A full obituary will appear in the next issue of The Gunboat.

You can download a copy of the leaflet here.

Survival – Bordein’s new role

Last year the Sudanese team led by Eng. Abdelmonim Salama, General Manager of the River Transport Corporation, rescued the sections of this unique 19th-century side wheeler from the Khartoum North Dockyard. A special site on the river bank overlooking the Nile near the old Omdurman fortifications has been prepared and the hull sections have been moved onto the purpose-built land berth. Today, this unique steamer’s iron hull has been reassembled as part of a major restoration programme where it will become a major attraction for British and other foreign visitors.

Sudan is looking for new ways to earn money as it faces the prospect of losing its oil-producing south following last week’s Southern Independence referendum. Some are pinning their hopes on reports of huge new gold reserves in the north’s Red Sea Hills. Others are optimistic about another largely untapped resource, the country’s rich and complex history – particularly the spur it might give to a nascent tourist industry.

“It is already starting to attract tourists,” said Khartoum State’s Minister of Culture, Media and Tourism, Mohamed Awad al-Barodi. “We were astonished recently when two buses of European tourists came to the area.”

Many Britons and other history buffs still cling to the stories of Britain’s long relationship with the Sudan. Th ere have been at least four films based on the classic novel The Four Feathers, and the dramatic depiction of General Gordon calmly facing his attackers on the steps of the Governor’s palace in Khartoum has become an icon of British stoicism.

A benefit to tourism in Sudan

The official unveiling took place on 26 January and there are plans for a glass-walled museum telling the story of the Bordein alongside the remains of the mud-walled fortification built up by the Mahdi who captured Khartoum and defeated Gordon in 1885. The Minister said he had put in a request to Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to turn the Presidential Palace into a museum. Another British gunboat, the Melik, lies in a sand berth surrounded by bougainvillea awaiting restoration on the site of the Blue Nile Sailing Club, where she has served since 1925 as the Clubhouse.

Tourism remains a tiny industry in Sudan. The Minister had no official statistics for tourist numbers in the capital. Intrepid visitors have to fight through a forest of red tape to obtain visas, and risk arrest by taking photos without a permit.

Sudan’s frequent conflicts, most recently in Darfur, have also left it with severe image problems when it comes to making it a major tourist destination. But Barodi remains optimistic that these sites will attract local visitors and, over time, foreign tourists. “The war in Darfur has distorted the image of Sudan for a long time. It has obscured the real nature of the Sudanese people. We are peaceful, hospitable and engaging … and we would like people to come.”

Adapted from a Reuters report, Khartoum, 19 January 2011

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This year marks the 126th anniversary of his death at Khartoum and a small working party have devised a special service to commemorate this local hero.

The service is to be officiated by Rev Canon Chris Stone from St George’s Church and attended by the Mayor of Gravesham, Cllr Bill Lambert who along with pupils from Chantry School, members of the Royal Engineers Association and the president of Gravesend / Meopham Rotary, will be laying flowers placed at the foot of Gordon’s Memorial.

Members of the Salvation Army and Borough Band will be providing musical accompaniment to the service and the Gads Hill School Combined Cadet Force will be in attendance as guard of honour.

In marking the 125th anniversary of Gordon’s School in Woking, former pupils will also be attending the service. The school was founded in 1886 by public subscription as a memorial to Gordon following an idea from Queen Victoria, who became its first patron. The reigning monarch has been patron ever since.

Source: Gravesham Borough Council

No doubt there are many who are wondering how the parlous state of affairs in the Sudan is affecting the Society and its efforts to restore the Melik and to rescue the Bordein from being sold for scrap. As it is sometime since we published the last Bulletin, this is to bring you up to date on our plans for the future in advance of the next Bulletin which is in the pipeline for publication shortly.

By the end of last year, we reluctantly came to the conclusion that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Khartoum had no intention of establishing the Nile Foundation as an independent not for profit organisation under the terms of the Memorandum of Agreement which we signed on 16th February 2007.

Matters came to a head when we were informed that a Ministerial Decree had been issued to establish a quango under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, to take responsibility for the Melik and the Bordein. The Society was invited to participate but it became immediately apparent that it would in effect be under the control of the Ministry and there would be no guarantees that any funds raised would be used for the purpose intended. Nonetheless, in order to keep ourselves informed, we put forward the names of two members of the Society. However, there has been no response and to the best of our knowledge, this quango has not been inaugurated and the Board has never met.

Given the Government of the Sudan’s deteriorating relations with the rest of the world, and their increasing isolation, efforts to continue pressing the Sudanese authorities are unlikely to bear fruit in the short term. We have therefore decided to pursue a realistic course of action. This will involve the Society in :-

• Forging a closer link with the Sudan Archaeological Society (SARS) of the British Museum which is now interested in the more recent aspects of Sudanese history, for example the development of railways. Agreement in principle has been reached and details of the arrangement are in the process of being worked out.
• Continuing its work of researching and promoting Anglo-Sudanese history.
• Continuing to publicise this work by the periodical publication of the Bulletin.
• Developing its website as a means of promoting our objectives and incorporating a special section for Friends to communicate information.
• Maintaining contacts in the Sudan, particularly with the Blue Nile Sailing Club through those members of SARS who spend the winter months there, and to be ready to resume active participation in the preservation of the Melik and Bordein if and when it becomes clear that Sudanese have genuine intentions and not simply a cover for inactivity as they have been in the past.

