
The Australians are also interested in the Adelaide and their local politicans have supported their bid, eg. two local mayors have spoken out in favour of their Adelaide iniative.
If the Sunderland City of Adelaide Recovery Foundation (Scarf) campaign does not achieve its ultimate aim in bringing the Adelaide home to the river Wear then certain Sunderalnd councillors should hold their heads in shame. Let's bring our beauty home despite council indifference.
Tony Ratton, Sunderland
Press letter: Help us bring City of Adelaide back home
I FOUND an old photograph of me steering the Anna Kristina up the coast of Norway to the Lofoten Islands and beyond. Happy days!
I'm looking forward to "steering" the City of Adelaide around Cape Wrath and back home to Sunderland.
March the 31st, break up or recovery day is looming.
Scarf is frantically working on completing our recovery/business/sustainability plan to present to the Scottish Government and to others. We all need deadlines to work to or nothing gets done. But we wouldn't mind some help.
If you have a business or an engineering or a creative head please get in touch with me.
The greatest shipbuilding town in the world has got an opportunity to recover one of its own. The Adelaide will bring great pride and meaning back to an empty river.
The Adelaide will create hundreds of training and apprenticeship and business opportunities.
We don't need a great deal of money to recover the ship. We do need to be able to prove that we have the support of the city.
The future of the ship must be sustainable. We have to prove that the ship will be in safe and capable hands when she is back here.
If you have some fire in your belly and love for your home town, please contact me. Let's bring Adelaide home together and prove to the world that we are still capable of doing great things.
Coun Peter Maddison
email: Cllr.peter.maddison@sunderland.gov.uk
Press letter: I'm proud and sad
AFTER reading in the Echo recently and seeing the City of Adelaide song on You Tube it made me both proud to be from Sunderland and disappointed.
As a former shipyard worker, the whole Adelaide idea, to me, is a genuine effort by people with a love of Sunderland, campaigning for the city that they love and support with passion.
On the other hand, the sad lack of support from the majority of those in the comfortable set-up that is Sunderland Civic Centre is a complete disgrace, likewise with the city's MPs and candidates for the forthcoming election.
I have made a pledge to the Adelaide campaign and intend to buy several copies of the Adelaide song CD, some of which I will send to exiled Sunderland shipyard workers who also care passionately about Sunderland's City of Adelaide ship.
Ken Thompson, Sunderland
"...If only there was a way to shake the apathy out of people..."
Dear Sir, first off can i just say that never have I felt the need to put pen to paper (not literally in this case) about any subject, hence this letter may not make much sense. As I have no family ties to shipbuilding, or any connections to shipbuilding for that matter, its not a shipbuilding reason for wanting to see Adelaide back home, although thats a very worthy cause on its own. For me its about the City where im from and all things Sunderland.
If only some more of our elected representatives had the vision and fight that you seem to possess. Or if it belonged to that City which thinks and acts like a City should, you know the one, its not far from where we are and begins with an `N`. Im sure the Adelaide would have been home and sitting proudly on its Quayside.
Why or how cant they see what a great addition this would be to our port, it really does beggar belief that nothing seems to be being done to get her home, surely they can see the potential growth in investment just through tourism alone. How great would it look sitting opposite maybe the Glass Centre.
I could really go on forever about the Council's lack of support, but I
dont want to spoil my day.
Can I just say thanks and all the best in your endeavours, and you have my full support and im sure the majority of Sunderland would echo that. If only there was a way to shake the apathy out of people, that includes me. It has taken me this long to show my support, having read
the numerous letters in `the echo` and complained about nothing being done, which my wife is sick of hearing by the way.
Many thanks for your superb efforts and heres to your success.
Mr.William Young
"Nil Desperandum shipmates..."
According to Chris Mullin MP there is only 20% of the ship left intact. Other MPs, MEPs are no better informed; or they chose not to be informed. I’ve been pursuing the ship for more than ten years now. In the early days I believed once our elected members were informed of the true condition of the ship and her massive importance to Sunderland, they would leap at the chance to help. They didn’t and they won’t. I do not despair at their lack of involvement. They will have their arses kicked soon enough.
