Association of Dunkirk Little Ships

The Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology on behalf of the Southampton Heritage Federation is delighted to announce the Southampton Maritime Festival, taking place on Sunday 5th and Monday 6th May 2013 at the Ocean Cruise Terminal, Southampton to celebrate the arrival of the Steam Tug “Challenge” following her major restoration, partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The lead organisation will be the Dunkirk Little Ships Restoration trust.

The Annual Veterans Cruise will take place on the River Thames from Thames Motor Yacht Club (TMYC), Hampton Court to Weybridge Mariners Club, Shepperton Lock Island.
Over 80 Veterans including some of the few surviving Veterans of Operation Dynamo, Chelsea Pensioners, Normandy Veterans and some of the original Commandos will join Association of Dunkirk Little Ships Honorary Admiral, Prince Michael of Kent for his special day out on the River Thames.

The 2012 Commemorative Cruise will be held in London, in West India Dock to coincide with the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. The Pageant to be held at high water on the afternoon of Sunday 3 June 2012 and the event will see up to a thousand boats muster on the River Thames in preparation for Her Majesty The Queen to lead the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. The Pageant celebrates Her Majesty's sixty years of service by magnificently bringing the Thames to life.
Little Ships will assemble in Barnes reach prior to the event.

FOLLOWING THE SUCCESSFUL RETURN TO DUNKIRK< THE ADLS ARE NOW PREPARING FOR THE ANNUAL VETERANS CRUISE, WHICH THIS YEAR TAKES PLACE ON SUNDAY 5 SEPTEMBER. THE FLOTILLA OF LITTLE SHIPS WILL MOOR DOWNSTREAM OF KINGSTON BRIDGE FOR VETERANS TO EMBARK AT 0915 FOR A 0945 DEPARTURE, AND WILL TRANSIT EAST MOLESEY AND SUNBURY LOCKS TO MAKE AN ETA AT THE WEYBRIDGE MARINERS CLUB OF APPROXIMATELY 1300. THE VETERANS WILL BE HOSTED THERE TO LUNCH BEFORE RETURNING TO KINGSTON IN A FLEET OF PERIOD VEHICLES AT APPROXIMATELY 1530.