Comments on: Guestbook

By: Ludovic Robertson

Ludovic Robertson — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:59:36 +0000

I was in Khartoum in the late 1960s, as a child.My parents were members of the sailing club. I spent meny happy hours on the Melik, her stern was coverd in old seagull outboards!
My parents were Sandie and Margaret Robertson,living in uk

By: Jan Perricone (nee BYRNE)

Jan Perricone (nee BYRNE) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 08:41:40 +0000

Tony Uloth
I have to apologize as I have only just recently found this wonderful site again. I wrongly thought any response would have come through to my e-mail address.
Yes…. I have copies of various photos & accounts (even the reports written for the newspapers then, by the young reporter Winston Churchill) collected by my family, mainly due to my brother.
Can I also say a big thank you to Jim Green for his mention of the fantastic Joanna Lumley ‘Nile’ series. My husband & I had watched this, but not the episode with ‘The Melik’ at Khartoum, which also mentioned the ‘Battle of Omdurman’. As luck has it that was repeated again recently & I found it extremely moving.

Kind Regards
Jan Perricone …….. jan.perricone@ntlworld.com

By: Bushra Hamid

Bushra Hamid — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 13:47:04 +0000

Thank you for an informative website. In my younger days, before joining the Sea Scouts (Kashafa Al Bahriyya) next door to the BNSC, I used to go fishing with friends on the deck of the Melik. At the time (c. 1969) I thought there used to be two 2 polished brass Maxim guns on the upper front or rear deck. These were facing forwards, unlike the original layout shown in the historical pictures. Hopefully they are being stored somewhere! Anyhow, I remember happy days fishing for Nile perch with friends from the deck. Another book to add to your reading material is Omdurman by Philip Ziegler.

Kind Regards,

Bushra

By: Jim Green

Jim Green — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:14:37 +0000

An interesting site and and interesting and unusual period of our history. I stumbled across the site whilst looking at the papershipwright site, who incidently produce a good card model of the Melik. Do any proceeds of the sale of the above go to the society?
Looking at the model I suddenly realised that this was the vessel visited by Joanna Lumley on her recent TV docummentry and followed the link on Papershipwright to your site.
I wish you all the best on your endeavours to save both vessels

By: Fergus Nicoll

Fergus Nicoll — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 11:34:10 +0000

Dear Henry K-B and Melik Society colleagues,
I’m currently in Khartoum doing research on Gordon and the Mahdiyya for my new book. I visited the BNSC yesterday morning and got some nice pictures in good light. Would you be interested in having them? I certainly see the scale of the challenge in restoring her – particularly the large trees nearby whose roots must by now have grown through the hull. Still, a pretty sight and pride of place at the centre of the club.
Best wishes to all,
Fergus Nicoll

By: Tony Uloth

Tony Uloth — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:45:44 +0000

Dear Mrs Perricone, As a Trustee of the Melik Society I am currently occupied in proof-reading a new edition of Winston Churchill’s wonderful account of the Kitchener expedition of 1886-88 which he called The River War. I look forward to reaching the stirring part played by your great grandfather.
In the meantime if you have any photographs or documents you would be prepared to make available to the Melik Society concerning Pte Byrne VC we would be extremely grateful.
Kindest regards
Tony Uloth

By: Jan Perricone (nee BYRNE)

Jan Perricone (nee BYRNE) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 19:08:07 +0000

What a gem……You have opened up even more information for me as I just came upon this site while re-trawling the family history.
My great grandfather Private Thomas Byrne (21st Lancers) was involved in the Battle of Omdurman (2nd Sept 1898) recieving the ‘Victoria Cross’ after he bravely rescued Lieutenant the Honourable R F Molyneux.
Unfortunatly this medal is no longer with the family.

By: Gani

Gani — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:53:30 +0000

I live in london and I am a member of the Sudanese Sailing Clube, I have been there several times during my visit to khartoum past month, the two gun boats (Melik and Bordein) need a desperate help also the Autumn coming in Sudan very soon and the flood will start in a few mothes coming.

By: Henry Keown-Boyd

Henry Keown-Boyd — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:00:52 +0000

Dear Mrs Riding, The Melik Society has a considerable archive of pictures of the Melik going back to her earliest days but very few of the period you mention 1953-60. I wonder if we could borrow and, with your permission, copy any you have of her and her surroundings at that time ? Also if your cinefilm contains any footage of the Melik I believe we could have put on a DVD.

If you agree perhaps you would send them to our Secretary, Anthony Harvey, Knapp Farm, Whitney-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR3 6JD. Of course everything will be returned.

Kindest regards,
Henry Keown-Boyd

By: Julia Riding (Barley)

Julia Riding (Barley) — Fri, 21 May 2010 09:11:00 +0000

Re Jane’s comments above, we were in Khartoum between 1953 and 1960, and I also remember running up and down the decks of the Melik on race days! Our little sailing dinghy was always there in the thick of it. We sailed on the Blue Nile as well, I recall, and have some photos and old cinefilm of those days.