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Powell-Corderoy – 1936 The M/V Solarium Story (M/V is abbreviation for Motor Vessel) When the Solarium ship was built in 1936, the school successfully applied to adopt a ship and they were allocated an oil tanker M/V Solarium. The Captain of the ship was Mr J. Davies and the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company owned it. This is a photo of the M/V Solarium in Liverpool. The photograph was taken by Basil Fielden a famous ship photographer at the time. The ship was built in 1936 and weighed 6,234 Tons Gross. (I have purchased the item and is no longer copyright.) In 1937 the school started taking a weekly magazine called: “The Journal of Commerce and Shipping Telegraph” – this allowed them to learn the ship’s whereabouts each week. In doing so they also learnt about different places in the world, the weather in these ports and also how the ship travelled and was maintained. To add to the excitement Captain Davies wrote to the children with his news! In return, the school sent letters to the ship and also a copy of the school magazine. The crew sent letters, picture post-cards and updates to both the school and some children at their home. The ship travelled to many ports such as: Liverpool, Barry in South Wales, The Mediterranean, Curacao (off Venezuela), Balik Papan (Borneo), Suez Canal, Singapore, Hull, North Shields (Tyne) Muscat Oman. (The hottest seaport) In October 1937 there was an exhibition at County Hall in London: “British Ship Adoption Society Exhibition” – Powell-Corderoy mounted and conducted an exhibition about their ship and were complimented on what an interesting and well prepared show they arranged, (Proud to be Powell!) Remarkably, in 1937 The British Ship Adoption Society had adopted “Do Better Still” as their guiding motto. Before Christmas 1937, the Captain and officers of M/V Solarium sent some money (£3 12s 6d) for The Infant’s Christmas Tree. In return the children sent Christmas Mail, Magazines and a Camera to the ship. [In today’s money that would be almost £500!) When possible, ships in British ports were visited by students of the school, which have adopted them - a highlight for the seamen and children alike.