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Harwich Mayflower Project
Welcome to the Mayflower Project. It is an exciting new venture based in Harwich, Essex. Our goal is two-fold; First, to recreate a working replica of the Pilgrim Fathers’ vessel, The Mayflower. Secondly, our aim is to re-establish Harwich as a maritime centre and provide a centre for learning for future generations.
At the Mayflower Project we aim to regenerate the skills that have effectively been lost and provide employment and educational opportunities throughout the town itself and the areas surrounding. We want to reignite that passion generated by the original vessel and reconsolidate the historic links between England, the Netherlands and, the USA.
A Challenging Week in Harwich
Around 200 people arrived for the establishment of the first quality training facility that Harwich has seen for decades, opened by
Sir William McAlpine, Chairman of The Railway Heritage Trust, who were effectively the sponsor of the Station's reconstruction. Many thanks are also due DeWalt Tools for their massive assistance on the fit-out of the workshops and to the Pier Hotel for the excellent onsite catering. Ironically, the Station is fitted with state of the art protection equipment, albeit less elegant than the Victorian engineering. This is to ensure minimal interest from the poorer quality of individual who might wish to pave their way to a very hot place through stealing from a Charity ....there are some who have very short term perspectives.
The entire day was a resounding success and we feel sure that the attendees and dignitaries departed with a positive view of the job creation and skill generation by the Project. Astonishingly, we were blessed by great weather which nearly dried the sawdust from the keel cutting before it hit the ground.
Then onto the Auction which was arranged with great attention to detail by Tom Daly, Chairman and long term stalwart of a Project which few once believed possible. Despite staff staying overnight before the Auction day many of the most valuable auction items were stolen by thieves. The Auction was nevertheless a success but the sour aspect of having to bring in police support to what should have been an uplifting and fun day does leave us within the Project at a loss for words. The theft left us arguably immediately less able to develop the construction of our centerpiece, The Mayflower vessel and slowing down our community development role.
A huge amount of effort has gone into the past week and it has been for the most part very constructive. Although dispirited temporarily by the serious theft, the Mayflower Project is merely more determined than ever to succeed. The Master Christopher Jones of Harwich battled the waves of the Atlantic, therefore we can easily battle despondency ! The building of The Mayflower will come to fruition, with it bringing opportunities of all kinds to our area for decades and who knows even centuries to come.
THE STRENGTH OF OUR FUTURE LIES IN ACKNOWLEDGING OUR PAST
23rd June 2013
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