Victoria Model Steamboat Club

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Sailing With ‘Ghosts’

OTW Visits Victoria Park.

Victoria Park in Hackney, East London E9 is the spiritual home of tethered hydroplanes, The Victoria Club is over 100 years old and has its water and boathouse in a delightful tree surrounded location on the eastern side of this large London Park. When visiting this spot it is hard not to be touched by the ghosts of the past, recalling such names as Ted Vanner, Stan Clifford, Arthur Cockman, the Innocents and Ernie Clark from the home club, and visitors such as Gems Suzor, Westbury, Noble, Lines, Williams and a host of others. A place that brings a tingle to the spine that is exciting and humbling at the same time. Reflecting on the famous boats that had run there (how much nicer when they had names) and the splendid regattas of the past, including the first ever MPBA Grand in 1925, produced a delightful state of reverie only shattered by the scream of a modern hydro being wound up for a run.

Formed as the Victoria Model Steamboat Club in 1904, by a number of boat modellers that frequently met at Victoria Park lake, the club has embraced hydroplanes almost throughout their entire existence, from the ‘heady days’ of 8mph top speed to the staggering record currently held by club member Norman Lara at 135mph. Originally the boats would run free, and regularly double up as straight running boats, but as speed increased the use of a pylon became universal.

The first annual meeting was held on 6th August 1905 with W J Spinks in the chair. One of the Club's patrons was MP Horatio Bottomley who donated £1 to the club funds. By 1907 the Club would meet pond side on Saturday afternoons 'before an enormous public of small boys' as well as Sunday mornings 'before a wall of charming young ladies'. Indoor meetings would take place in a classroom loaned by Rev Neville Dundas of Holy Trinity in Stepney. Members paid a subscription of one shilling a quarter at this stage. 1907 also saw the VMSC as one of two societies exhibiting at the first Model Engineer Exhibition held at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London.

The first president and one of the founder members of the VMSC was 'Uncle' Jim Crebbin, perhaps better known to the modelling world as a keen locomotive modeller, who donated the Crebbin Trophy for steam driven hydroplanes to the club. Another founder member who had a profound influence on hydroplane development was Mr William Blaney, who wrote many articles for the 'Model Engineer' under the pen-name 'Carpenter's Mate'.

Ted Vanner recalled that he, along with other VMSC members, took part in the first ever Model Engineer Regatta at Wembley Park in 1908. They all met at the boat house in Victoria Park at 5.30 in the morning where Mr Blaney was busy cooking eggs and bacon over an oil stove for breakfast. They set out for Wembley in a horse drawn van carrying boats and owners, 'stopping at a few hurdles on the way'.

The first secretary was a C T Webster, and it was he who successfully petitioned the County Council for the use of a gardening hut as a boathouse. The current brick building was opened on the 1st April 1909 and the first tenants were the Eastern Yachting Assoc. The first of the club's longer serving secretaries was Mr Poole who lived just across the road from the Park and is easily recognisable in photographs by his yachting cap and moustache. He served into the 1920's until W H Phillips took on the job, but continued to officiate at events for many more years.

Postcard sent from Ted Vanner in 1918, shows Club Sec, Mr Poole around 1912


Possibly the earliest photo of the lake and Club house. No enclosure.	Flash steamer running at 24½mph on Sept 29th 1915	Postcard from Charles Lutz showing Club stand Nov 1922. Marine and Small Craft exhibition.

During the AGM in Feb 1921 VMSC took the decision to resign from the MYRA, and to hand back all the trophies. The Model Yacht Racing Assoc had been the governing body for all boat racing up till then. The following year a meeting took place between the Highgate and Victoria Clubs at Victoria Park where Mr King the secretary of Highgate suggested that all powerboat men get together to form a national racing association. This led eventually to a meeting on 12th April 1924 at the home in Hampstead of Victoria member Mr Jackson where the Model Power Boat Association (MPBA) was formed. The VMSC was one of the six founder members of the MPBA, providing both the chairman F J Pierson and secretary/treasurer John G Philpot. It was a man's world in 1924 and although Olive Goodman, later to become Mrs Jack Skingley, was one of the founding members of the MPBA she was sent to the kitchen to make the tea while the 'chaps' discussed boating matters.


