UK Docks Teesside enjoys record-breaking year of service and repair (again)!

STAFF and management at UK Docks’ Teesside facility have celebrated a second record-breaking year for the number of ships serviced and repaired.

More than 40 vessels were successfully worked on in the shipyard’s two dry docks and heavy lift repair quay throughout 2024.

And that beats the previous record-breaking year - 2023 - when more than 30 vessels entered the facility.

UK Docks welcomed the return of UKD Bluefin to its Teesside facility - the dredger, owned by UK Dredging (UKD), was one of dozens of vessels using the dry docks this year.

The continuing success of the docks caps a year of progress for the company.

Managing director Jonathan Wilson, said: “We’re delighted to have had such a productive year, especially off the back of last year, which was also a record-breaking one.

“This is exactly what we hoped for when we first re-opened the docks in 2014 after they’d been derelict for more than two decades.

“What’s pleasing is the variety of vessels we worked on over the last 12 months, as well as the number of them, and that’s testimony to the skills and versatility of the team.”

The last two vessels serviced in 2024 were the Putford Achiever and the Putford Terminator, belonging to Aberdeen-based shipping company North Star, and in total, North Star supplied 10 of the 41 vessels worked on in the Tees docks over the course of the year,

But there were also new customers, like Southampton’s Cemex UK Marine Limited, which brought in the Sand Falcon, a hopper dredger, and oversaw it completing a four-week docking period in May.

Ben Manfield, Cemex marine superintendent, said: “It was a very well-executed first docking, especially given the unfamiliarity with the vessel and unexpected additions to the works.

“All works were completed to a high standard while adhering to the highest levels of safety, which Cemex expects from any of its contractors.” 

Left to right:: Toby Emerson, UK Docks Ship Manager, Ben Manfield, Marine Superintendent Cemex, and Sean Duncan, UK Docks Ship Manager with the Sand Falcon.

Another highlight was Tarmac Marine drydocking dredgers City of London and City of Chichester simultaneously in October.

UK Docks’ Tees shipyard director Stuart Syvret said: “Our growth in 2024 underpins the commitment and ongoing investment to improve the Teesside facility.

“We have two operational drydocks supported by a heavy lift afloat repair berth, fully equipped steel and engineering workshops and two modern 30-tonne Shoreside cranes.

“We also have a highly-skilled project management team, workforce and trusted subcontract supply chain ensuring, whether works are scheduled or unscheduled, we can react and deliver complex engineering activities in both commercial and Ministry of Defence sectors.”

A double docking for Briggs Forth Warrior and MV Cameron - both vessels owned by Briggs Marine - and one of several double dockings carried out in 2024.

The yards on Dockside Road in Teesport Commerce Park now perform a significant role in the Tees Valley supply chain and local economy.

• UK Docks would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers in 2024 for the work supplied to our teams not only on Teesside but on Tyneside and our south coast operations in Cornwall on the River Tamar located opposite Devonport Naval Dockyard and Gosport, opposite Portsmouth Naval Dockyard. We wish them all a happy, safe and prosperous 2025.

UK Docks supports Veterans in Crisis at Christmas

UK DOCKS staff have donated a van full of help to the North East’s Veterans In Crisis, Sunderland (VICS), ahead of Christmas.

Veterans in Crisis founder Ger Fowler leads the unloading flanked by UK Docks’ John Lally, Emma Bryson and Stephen Lee.

The VICS, a community-interest company, has won awards and recognition for helping hundreds of former servicemen and women who have struggled since leaving the Forces.

And Christmas is often the time of year when their services are most needed.

Staff from UK Docks Marine Services in South Shields and their families held a charity collection in the run-up to the festive season.

And a van full of donations, mainly food and toiletries, has now been unloaded, box after box, at the VICs office in Roker Avenue, in Sunderland after six weeks of collections.

Stephen Lee, operations director at UK Docks, said: “What Veterans in Crisis do, led by Ger Fowler, is commendable and nothing short of amazing and we at UK Docks wanted to help them again this year just as we did last year.

“Day-in, day-out, they act as an emergency service for people who have given so much for their country and now need help in return.”

UK Docks, which supplies marine services regionally, nationally and globally, including to the Royal Navy, has built much of its success over the past 30 years on the contributions of former members of the armed forces.

