........well we were when Samuel Pepys wrote: "Great fears of the Sickenesses here in the City, it being said that two or three houses are already shut up. God preserve us all." "But now, how few people I see, and those walking like people that have taken leave of the world...." In those days Arthur Beale was called John Buckingham. Graces Guide to British Industry has Arthur Beale established around 1500 so we were a very well established ropemaker when the Great Plague struck London. The...

Corona Virus is just one of those problems we have to cope with but Arthur Beale also has to contend with the thoughtless actions of the Local Council and our Letting Agents! Neal Street, just around the corner from Arthur Beale, is described as “one of the most eclectic streets for shopping in London” yet when I took a stroll down the street just before Christmas there were 16 empty shops. Most were dressed up with fancy graphics saying “Exciting Retail Opportunity” but let’s face the facts,...

Sara and Will Stirling have been nominated for the Classic Boat Awards 2020. Are Will and Sara Stirling Britain’s busiest boatbuilding couple? They run two boatyards – No 1 Covered Slip in Plymouth and Treluggan Boatyard in Cornwall – and are looking at a third, but it’s nothing new to Sara, who set up and ran, for 12 years, the well-known Working Sail yard. Both are trained boatbuilders, both have MAs in maritime history, and, if that weren’t enough, Will just completed his seventh Arctic...

Arthur Beale are sponsoring a £300.00 prize for the best photo in the "Faces of the Sea" category. There are other categories too with different prizes but of course nothing could beat an Arthur Beale voucher -although four tickets on the Waverley sounds fun too. But don't hang around, the photos need to be in by the end of August. There will be a posh awards ceremony in Greenwich on 26th November. So get onto the website - nationalhistorisships.org.uk and upload your favourite nautical photos...

Don't miss this unique opportunity to get something stripy at a real bargain price! If its got stripes then it will 20% cheaper between 8th and 16th June! Take this Saint James Levant Short Sleeved Top reduced from £45.00 to just £36.00 And it's not just our fantastic Saint James Breton Tops that are going cheap! It's anything with stripes! Yes, flags with stripes too! But don't try crosses, they won't get through. The Slip-On Yachtmaster Shoes are a bit border line but they do have some...

Tony has arrived back in Hampshire after 30,000 miles of sailing in his 32 ft yacht Nicola Deux (a Nic 32). Apparently he is looking forward to a King Prawn Curry from his local take-away. I confess that after a long sea voyage the desire for a curry was high on my list, coupled with a beer and a shower. Deciding which pleasure to have first is one of the hardest decisions to make. A beer in the shower might be possible but the curry simply wouldn't work. Tony has accomplished a truly amazing...

Last night I was invited to attend the Classic Boat Awards Ceremony by Michael Wright, the proud owner of Carlotta a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter built in 1899. Carlotta had been nominated in two award categories, as the “Best Restored Sailing Vessel Over 40ft” and also “Centenariun of the Year”. Arthur Beale were proud to have supplied various bits of chandlery, charts and a tender and outboard for Carlotta. We were almost as pleased as Michael was when the boat not only picked up the Best...

A highly recommended film to watch, although if you are a male yachting journalist of a certain era then you may prefer to stay at home! If you are in London, we saw it at the Curzon in Brunswick Square which was very civilised and the nearby Lamb pub in Lambs Conduit Street serves up a good pint. Here’s what the press release says: MAIDEN is the inspirational story of how Tracy Edwards, a 24-year-old cook on charter boats, became the skipper of the first ever all-female crew to enter the...

​ ​ Monday 31st December 11.00am - 5.00pm Tuesday 1st January CLOSED ​Wednesday 2nd January 10.00am - 7.00pm Then normal opening hours