Restoring the TS Queen Mary

Friends of TS Queen Mary

TS Queen Mary is a British icon.

She was built in 1933 by the world famous shipyard William Denny and Brothers, for Williamson Buchanan Steamers. The 252 ft “pocket liner” is the original “Queen Mary”, giving up her name in 1934 in deference to Cunard’s new liner (becoming TS Queen Mary II) before reclaiming it in 1976.

She is the largest and most luxurious steamship ever built to serve Glasgow and the west of Scotland, and in that role she carried 13,000 passengers each week. During WW2 she maintained lifeline services on the Clyde. She carried Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), Her Majesty The Queen (then the Princess Elizabeth), the Princess Margaret and Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt.

After her retirement she was relocated to London and served the community there from 1987 until 2009.
She is now the last of her kind in the world and is listed in the Core 40 fleet of the UK’s National Historic Ship register, as a ship of national pre-eminence.

Since taking ownership in 2015, the Charity has raised and invested almost £3M GBP of a £6M GBP target. Our vision is to restore TS Queen Mary and re-open her at Glasgow Science Centre, as a heritage destination and education/training centre, where an estimated 150,000 people each year will visit her.

Donate now

We invite you to be a part of our exciting restoration campaign – the most significant redevelopment of TS Queen Mary in her history. With your help we will have a Queen fit for the 21st century. Her iconic status and heritage will be preserved, but she will be repurposed for contemporary roles that will ensure she is part of Britain’s cultural and economic fabric for years to come. Your gifts will enable and inspire: innovation, apprenticeships, economic growth, education, heritage preservation and tourism. Your engagement and commitment as donors will be pivotal.

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Friends of TS Queen Mary

5 days ago

12.10.21 - Memories of the Final Sailing Season17th May 1977 and TS Queen Mary (having had her original name restored the year before) is dressed overall, on a special Silver Jubilee Year cruise. As always, thanks again to our Charity Associate Richard Orr for another wonderful image, certainly resonating with those “youngsters” who first came to know the ship in her final Caledonian MacBrayne days! FOTSQM ... See MoreSee Less

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Friends of TS Queen Mary

2 weeks ago

04.10.21 - A Huge Thank You to our Weekend Tour GuestsIt was a pleasure to have the Clydebank Sea Cadets join our final weekend tour yesterday. We would like to thank them and our other guests for coming along and supporting TS Queen Mary - especially those who braved the heavy rain on Saturday! Thanks also - as ever - to our wonderful crew of volunteers, who supported the tours.We hope to be able to announce further tours soon for late November/early December.FOTSQM ... See MoreSee Less

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Friends of TS Queen Mary

2 weeks ago

30.09.21 - Celebrity Chef Partners with TS Queen MaryWe are delighted to announce that celebrity chef, Darren McGrady, has agreed to "step aboard" to work with the Charity to develop the catering and hospitality aspects of the TS Queen Mary Skills and Training Academy.Chef McGrady is one of the best known names in the world of cuisine, having been the personal chef to Her Majesty the Queen, and Diana, Princess of Wales for fifteen years. He prepared meals aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia for Presidents Ford, Reagan, Bush and Clinton. Now based in the US, Chef McGrady has appeared extensively on American television, most notably on Oprah Winfrey. Chef McGrady is currently consulting with the Charity on the design of TS Queen Mary's bars and galleys. Over the coming months, he will prepare traditional recipes (that were served at Royal banquets) for the ship's Firth Lounge and Queen's Restaurant. The Firth Lounge will offer a casual "grab and go" menu, whilst the Queen's Restaurant will offer a more formal dining experience.We are also very pleased to be able to announce that Chef McGrady has agreed to become one of the patrons of the new Academy.Chef Darren McGrady says: "Culinary students of today are our hospitality world of tomorrow. It is an honour for me to not only be patron of the charity, but also to work with the TS Queen Mary Skills and Training Academy creating menus for the students to serve onboard. Traditional recipes that were once enjoyed by royalty and distinguished guests that graced the historic decks of TS Queen Mary."Iain Sim, Chairman, says:"We are delighted to have been able to secure the services of Chef Darren McGrady, both to prepare the bespoke menus for TS Queen Mary and to serve as a consultant to the project. I am sure that not only will his input enhance the learning experience for those young students who work aboard the ship, but also it will help to shape the on-board offering, so that TS Queen Mary is appropriately positioned in the market".Michael McLaughlin, Head of Education and Tourism, says:"One of the key things that differentiates TS Queen Mary’s story from that of her contemporaries, is her long association with the British Royal Family. They approved her name before her launch and moreover, sailed on her during two official visits. Our Royal Patron is the Great-granddaughter of the ship’s namesake. It seems highly fitting now that a former Royal Chef is contributing bespoke recipes for our Training Academy students to prepare, which will be – quite literally – fit for a Queen!" ... See MoreSee Less

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Friends of TS Queen Mary

3 weeks ago

28.09.21 Some Spaces Still Available for Free Guided Tours This WeekendThere are a limited number of spaces still available on our guided tour slots this weekend (2nd and 3rd October) on board TS Queen Mary.These are likely to be the last tours until late November/early December. To book, simply click on the tour links on the events section of this Facebook page.FOTSQM ... See MoreSee Less

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Friends of TS Queen Mary

4 weeks ago

21.09.21 - Guided Tours for October - Tickets Now AvailableFree tickets are now available through Eventbrite for our October tour weekend, on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd. During the tours, visitors will hear about the ship’s rich social history, her Royal connections and her famous passengers. New designs for the ship’s interior spaces will also be on display and reviewed as part of the tour.Guided tours will include complimentary soft drinks, tea/coffee and biscuits. You can book a date/tour time by clicking on the links on this post, or via the 'Events' section of this Facebook page.Please note, COVID mitigation measures will be in place and tour numbers restricted, so please book early. Also, as we cannot adjust ticket numbers our side for each tour, should you be unable to attend, please cancel your ticket(s) through Eventbrite, to release them for others.We look forward to seeing you on board!FOTSQM ... See MoreSee Less

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