Earlier this year, UK Docks received the Armed Forces Silver Award for its supportive work, to go with the Bronze Award received several years ago.

The UK Docks’ team with Ger Fowler outside the Veterans In Crisis offices in Roker Avenue, Sunderland.

Stephen said: “It’s a cause close to the heart of many of us at UK Docks who have been lucky enough to take the skills we learned in the forces and put them to good use when we’ve returned to civilian life.

“Others haven’t been so fortunate and they need a helping hand, which is what Veterans In Crisis has done so well in recent years.”

Former serviceman Ger Fowler, who founded the organisation in 2017 and recently won the Freedom of the City of Sunderland for his efforts, helped unload the donations alongside Stephen, UK Docks’ office manager Emma Bryson and technical manager John Lally.

Mr Fowler said: “It was great to see the boxes from UK Docks’ filling up our offices - though it was also a reminder of why we are looking to expand our premises in Roker Avenue in 2025!”

“A community interest company like Veterans In Crisis is very reliant on donations of support and the generosity of others.

“It all gets used to help others, and it can make such a difference, I think, especially at this time.

“This year, we plan to supply 150 Christmas dinners, plus a gift, to ex-service people.

“Contributions from local companies help to make that possible, and at Veterans, we always look to use local companies so that money goes back into the community.”

Anyone who would like to support Veterans In Crisis, or needs help, should contact general manager Claire Lawton either by dropping into the centre at 1 Roker Avenue in Sunderland or by calling (0191) 567 1878.

From Portsmouth to Lake Victoria - vessel repurposed by UK Docks makes 4,000 mile trip

HOSPITAL ship MV Lady Jean, formerly HMS Scimitar, has completed a 4,000-mile journey from Portsmouth to East Africa by sea and road and is now beginning a new work life on Lake Victoria.

It’s arrival comes after a team from UK Docks Marine Services at Endeavour Quay in Gosport spent the past year repurposing the former Royal Navy vessel, which spent most of its service life patrolling the waters around Gibraltar.

MV Lady Jean prepares to leave Mombasa on long overland journey to Lake Victoria

UK Docks’ work for the Vine Trust Charity, supported by Babcock and the local supply chain, required plenty of thinking outside the box and innovation to solve the multiple challenges in converting the HMS Scimitar into a medical supply vessel.

The biggest obstacle was finding an engine to fit the former patrol ship, and UK Docks scoured Europe before sourcing one in Holland, which was brought to Gosport and successfully installed.

After coming through sea trials with flying colours, the MV Lady Jean was initially transported to Mombasa, Kenya, on the West coast of Africa but has now made it all the way across to Lake Victoria in the southeast of the continent, where she will provide services to thousands of local people.

The Vine Trust is an international development charity that works with long-term Peruvian and Tanzanian partners to strengthen health systems and implement construction projects in isolated and vulnerable communities in the Amazon and on Lake Victoria.

She will enter into service with the Jubilee Hope Medical Programme, significantly increasing its capacity to reach patients on the remote islands of Tanzanian Lake Victoria.

A significant part of the vessel’s work will be to create a new supply chain of life-saving medication (antiretrovirals) for people living with HIV, as well as enhancing existing testing, counselling and treatment services provided by the programme.

Reflecting on the successful delivery of the vessel, Kenny Holt, chief executive of the Vine Trust said: “I would like to thank UK Docks on behalf of Vine Trust and our partners in Tanzania.  

“We are incredibly grateful to UK Docks for all their excellent work in helping to transform the MV Lady Jean into a first-class medical vessel.  

“In the next few years, the ship will deliver hundreds of thousands of free medical services to people in remote and vulnerable island communities on Lake Victoria.  

“We are so grateful to the UK Docks team for their patience, support and creative solutions to bring this challenging project to completion.”

Charlie Barley, UK Docks director at Endeavour Quay, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that the job is now complete and the MV Lady Jean has arrived at Lake Victoria.

“To be honest, converting HMS Scimitar so that she would go on to a new role was a labour of love for our team and although there were some challenges along the way, we were determined the project would be a success.

“It’s one of those marine projects where everyone involved collaborated really well together because we were aware of the bigger picture.

“Vine Trust is a fantastic charity and it’s great that the MV Lady Jean will now go on to do so much to protect and improve health for thousands of people in the years to come.” 

