Finding Elmo the Boat

FROM RIVER-SIDE TOWN

TO HIGH SEAS MYSTERY:

“FINDING ELMO!”

An unlikely mystery tale is about to be unravelled for Audlem PROBUS Club’s retired business and professional men and women this week.

It’s a tale which begins with the unlikely scenario of ocean-going ships being built in the Cheshire town of Northwich – many miles from the sea. Despite the potential obstacles to launching such an enterprise so far inland in 1896, Yarwood & Sons Ltd., went on to build ships on the west bank of the River Weaver, close to Northwich town centre, until 1965. And sent them to ports worldwide!

The last vessel to be built there, in 1965, was a diesel tugboat, the St Elmo, named after the Italian Bishop who died in the year 303 and became the patron saint of mariners. The Cheshire-built tugboat was designed for towing duties at Valetta, Malta.

But where is the St Elmo now?  Cue Andrew Rowe, Audlem PROBUS Club’s guest speaker this Thursday, 23 July, and his topic “Finding Elmo”.

Andrew says: “The talk concerns a brief history of Yarwood and Sons, their success and decline. Who thought it was a good idea to build ocean-going vessels 50 miles from the ocean anyway?”

But what of the last tug built by Yarwood and Sons?

Andrew adds: “With a holiday to Malta coming up, I set myself the goal of finding what happened to this ship. Is she still sea-worthy, or a rusting scrap of metal washed up on a Maltese beach?  What, if anything, remains of this iconic vessel? How do we set about finding it and bringing it home.”

Join us at Audlem Public Hall this Thursday, July 23rd, 

from 10am. Guests and visitors welcome.