Since Alan Coren played the role of King George III and HRH The Duke of York performed the naming ceremony, “Jubilant” has been a regular feature of the tidal Thames its events and celebrations.

2005 was busy with two funerals and a birthday, apart from over 40 outings arranged through the good offices of the 14th Richmond Sea Scouts. The first funeral was for a devoted Thames person who sadly passed away in the summer and the other was the re-enactment of Admiral Lord Nelson’s State Funeral. She also took part in several Mayoral functions. These included the Spellthorne Mayor’s River Day, the Mayor of Richmond’s official greeting of the Cornish Pilot Gig “Unity” as she neared completing her voyage under oars from the West Country. “Unity” was rowed from Port Isaac in Cornwall as a fund raising activity for the RNLI to London via the Bristol Channel, the Avon, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames to Chiswick Pier, where the Mayor of Hounslow welcomed her at the Chiswick Pier Trust HQ.

The Lord Mayor of Westminster and the Lord Mayor of London’s representative were both onboard her with the First Sea Lord for the re-enact of Nelson’s Funeral procession along the Thames in company with 38 other rowed craft and 30 historic motor vessels. The following day the Mayor of Richmond was back on board helping to row her in the Trafalgar Great River Race.

2006 was a productive year. An increasingly valuable connection has been forged between the Jubilant Trust and the Thames Landscape Strategy combined with “Arcadia in the City” which has assisted the Trust in meeting some of its objectives. A new “client” organisation, Cape Café, a community centre for the disadvantaged in Ealing, has become an enthusiastic user of the Shallop, encouraging their clients who have learning difficulties and other social problems to go afloat.

The Sea Scouts arranged outings for the charity CLIC on 3 days in June and for both the Hampton Hill Explorers and Riverside Vineyard (Edge Charity) in July. Jointly the scout cutters and Jubilant helped 188 under 18 year olds and over 400 adults including mentally handicapped were taken on escorted outings.

On the ceremonial front the Jubilant played the part of Cleopatra’s royal Nile barge in Shakespeare’s birthday celebrations at Globe Theatre on Bankside.

In August the Royal Shallop was invited to take part in the World Rowing Championships’ opening ceremony on Dorney Lake near Eton.

FOUR YEAR ROUND UP

Click here for a complete report of the Royal Shallop Jubilant and the activities of the Jubilant Trust 2002/06