The Little Ship Club

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The Little Ship Club is a yacht club in London. It was founded in 1926 by a group of yachtsmen for the purpose of providing training and lectures over the winter months. The club operates from its riverside clubhouse at Bell Wharf on the River Thames, and is the only one operating from within the City of London.[1]

The Little Ship Club shares its current space with the City Livery Club since 2010[2]. Joint dinners and other events are sponsored on occasion to promote interest and friendship between the two Club tenants at the Bell Wharf Lane location. [Wiki}

Now Lambo lived in Liverpool Road, Islington N7 and would often, after work, sit in t pub reading Evening Standard.

Lambo, dipstick, never even been on a boat (except Yorkshire Belle) in his life, only goes and buys a 23ft plastic boat on the river Ouze. Throws wife and kids and back every weekend near Ware in Hertfordshire.

September and Lambo in pub.

'Special deal for all sailors. RYA (Royal Yachting Association) Day Skipper new winter shorbased program. Little Ship club'.

We all know what Lambo does next, he signs up.

Six months, once per week for 3 hours with two exams; general one and the special one; Navigation.

Maybe a baggy tracksuite and a duffel bag was not the way to set a first imprssion.  Lambo had just been in the gym, Holmes Place, Barbican, no less.

Lambo stuck at it despite, the vitriol, couldn't call it abuse but it felt like it.

Words like, 'Old chap, you have a Stinkpot (motor boat), you wouldn't have the first clue how to navigate at sea, let alone how to tweek a sail.  It actually made me feel very uncomfortable.

In class Lambo annoyed all the students.  He kept asking; 'could you explain that again, I didn't quite get it'  He also once said, sort of, 'Ok I get it Red means Stop and Green means Go. Or in your 'Rules of the Road' speak, Port gives way to Starboard, unless your the windward boat'.  Lambo got it.

Some dipstick of a teacher spent more time telling us about his, 'first Atlantic crossing as skipper' than actually teaching us anything. Lambo would love to meet him now and say, never under-estimate, Lads from Featherstone,  Lambo done three as skipper mate!

The worst of the lot was the com-adore, former vice admiral or something.  If truth be known I think Lambo's Yorkshire twangs annoyed him.  Lambo did keep telling him, 'Your called the Little Ship Club & and I have a little ship.  She is called Vagrant1, so what's your problem, mate!'  Lambo never changes.

Exams;  Gave it my best shot in both papers.

Oh, the place is so up its own, we had to wait a week for our results.

I passed.

Six weeks later; The Little Ship Yacht club annual dinner.   [On my mothers....] The winner of the prize for outstanding student in the Exams is ...

Lambo, our very own Lad from Featherstone (got 100% in his Navigation paper) and here is the  Commodore (bless) to present him with the trophy.

After signing 47 disclaimers and the rest they let Lambo take it home.

Go there, look in the 'Vast' trophy cabinet and you will see Lads from Featherstone get everywhere.

Ok Lambo, does that balance things up a bit. Om Lambo your loved.

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