Finally on behalf of the Society, I would like to remind you that thanks to your invaluable support much has been achieved. The importance of the Melik and Bordein has been drawn to the attention of a wide audience across the world, not least the antiquities and tourist departments of the Sudan Government who, without our efforts, would have remained indifferent to their fate. Therefore, we urge existing Friends to continue their generous support and wherever possible to encourage a younger generation of enthusiasts to take the baton from the elderly hands of those who have managed to keep the project alive over the past sixteen years seemingly against all the odds.

With best wishes and renewed thanks to you all.
Henry Keown-Boyd

Read more about Sudan: http://ukinsudan.fco.gov.uk/en/

Watch the interview with Ros Marsden above.

Chairman Henry Keown-Boyd said after the signing formalities “this represents an important stepping stone towards the rejuvenation of these historic vessels for the benefit of future generations, but there is much hard work to be done to bring this major project to a successful conclusion”. He went on to pay paid tribute to the invaluable support of HMA Ian Cliff “without whom we would not probably be gathered here today”.

In response Mr Cliff said “The Melik and the Bordein are part of the common bond of heritage between Britain and the Sudan. In many ways it is remarkable that these vessels have survived on the banks of the Nile. The fact that they have is a tribute to the Blue Nile Sailing Club and to the staff of the River Transport Corporation. I think it is very exciting that as a first step we may see the Melik carrying passengers on the Nile in the not too distant future. I hope this will encourage many more visitors from Britain to sample the remarkable heritage of the Sudan”.

Fraser-Nash Consultants were commissioned by the Melik Society to carry out a technical assessment on the feasibility and costs of restoring the vessels to working order for use on the Nile. Their report will form the basis for the business plan to underpin the fundraising campaign to be launched internationally. The cost of refurbishing the Melik itself to working order is estimated to be in the region of £1.5 million STG. Much of the work will be done using the skills in the River Transport Corporation’s Dockyard at Khartoum North.

These river steamers played major roles in a feverish period of Anglo-Sudanese history (1870-1900). Like many others, they were originally built on the Thames, shipped out in sections and reassembled on the Nile. Since 1926, the Melik has served as the Headquarters of the Blue Nile Sailing Club and the Bordein lies in sections in the Dockyard on the opposite bank of the Nile. Today they are the sole survivors of the eras of Generals Gordon and Kitchener.

Professor Yusef Fadl Hasan, Chairman of NCAM and one of the leading Sudanese historians welcomed the latest development. He said “This is a moment which I cherish. This historic project brings together our two countries; between us we have the expertise to see these vessels operating again and sailing down the Nile in the setting sun.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Gunboat Melik was part of the flotilla commanded by officers of the Royal Navy and Royal Engineers. The flotilla was shipped out in sections and reassembled on the Nile and fulfilled a vital role in support of Kitchener’s army in the re-conquest of the Sudan. Built by John I Thorneycroft of Chiswick in 1897, the Melik is the only remaining vessel of the flotilla and since 1926 has been the headquarters of the Blue Nile Sailing Club.
2. The Bordein was built by Samuda Bros on the Thames as part of a fleet of six paddle steamers originally ordered and sent up to Khartoum for Sir Samuel Baker’s Nile Expedition in 1870 She was used by General Gordon and for the Gordon Relief Expedition of 1884/5. Captured after the fall of Khartoum in 1885, she was used by the Mahdist forces until 1898 when she was laid up in 1905 in Khartoum North Dockyard where her hull lies today.
3. The Melik Society is a registered charity formed in 1994 for the purpose of advancing public awareness of British and Sudanese history and to establish lasting memorials to all on both sides who fought in the campaigns 1883-1899.
4. The National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM) is part of the Ministry of Youth Culture and Sport which is responsible for all antiquities and museums in the Sudan including the MELIK and BORDEIN
5. For further information, please call Anthony Harvey, Hon Secretary of the Melik Society on 020 7928 8100 / secretary@melik.org.uk or Khalid Omer, Counsellor at the Embassy of the Sudan on 020 7839 8080.
6. The web-site and photographs can be found at www.melik.org.uk.

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Coming Soon

The General and Captain John Brocklehurst, later Lord Ranksborough, an ancestor of the current family, the Dent-Brocklehurst’s, were great friends and corresponded with each other, often at great personal risk. The local artist, Katie Morgan, described to fellow guests how she created a backdrop for the artefacts and paintings, the result being a truly atmospheric setting for the varied and interesting pieces. Having viewed the new exhibition, guests moved downstairs to enjoy a sumptuous buffet in the Banqueting Hall and were addressed by Lady Ashcombe and Fergus Nicoll, who provided a voiceover for the new audio visual and wrote the book ‘The Mahdi of the Sudan’, relating to the Siege of Khartoum.

After lunch, the gardens and other exhibitions were open for guests to explore at their own leisure.

They were also invited to attend the new tours led by our Senior Guides, which are taking place on Wednesdays for the remainder of the season. Sudeley Castle Gardens & Exhibitions is closed for the winter but will re open on 31st March 2007

Visit www.sudeleycastle.co.uk for opening times. Special Events programme throughout the season, Please call 01242 602308 for further details.