Huge donation boost to Clyde steamer project

TS Queen Mary is currently berthed in Glasgow near the Science Centre

The restoration of a 90-year old Clyde steamer has been boosted by a £1m anonymous donation.

The money will be used to upgrade steel decks on TS Queen Mary in the hope it can carry passengers again.

The vessel, currently berthed at Glasgow's Pacific Quay, is the last turbine ship built in Scotland which is due to return to service.

The fundraising campaign to restore the vessel so it can sail again is now nearly halfway towards its £10m target.

Iain Sim, Chairman of Friends of TS Queen Mary said: "We are overwhelmed by the generosity of this individual. It delivers a massive boost to our fundraising endeavour which has caught the public mood across Britain and around the world.

"The individual who made such a substantial cash gift wishes to remain anonymous and we, of course, respect that request. But to say we are over the moon is putting it mildly."

TS Queen Mary carried thousands of passengers from Glasgow on "doon the watter" trips on the Clyde

In its heyday TS Queen Mary carried 13,000 passengers each week and was known as "Britain's finest pleasure steamer".

Because of her strong connection to Glasgow she was also affectionately known as "The Glasgow Boat."

The steamer was eventually retired in 1977 and spent several years as a floating restaurant on the Thames before being towed back to the Clyde in 2016.

Initially it was thought it might become a static attraction but two years ago, Princess Anne - who is Royal Patron of TS Queen Mary - announced plans to restore the ship to working order.

The steamer was named after her great-grandmother Queen Mary, who was the wife of King George V.

The late Harry Potter and Cracker actor Robbie Coltrane was an enthusiastic supporter of the restoration project, while Hollywood star Sam Neill is TS Queen Mary's "Commonwealth Patron."

TS Queen Mary was built in 1933 by shipbuilders William Denny in Dumbarton, for many years providing "doon the watter" trips from Glasgow to destinations such as Dunoon, Rothesay, Millport and Arran.

In 1935 it was renamed Queen Mary II at the request of Cunard White Star Line to release the Queen Mary name for the much larger liner that was being built at the John Brown shipyard in Clydebank.