After arriving in Kenya, the MV Lady Jean was loaded onto specialist transport for her long journey across Africa and will now operate as a mobile medical boat serving the numerous islands on the water. 

International defence company Babcock funded the year-long conversion and contracted the work out to UK Docks where she was equipped with a new generator, galley with fridges, ovens, sinks, serving areas and an air conditioning unit. Her wheelhouse was partly converted into a waiting room with additional seating.

Engineers completed a total redesign of the aft deck with guardrails, boarding steps and a boarding platform fitted to the transom to allow patients to board, with a new engine being sourced, stripped down and rebuilt using parts from HMS Scimitar’s original engine. 

UK Docks managing director Jonathan Wilson said: “Our company carries out servicing and maintenance of vessels from the North East down to the South Coast, and each project is unique in its own way. But the conversion of HMS Scimitar into the MV Lady Jean was particularly special. We would like to thank The Vine Trust and Babcock for entrusting us with the work and we wish the MV Lady Jean many further years of successful service.”

Public invited to see shape of things to come in Rum Store transformation

PEOPLE are being invited to see for themselves what the Rum Store regeneration on Victoria Quay in Gosport will look like and to give architects and planners their feedback.

A public consultation is being held at the Weevil Lane offices of UK Docks Marine Services, which owns the currently dilapidated building, on Tuesday, November 12 between 4 pm-7 pm.

And organisers are hoping that as many people as possible will come along to take an interest in the future of the historic, former naval building, which is set for an £22m investment, creating jobs and making the area a destination site for both businesses and visitors.

The consultation will involve storyboards which lay out the work that will be done ahead of the building’s reopening in 2026 and also a model of how the completed building will look.

An impression of what Gosport’s Rum Store will look like when it is restored to its former glory.

Ben Mason, portfolio manager at UK Docks, said: “We’re really looking forward to the consultation both in terms of showing visitors details of the plans for what’s going to happen and also listening to what they have to say about the development.

“The community's feedback from this consultation will help shape the proposals for the building, which will be submitted for planning approval later this year.

“We’re particularly keen to hear the views of those living near the site and those living in Gosport itself who we hope will be regular visitors once the Rum Store works are complete.

“We’re very excited about the work ahead because it will help bring this whole area back to life and return it to being the thriving hub of activity it once was.

“This will be very much a working building about we hope to make it a destination site for the marine industry base which we’ve already started to build here at Victoria Quay. Once completed, there will be many types of opportunity for leasing and it should be very attractive for businesses.

”So, it’s very important to explain to people exactly what will be happening over the next couple of years and also to hear the thoughts of the public on the plans.”

UK Docks Marine Services is leading the project alongside local firm Pritchard Architecture supported by Gosport Borough Council.

The historic former Royal Navy Rum Store as it currently stands.

Giles Pritchard, founder and director of Pritchard Architecture, an award-winning RIBA chartered practice based in Portsmouth, will also be at next week’s consultation event.

He said: “We are delighted to be working on this project to restore and reimagine the Rum Store - one of Gosport’s significant heritage assets and an important building in the story of the Royal Navy. 

“As a local architectural practice located just across Portsmouth Harbour, we have a great sense of pride in restoring this local building which has lain derelict for many years. 

“UK Docks had the ambition to bring the wider site back into marine use, and we are thrilled to be working alongside them with creativity and passion to realise this vision.”

Pritchard Architecture has an excellent track record of delivering a wide range of conservation, alteration and new build projects within a heritage setting. 

Giles added: “The practice is built on an understanding of the conservation principles needed to deliver successful projects to a high standard within a heritage setting. 

“At the outset of a project, we carry out research to understand the heritage and historic development of a building so we make the right decisions on repairs and alterations. 

“By understanding a site’s historic development, we can design solutions which enhance the building and its wider site whilst weathering beautifully in its existing setting.”

The Rum Store is certainly a prize project for any architect to work on, and all those involved are hoping Gosport people will take pride in seeing a grand, old structure brought back into use.

The building is one of the largest and most storied within the former Royal Clarence Yard, and the project will breathe new life into a structure that once served the Royal Navy with rum.

Originally built with an additional storey, the Rum Store was damaged during World War 2 bombing raids, leading to the removal of its top floor.

