We Were There

Ipswich and Suffolk were represented at the River Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.

S.B. Victor, built in Ipswich in 1895 for carrying bulk cargo and now a charter vessel, represented the Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, Lord Tollemache, at this Jubilee celebration. As the Queen processed along the Thames through the Avenue of Sails she passed the Victor, moored between HMS Belfast and London Bridge (with the dramatic Shard in the background). Students from the Royal Hospital School in full naval uniform manned the vessel- surely a day to remember.

Prior to setting sail for London, the Victor was moored alongside the Common Quay in front of the Custom House. The Deputy Lieutenant of Suffolk, Henry Strutt, presented flags for the skipper and these were duly hoisted. There were four in all: the Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk's flag, the Suffolk flag, the Ipswich flag with the familiar three demi-ships and lion rampant and the Ipswich Maritime Trust flag - specially created for the occasion.

Diana Lewis, Ipswich Maritime Trust