The recovery of the Adelaide is down to people like you and I and the rest of the town. In spite of all the obstacles and lack of assistance from Council we can pull it off. We have the town behind us. Our campaign has now got national as well as international attention. I know the media can be a double edged sword but at the moment they are full behind us:
We are a nation of shipbuilders and seafarers not a nation of landlubbers; they love a great David and Goliath story.
I’m in talks now with three separate film companies who want the job, and the exclusivity, of filming the recovery.
NIL DESPERANDUM shipmates...
Everyday now more and more people are coming onboard. We’ve now got a great campaign song. The CD will be available soon. The City of Adelaide song is going to be heard in all the bars and clubs of Sunderland, and sadly for the Australians, in Adelaide too. The ship is coming home to the Wear and not to South Australia. SCARF is not going to let anybody down. We are working day and night to complete our business/recovery/sustainability plan to present to the Scottish government and others.
We are never going to give up the fight to recover the ship for Sunderland. We do need all the help we can get.
Thank you again to you and your friends for supporting the great cause to recover the clipper.
Tuesday 23 February 2010
Daughter Adelaide and dad in front of the Red Duster...
Daughter Adelaide and dad in front of the Red Duster. A great night in Sunderland on the occasion of the first live performance of our campaign song ‘City of Adelaide’. Many thanks to singer, songwriters Pete Dodds and Paul Jackson and all supporting musicians. Thanks also to Tony Griffiths and the management of Paddy Whacks Pub. We are going to be performing this song on the deck of the Adelaide when we bring her home to the River Wear!
CD’s of the song will be available soon. Please be patient.
Monday 22 February 2010
Press letter: Adelaide rescue bid
THE campaign to bring the historic City of Adelaide clipper ship home to Wearside has now reached a critical stage.
As part of the campaign, a song by Sunderland musicians Paul Jackson and Pete Dodds, called City of Adelaide, was launched in a Sunderland city centre pub and I had the pleasure of being there. The night was a resounding success.
Inside Out documentary available on BBC iPlayer
If you missed tonight's episode of Inside Out featuring the City of Adelaide, or are out of the North East & Cumbria Region, the episode is available on BBC iPlayer for UK users:
Sunday 21 February 2010
City of Adelaide YouTube Channel
Please see the YouTube channel containing all of the City of Adelaide videos so far, including interviews with Peter Maddison on board the beautiful ship herself and live performances of the City of Adelaide song in Paddywhacks bar.
Musical melee for City of Adelaide: dueling duo of tunes make noise
Everyone in Fyddeye's global operations center in Seattle smirked with pride yesterday when the mainstream media picked up what we first reported January 8, that the two groups competing for the future of the clipper City of Adelaide were working on producing a campaign song.
BBC Inside Out - City of Adelaide documentary
Chris Jackson reports on the race to save the Adelaide, a major part of Britain's maritime heritage.
Monday 22nd February, 19:30 on BBC One (North East & Cumbria only)
SCARF Facebook Group
Please join the Official SCARF Facebook group, and spread the word to your friends, family and colleagues to join!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=255907220167&v=info
Many thanks!
Wednesday 17 February 2010
Youtube: First recording of City of Adelaide song
Arne Sneddon introduces a fine debut performance of 'City of Adelaide' by Sunderland musicians Paul Jackson and Pete Dodds and their band at Paddywhacks.
Tuesday 16 February 2010
Press letter: City of Adelaide rescue bid
HAVING recently attended a campaign event in aid of bringing the historic City of Adelaide clipper back to its home city of Sunderland – which involved the launch of the excellent moving song, City of Adelaide, by Sunderland musicians Paul Jackson and Pete Dodds – it struck me what an emotive thing the issue has become.
Friday 12 February 2010
Press article: Song to help steer the Adelaide home
"City of Adelaide set sail for home."
That was the message that rang out loudly in Sunderland as campaigners fighting to save Wearside's most historic ship launched their campaign song.
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