View from above - the Rum Store was damaged by World War II bombs and it’s upper storey had to be removed,

The new project, powered by the Government’s Levelling Up Fund and match-funding by UK Docks, will carefully restore the building, honouring its rich past while rebuilding the upper floor.

Once complete, the rooftop will feature a stunning bar where visitors can take in panoramic views over Portsmouth Harbour—a unique vantage point that celebrates the area’s maritime legacy.

By creating between 150 and 200 jobs, the project is expected to inject an estimated £11 million into the local economy each year, making it a major driver of growth and opportunity for the community.

• The public consultation event at UK Docks runs from 4 pm- 7 pm next Tuesday, November 12, and there will be opportunities for further feedback over the following days.

Harry’s medal recognises importance of marine services to UK

UK DOCKS’ founder Harry Wilson says he views the MBE medal he received in the King’s Birthday Honours List as a sign that the importance of marine services to the UK does not go unnoticed.

Last week, the 82-year-old travelled to Windsor Castle, where his wife, Audrey, and sons Chris, Gary and Jonathan - all now directors of the company - were among those watching as Her Royal Highness, the Princess Anne presented him with his medal and congratulated Harry on his achievements.

The Wilsons at Windsor Castle, from l to r, Chris, Audrey, Harry, Gary and Jonathan.

"It was definitely one of the highlights of my life and I enjoyed the chance to have a talk to Princess Anne,” Harry said.

“But I have to say that I was proud I was there representing marine services and engineering, among all the other people being honoured, and it’s really pleasing that our industry is recognised alongside the achievements of others.”

“Marine services make a huge and important contribution to our country and I think the way the world is going, that contribution is only going to increase in the years ahead,” he said.

Harry’s medal was presented in recognition of Harry’s service to the marine industry over the decades and acknowledged his efforts to revive boat repair and dockyards at a time when the sector seemed to be in terminal decline in this country.

Harry Wilson MBE and wife Audrey at Windsor Castle

He launched the company from a single slipway in 1992 and went on to revive marine services on Tyneside, Teesside and on the south coast at Gosport in Portsmouth and Cremyll in Cornwall.

A decade ago, UK Docks successfully re-opened the former Smith’s Docks on the River Tees and that helped drive the company to new levels - gaining major Royal Navy contracts while servicing a host of other maritime vessels from its two dry docks.

Having established itself as a leading name in the UK’s ship repair industry, UK Docks has moved increasingly into servicing Ministry of Defence contracts for the Royal Navy.

Those efforts culminated last year with the winning of a £250m contract to service and maintain five Batch 2 Offshore Patrol vessels across the globe.

And Harry reckons there is much more to come from the company.

“I’m very excited about the future of UK Docks because, in many ways, we might only just have put the foundations in place,” he said.

“My three lads are not people who believe in standing still, and the company has a long way to go yet. What has been achieved so far might just be the launch pad for greater things ahead.”

Now employing more than  200 people, as well as supporting many supply chain jobs, one of the key driving forces behind the growth of UK Docks was Harry’s desire to regenerate areas of industrial decline and give something back to the community, including creating jobs.

He said: "The object of the exercise, after founding UK Docks and being able to make a living out of it, was to genuinely put something back into the ship repair industry.

"I'd had a pretty decent life from it, not necessarily an easy one, but a decent one and I believed in the industry and its potential and wanted to see it do well.

"I'm pleased to see that UK Docks has been able to grow over the years.

"I've been lucky to have three sons who have all been interested in the business and have been able to take the company from strength to strength over the years and ensured that it has grown from local to regional to national and now a global concern.”

Harry’s son, Jonathan, UK Docks’ managing director, said: "We're obviously immensely proud of him - he's a one-off.

"It was Harry who had this vision of developing ship repair and re-opening yards at a time when so many others were closing and he's been proven right in his decision-making time after time.

"He's got a great reputation in our industry and he's responsible for what this company has grown into today.

"It's also, I think, a recognition of his charity work over the years because he has strongly backed a number of important causes and, in particular, has been a long-time supporter of South Shields Sea Cadets."

Military’s Silver Award received with pride by UK Docks

UK DOCKS has been formally presented with its Armed Forces’ Silver Award in recognition of its continuing efforts to support ex-military personnel.

