Sunday 12 May 2013

The S S Robin - the last British Coaster - my latest stamp collage

The S S Robin is the last of the British Coasters which plied their trade around the coasts of Britain. Built in 1890 in London, she was sold in 1910 to Spanish owners and renamed Maria. She was under Spanish ownership until 1974. In 1966 she had a refit and her structure was modified. She was discovered by the Marine Trust in 1972 but in 2002 she was purchased by David and Nishani Kampfner, who founded the S S Robin Trust and have been carrying out major restoration on her. She was towed to her original home in East London in 2001 to much celebration and work is nearing completion for her to be opened as an education centre and gallery in the Royal Docks, London Borough of Newham.   We visited London's Docklands last year and were able to see from a distance this amazing old vessel and my latest stamp collage is my version of her. I've used mainly British stamps in the construction of the ship, from the Victorian era through to more recent times.  The original is not yet framed but cards and prints are now available direct from me - you can visit my studio today, Sunday 12th May from 11 - 6pm and same time next week-end 18th and 19th May, or by appointment, during the Stroud Open Studios festival.

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