Harbour Master Praises MVS

The majestic sight of dozens of Tall Ships alongside Blyth quayside and the subsequent parade of sail that entertained thousands of people in the North East was supported by the MVS.
Around 30 tall ships of all shapes and sizes visited the port before sailing across the North Sea to Gothenburg.

Very much in the forefront of the action were members of MVS Northumbria, MVS Humber and Vice Chair Chris Todd, who all volunteered their time and expertise over the four day festival.
VO Angela Carrington, Head of Unit Northumbria organised the event on behalf of the MVS.

The team played a very active role both on land and on the water.
Due to the interest in the unit, a special recruitment evening will take place in November where more information will be given to prospective members.

On the river and out at sea, the unit employed its 21ft long patrol boat “Tyne Spirit” effectively in a variety of roles including marshalling exclusion zones, general patrolling and ferrying VIPs and key operational personnel to hard to reach areas of the river.

“We all worked well as a team and I’m delighted with the way our planning enabled us to do exactly what we were requested to do.
We all put in very long days but it really was worth it.
We’ve built up some valuable contacts on the river and made some new friends.
We came across as professional and dedicated to the task in hand,” said Angela.

Indeed, another person who agreed with Angela was Port of Blyth Harbour Master, Captain Martin Willis who wrote to Angela and the units to thank them for their help.
In the letter Martin states:
“You should be very proud of you and your teams efforts in what has been the largest public event ever staged in Northumberland and I personally thank you for your support and assistance throughout the whole planning stages.”

“This endorsement from the Harbour Master is the icing on the cake,” said Angela.
“It’s great to be appreciated but even better to know that what we did, we did well.”