The company has previously earned an Armed Forces Bronze Award and is delighted to have built on that achievement to the point where a Silver has now been given to UK Docks.

Members of the senior management team attended a presentation ceremony at the Ramside Hall Hotel on the edge of Durham on behalf of UK Docks to receive the Award.

UK Docks’ Jonathan Wilson, Gary Wilson and Stephen Lee receive the Armed Forces’ Silver Award on behalf of the company.

And they were joined by fellow winners of the award on a night when senior members of the military thanked companies for their participation in a scheme which allows former military personnel a clear transition into jobs and careers outside of the armed services.

UK Docks has now earned a Silver Award to go witht

Explaining to fellow guests, the UK Docks Silver award, The master of ceremonies gave the following citation to guests on the night to explain what the company does and how it has sought to support the armed forces.

“UK Docks Marine Services is a family run maritime support business based in South Shields but with a global reach. 

“Since 1992 they have built an excellent reputation for their delivery across a wide range of maritime repair and conversion work in the offshore and defence arenas, delivering from across five sites both in the North East and on the South coast.

“With their HQ centred on the River Tyne they are very much part of the community and no more so than the Defence community.

“They are proud employers of 15 Veterans as well as several Cadet Force Adult Volunteers and Reservists.

“These personal links to the Armed Forces is the silver thread which runs through to this well-deserved award.

“Their enduring commitment to the local Sea Cadets at TS Collingwood is an exemplar for all; Christmas parties, cadet bursaries and sail training for those most in need, is just some of what they do. 

“They are also selfless in their support of local charities including Veterans in Crisis which operates in Sunderland.

“Following their signing of the Armed Forces Covenant in 2018 and their award of Bronze in 2022, this Silver Award is justly achieved this year. Many congratulations!”

UK Docks managing director, Jonathan Wilson, said: “The Award is for everyone at UK Docks who has been involved in extending and improving our offer to former armed forces personnel.

“The company has always had strong links to former members of the Armed Forces, recognising the expertise and personal qualities they bring to UK Docks both in our sites around the country and also in our work abroad.

“We take great pride in the contracts we have with the Ministry of Defence, including the servicing and maintaining of the Royal Navy’s five Batch 2 vessels - HMS’s Tamar, Trent, Medway, Spey and Forth - and the icebreaker HMS Protector, across the world.

“But closer to home we focus on supporting organisations close to the armed forces and prioritise the employment of ex-service personnel who have contributed greatly to the company’s growth and success in the past few decades.”

Shape of things to come as historic rum store’s impressive new look unveiled

THE first glimpse of what a restored Rum Store in Gosport’s Victoria Quay will look like after its impending multi-million-pound renovation has been revealed.

The architect’s impression of the transformed derelict Grade II listed building shows an impressive, elegant structure which transforms the original Victorian warehouse into a perfectly appointed 21st-century facade,

The reimagined Rum Store on Victoria Quay in Gosport as it will look after renovation and return to public function.

Published by Gosport Borough Council, the design illustrates how the 150-year-old building will transition from a redundant site into an engine of regeneration for the local community.

The UK Docks-owned building was formerly the house of the entire Royal Navy store of rum rations but ran into decline in the early years of the 20th century and was critically damaged in the Second World War when German bombs destroyed most of the first floor of the vast building.

The Rum Store as it currently stands with much of its outer facade retained but almost entirely derelict inside.

Now it is set to transform from an eyesore into a centre of growth, with a restored building being the centrepiece of a transformative reimagining of Victoria Quay.

The proposed renovation would create nearly 7,000 sqm of mixed-use employment space, mainly for maritime businesses like yacht brokers and naval architects. 

Other units in the building are earmarked for retail and leisure, including a possible rooftop terrace bar and restaurant with views across Portsmouth Harbour.

It's expected that the restored building could be completed as early as summer 2026, creating up to 200 jobs and boosting the local economy by £11m a year.

Costing £22m, the revamp would see the Grade II listed property turned into mixed employment space with some retail and leisure units.

Proposed works to renovate the building include:

• Specialist conservation repairs to the historic structure

• Reconstruction of collapsed floors

• New open plan gallery entrance with staircase and lifts

• Reconstruction of the second floor which was demolished following World War II bomb damage

• Construction of a rooftop bar and terrace

The project is led by UK Docks Marine Servies and Pritchard Architecture with the support of Gosport Borough Council, sponsored by a grant from the Government’s Levelling-Up fund.

