Onedin Star Jessica sails back into Dart Harbour on ‘poignant’ cruise ship visit

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The visit of cruise ship Minerva to Dart Harbour on Saturday June 14 was a special event in more ways for one very special visitor: the Onedin Line’s Jessica Benton.

Ms Benton played Elizabeth Onedin in the famous and hugely influential series, which filmed in Dartmouth throughout the 1970s and into 1980. She and her husband, renowned photographer Charlie Waite, described their visit as ‘a poignant experience’.

Ms Benton returned to Dartmouth onboard the Swan Hellenic ship MV Minerva. The ship’s visit was the second cruise ship visit of the season and saw the Dartmouth Cruise Ship Group working together to create the perfect visitors for passengers.

The group, made up of the Dartmouth Tourist Information Centre, Dart Harbour, Dartmouth Town Council and the Dartmouth Business Improvement District, put together a programme to welcome the ship and the reaction as very positive.

Tourist Information Manager Lesley Turner and Donna Watson went out onto the ship early in the morning with Tricia Daniels to chat to passengers about the town, its shops and visitor attractions.

TIC Staff stood on the Town Jetty throughout the day, handing out guides, maps and a special edition of the Dartmouth Chronicle with a feature aimed at passengers in it.

Dartmouth Town Mayor Rob Lyon and his Mayoress Di travelled out to the ship onboard the heritage trawler Pilgrim from Brixham, which also sailed around the ship, to the delight of passengers. The Mayor presented a Town Plaque to the Ship’s Captain, along with a painting of the Minerva kindly donated by Dartmouth artist Paul Barclay.

Dartmouth Cruise Ship Group Chairman Tricia Daniels said: “It was a lovely bonus to meet Jessica Benton and hear her memories of visiting the town – the last time she visited was when they filmed the show’s final two episodes more than 30 years ago!”

Dartmouth organisations work together to welcome first cruise ship of season

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Cruise ship Serenissima was welcomed to Dartmouth last week in a coordinated effort by several town organisations.

Dartmouth Tourist Information Centre, Dart Harbour, the Dartmouth BID and the Town Council all worked together to welcome the 90m ship as she pulled into the river on Friday May 30.

And the effort paid off as visitors and crew alike said they were blown away by the efforts of the town’s organisations – with many passengers vowing to return.

TIC managers Lesley Turner and Sue Stone, along with the newly formed cruise group’s chairman Tricia Daniels, went out onto the vessel to chat to visitors and hand out town guides.

They also stayed on the jetty all day to offer help and assistance to visitors getting off the ship to see the town. Many of the passengers took advantage of the opportunity as the sun shone down in the afternoon, showing the harbour off at its best.

Town Crier Les Ellis also welcomed visitors with a traditional ‘cry’ on the town jetty, encouraging them to walk around the ‘historic town with many Royal connections’ from which ‘the Pilgrim Fathers sailed to discover a new world in 1620 – and to this day we wonder why’ which drew a round of applause!

Lesley Turner and Sue Stone worked with Dartmouth BID’s Francesca Johnson to fill ‘goody bags’ with donations from South West food producers, including Burts Chips, Sweet Devotion, Clive’s Pies and High field preserves which were handed out to passengers.

Dartmouth Mayor Rob Lyon went out onto the vessel to present the Captain, Captain Etien, with a commemorative town plaque – and passengers lined up to have their picture taken with the Mayor.

The Cruise Group has already begun planning for the next visit of a cruise vessel: the 134m MV Minerva, which will pull into harbour at 8am on Saturday June 14, carrying up to 350 passengers.

Tricia Daniels said: “It was a great first visit and we found that the passengers and crew were very responsive to our efforts. To ensure more ships begin pulling into our beautiful harbour we need to ensure that we welcome each one that does. I’m so delighted at the way we all worked together to make Serenissima welcome – the TIC team, the BID, the Town Council, Les Ellis and of course the great Dart Harbour team.

“We would like to thank the businesses who welcomed the ship’s visitors with signs in their windows, and we hope even more will do so for the next visit of Minerva on June 14!”