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26 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, July 18, 1989 Inaugural voyage of the Skylark Vili Going down the river on a sunny afternoon by Rob Streich 37 years ago Deirdre and William Earle pens a happy week aboard ship emigrating here from England. Last Tues- day they had almost as much fun on the Skylark VIII, al- though the voyage was only for five hours. It was an afternoon of good fellowship, fun and relaxation as the Jravgurdl voyage of the Skylark wound its way from Port Perry to Lindsay. 24 passengers came along on the special occasion, the first chartered cruise on Lake Scugogin atleast five decades. The sun was shining, the lake was calm and the mood was cheerful as passengers and crew gained a new perspective on familiar or not-so- familiar shores of the man- made lake. People were free to walk around, sit inside or out, chat or play cards. Some more adven- turous souls braved the breeze and spray at the bow of the boat for the chance to get a little sun and plenty of fresh air. Barbara Porter, of Plus Bus Tours in Ashburn, was the force behind this project. She: said,"it was something I want- ed to do, and I thought that oth- er people would enjoy the op- portunity to take a cruise on Lake Scugogas well. " Barbara has been working with Marigold Travel and the Skylark office making prepara- tions for the July 11 inaugural cruise since last fall. In addi- tion to arranging the transpor- tation, food and theatre visit, she had prepared several pro- motions for the day, most im- portantly, contributing part of the proceeds tothe Community Mofiorial Hospital Building $1440 for the Hospital fund Among the special activi- ties which took place on board the ship was the presentation of a cheque to Mayor Hall for $1440 (60 per cent of passenger revenue), donated to the hospi- tal building fund. Additionally, Barbara commissioned Marilyn Wal- lace, of Designer Silks to make a scarfwith a stylized version of the Skylark VIII emblem. Mar- ilyn generously decided to con- tribute the scarf to the inaugu- ral cruise. A draw was held in the af- ternoon for the one-of-a-kind piece. Marion Durward of Port Perry proudly wore it home. re was an interesting mix of people aboard the boat. 1 enjoyed speaking with bus drivers, teachers, politicians and retirees, and swapping jokes with Reg Renouf. Marion Durward displays her new; original, Skylark silk scarf. Marion won the prize in a draw onboard the Skylark th. The scarf was made by MarllynWallace of Designer < It wase ally enjoyable Jo find on 5. ttle mors ihe istory o \ re were several knowledgeable people on board which compli- mented the hungry curiosity of the others. The crew of three, Captain Jim Brown, his wife Jan and student-navigator Melissa were all friendly and helpful as I tried to take every opportuni- ty which Jresen itself to en- joy myself and investigate the curiosities of the voyage. Happy Anniversary The Farles (with whom I had the pleasure of being seat- Ready to head out from the dock at Port Perry, Kim Eakins, Reg Renouf, Joan Malcolm and Helen Nesbitt are all waves and smiles in anticipation of the great day ahead. . . A picturesque park along the river, ed) were one of many special people on the cruise. July 11, id Jarked their 40th wed- ing anniversary. They told me that they had jumped at the opportunity to come along on this ina 1 voyage as, "it's not often that a special event falls on a week day," said Deirdre. And they wanted to do something extra special for their ruby anniver- sary. The Earles fondly told me about the last big cruise they had been on when they took . passage from Ingle Separ- . ately, they travel ed to the land of promise, leaving overcrowd- i the beautiful views on voyage from Port Perry to Lindsay. gers spotted Osprey nests, birds and wading cattle, Just before the Lindsay locks. This Is just one of Certificates DJ. TAYLOR CE BROKERS LTD. 169 North Street, Port Perry Guaranteed Investment (Rates Subject to Change without Notice) + 1'YEAR 11% 985-8416 ing, inflation and rationing. Both Deirdre and William remembered the food aboard the ship. "It was incredible. We received a full breakfast, snacks, a six course lunch - whatever your wanted." Dei said, that when they werein Canada, it seemed strange not to use vouchers for food; to be able to have what you wanted and not what was available. Today, they would not want to leave their home at the Nonquon Education Centre - except for a chance to see the (Turn to page 27) Among other things passen- MAGNETIC SIGNS For Trucks, Cars, etc. PORT PERRY STAR 238 Street