VMSC members 1920	Mr Morss with his steamer 'Belle Morse'	The 'Old House' in 1923. Enclosure and flagpole.

Although the lake at Victoria Park had seen many well known competitors and fine performances from a variety of craft, the venue gained its real prominence when it started to host major national and international regattas in conjunction with the MPBA. The most famous of these was the International that was arranged to coincide with the Model Engineer Exhibition so that visitors from overseas and from other parts of the country could combine both events.

The first of these was in 1925 and an overseas visitor, who was to gain legendary status in this country was Mons. G. M. Suzor from Paris who bought over his boat Canard. Canard took everyone by surprise as its two-stroke engine of 17cc easily won the 100 yards straight course at 16 mph from a standing start. Quite a remarkable performance. He repeated this feat again at the 1926 event, still with Canard. In 1931 he won the event for the third time with Nickie and thus retained the trophy. His time was a record for that period at just over 35 secs. Mons Suzor entertained the spectators to an exhibition run later that day, doing ten laps in 70 secs.

Photo of Mons Suzor taken at Victoria on 13th September 1925

The other premier event was the Grand Regatta and amongst the winners in 1925 was Stan Clifford winning event number 5 on the circular course with 8 laps in 70 secs. Stan was to be a very successful member of the VMSC for many years and started his competitive career by winning the ME 1924 Speedboat B Class Championships with Chatterbox II with a new record of 36.3mph. Stan won again in 1926 with his flash steam boat Chatterbox III and establishing a new record at 43.84mph. Stan Clifford had given an exhibition run of Chatterbox III on the circular course at Victoria Park during the event, which was filmed by Mr W Bassett-Lowke who used the new Cine-Kodak The resulting film was screened at the Model Engineer Exhibition during that week, where Chatterbox III was given pride of place on the VMSC stand.

This photo also taken on Sunday 13th September 1925

One of the visitors to the Clubs stand at the ME Exhibit. was Fred Westmoreland from Manchester, of Evil Spirit fame, who joined the VMSC that year. His future son-in-law George Lutz and friend H H Groves were also VMSC members.

Fred Westmoreland and H H Groves can be seen with Mystery and the miniature hydroplane. To the left of flag is George Lutz and above the Victory Shield is Mr Poole.

Although best known for steering and straight running, Ted Vanner who was a VMSC member for over 60 years also used to compete in the speed events both on the straight and circular courses. He would also compete at regattas all around the country carrying his boats on the train. It was another epic journey to represented VMSC in Paris in 1927, winning first with Bon-Ami, second Leda III and third with Ledaette. His wife Daisy was another long standing member of the club and would be present at regattas, right up until her death in 1973, often officiating at the presentation of awards. In 1965 she was part of the Victoria contingent that travelled to the Brussels Regatta. This was most appropriate as it was Daisy and her late husband who had organised the first International Meeting of enthusiasts in 1927. Other well known names in the VMSC with straight running boats included Mr Vines and his 'Silver Jubilee'.


Ted Vanner and Mr Marshall of ME	Leda IV and prizes	Messrs Salter, Vanner, Phillips, ?, Morss

The stories of Ted and other members on their travels seem most remarkable from this distance, but the Victoria Club was never a parochial organisation as they used to visit other venues en masse. A lorry would transport the boats and equipment while a charabanc would be hired to take the members and their families on some true adventures. Travel being what it was then, there were occasions when the 'camion' would not arrive until the events were well under way, but this did not deter anyone. Club outings by coach would continue well into the post war era, although the lorry was dispensed with.