In 2023, Gosport Borough Council led a bid for Government Levelling Up funding to renovate the Rum Store building, match-funded by UK Docks.

The council's bid also included support for public realm improvements along the waterfront to encourage more residents and visitors to discover the attractions and businesses on that route. 

This will include creating new physical links to help more people access the waterfront while telling the story of heritage through wayfinding, public art and more.

Ben Mason, UK Docks Portfolio Manager at Victoria Quay, said: "This project could provide huge opportunities for Gosport residents and businesses. 

“Working with Gosport Borough Council has given us access to government funding and helped unlock solutions to problems that were bigger than just our site at Victoria Quay, such as local infrastructure.

“The council has big plans for regeneration in the borough and we're delighted to be a partner in that."

Councillor Peter Chegwyn, leader of Gosport Borough Council, said: "The Rum Store is a key piece of the jigsaw of improving Gosport's waterfront. 

“Not only could this project restore a derelict historic building, it'll create a new commercial and leisure destination for people to enjoy. 

“We hope it'll welcome more residents and visitors alike to explore a more connected waterfront."

Full details can be seen in the planning portal on the Gosport Borough Council website.

Reconnecting Gosport's historic waterfront

The Rum Store is a part of the council's wider plans to revitalise and reconnect the town's historic waterfront.

New video showcases UK Docks' growing marine services portfolio nationwide

A new video highlighting UK Docks marine services operations across the country has been created by Annelies James of 22MIdnight.

The video underlines the company’s position as the country’s largest, independent, privately-owned marine services provider.

It showcases our bases at UK Docks Tyneside, Teesside, Cremyll and Gosport (where Annelies is based), through video and drone footage.

DJI drones were used, operating under a drone licence and aware of restricted fly zones while also dodging high winds, (and birds!), to get wide angles, spins, pans and float. 

The software used was Adobe Premier Pro, alongside copyright-free music and creative use of graphic design.

Annelies said of the project: "It was pretty complicated work pulling it all together, but really enjoyable at the same time and we're happy with the results.

"It shows how impressive UK Docks is and the video can be used at displays and exhibitions, as well as online, as an engaging and interesting way to interact with clients and customers."

The 22Midnight video shows where the company currently stands, what we do and what we offer to the marine sector around our shores in 2024.

Jonathan Wilson, managing director of UK Docks, said: “We’re delighted with 22Midnight’s work which is perfect as a visual presentation of where the company stands and the services it can provide.

“It’s important in business to use every tool at your disposal to highlight and explain your services and a video like this is a simple but very effective way of getting our message across.

“There’s also some great drone footage on there, which helps the viewer get a grasp of what UK Docks facilities are about - something which is hard to appreciate sometimes when you’re at ground level.”

HMS Scimitar now cuts a dash as MV Lady Jean

A former Royal Naval patrol vessel has found a new life as a hospital ship in Africa, thanks to the work of engineers and specialists at UK Docks in Gosport.

HMS Scimitar was a patrol vessel that served with sister ship HMS Sabre as part of the Gibraltar Squadron for many years, safeguarding the waters around the entrance to the Mediterranean.

Both were brought back to the UK, decommissioned and sold, with HMS Scimitar being bought by The Vine Trust charity and converted by UK Docks into a medical ship, the Scimitar being renamed the MV Lady Jean at a naming ceremony in Portsmouth.

Once the conversion work was completed, the new look vessel made a poignant final pass by sister ship HMS Sabre, which was bought by a private owner, before being moved to Southampton where she was loaded on to a vessel transiting to Mombassa.

The refitted and rejuvenated former HMS Scimitar bids a last farewell to sister ship HMS Sabre before heading to Africa.

Having arrived in Kenya, she is now due to be lifted onto a specialist lorry and moved to Lake Victoria in Tanzania where she will operate as a mobile medical vessel, serving the numerous islands on the lake.

Charles Barley, UK Docks director at Endeavor Quay said: “It was an unusual and interesting project for us to work on and it brought several challenges we had to rise to as we worked through the conversion but it was really satisfying for the team.

“It was quite touching at the end, seeing her alongside HMS Sabre for the last time but it’s great that she has important new duties ahead of her.

“As HMS Scimitar, she did Royal Naval work which kept people safe, now, as the MV Lady Jean, she’s doing medical work which will protect people’s health.”

The former HMS Scimitar, now the MV Lady Jean, being lowered back into the water to begin life as a hospital ship.

The year-long conversion was funded by international defence company Babcock, who contracted UK Docks to undertake the work.

UK Docks offered discounted rates, free lifting of the vessel and free storage during conversion which took place on both Victoria and Endeavour Quay.

The changes included a new generator, conversion of the wheelhouse and forward accommodation to suit the needs of a hospital vessel and new galley with fridges, ovens, sink, serving areas and air conditioning unit installed.

There was a total redesign of the aft transom with guardrails, boarding steps and boarding platform put in to allow people to board.

Additionally, a new engine had to be sourced and as the Scimatar’s former engines were obsolete.

That sparked a two-month, European-wide search before, a new MAN truck engine was sourced in Holland. 

Once the engine was shipped back to the UK, it was stripped down and rebuilt into a new engine using parts from both engines, over the course of the next two months with stringent testing being carried out on the resulting engine. 

This solution proved to be a great success and UK Docks were thankful for the help and assistance they received from other collaborators during the project. 

Fully restored and refurbished, the new MV Lady Jean.

UK Docks managing director, Jonathan Wilson, said: “Our company carries out servicing and maintenance of vessels from the North East down to the South Coast and each project is unique in its own way.

“But the conversion of HMS Scimitar into the MV Lady Jean was a particularly special one.

“We would like to thank The Vine Trust and Babcock for entrusting us with the work and we wish the MV Lady Jean many years of successful service on Lake Victoria.”

UK Docks' team helps restore Arbeia Roman Fort herb gardens

A UK Docks team in South Shields has helped the town’s historic, Roman Fort win back herb gardens which became overgrown during the pandemic.

The volunteers made the short trip from River Drive to the fort to spend all day clearing thick brambles, wild fennel and weeds from the former gardens and surrounding areas.

And the hope is that the sweet smell of success will follow in the coming months as the herb gardens at the entrance to the fort site in Baring Street are returned to their former glory.

UK Docks clear overgrown herb gardens at Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort watched by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums staff Alex Croom and August Fenwick

Overseeing the work was Alex Croom, Keeper of Archaeology at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, who said: “It’s great that UK Docks chose us for their latest clean-up.

“It has taken us a big step forward in terms of getting our herb gardens back.

“Herbs were of great importance to the Romans and other cultures at the time when Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort was a fully-functioning garrison and we are looking forward to restoring them.

“In Roman times, herbs like woad were used for dyeing cloths, many others, like comfrey, were used for medicinal purposes and of course, they cultivated the likes of thyme, lovage and rue for cooking.

“Finally, herbs had a ceremonial and religious purpose, which is why we see such plants as roses, violets, rosemary and wormwood”

Digging for victory, UK Docks at Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort 

August Fenwick, customer service assistant at Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort, said: “The extra hands have been a big help because we would have struggled to do it by ourselves.

“We got so much more done because of their collective efforts and there was a great buzz about the place on the day.

“The herb gardens used to be a popular part of a visit to the Fort because straight after coming out of the visitors’ centre you were met by all these lovely aromas.

“It became overgrown during Covid though and it’s lovely to think we might soon have them back - visitors loved them and sometimes asked if they could take a bit of mint or other herbs with them, which we didn’t mind if it gave them a nice memory of their visit.”

Wheelbarrows, forks and spades were at the ready first thing in the morning as office manager, Emma Bryson organised a team which transformed the look and feel of the site by the end of the day, clearing the site and replacing cobblestones.

Emma said: “It was hard work for us all but enjoyable - we got to get out in the fresh air in a beautiful, historic spot and it was good for team spirit and bonding.

“Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort was a great project to work on because the gardens had been an attraction once and it was rewarding to watch it starting to come back to life as we cleared the ground.

“Now we’re looking forward to returning when the gardens are fully restored.”

UK Docks carried out a beach clean of Littlehaven Beach before work at Arbeia and is now planning a full programme of volunteer events among the workforce every other month.