Builders: William Denny & Bros 1896
Propulsion type: Paddle, diagonal three crank triple expansion
Owners: London, Woolwich & Clacton-on-Sea Steamboat Co Ltd, Belle Steamers Ltd, P S M Syndicate Ltd, East Anglia Steamship Co Ltd, East Anglian Hotels Ltd, H E Kingsman, General Steam Navigation Co Ltd
Service dates: 1896 - 1946
Tonnage: Net 266 Gross 570
Comments:
This wonderful picture is a W E Groom original and has never been published before. The picture shows P S Laguna Belle ready to leave for official trials from Denny's fitting out dock at Dumbarton. The picture is believed to have been taken in 1931. It has been kindly chosen and supplied by W E Groom's Grand daughter, Victoria.
Part of the Belle Steamers fleet, as Southend Belle, she was designed for use on the London-Great Yarmouth routes. After a number of ownership changes connected with the Belle steamers fleet, she was acquired by H E Kingsman in 1930. Kingsman had her reboilered, refurbished and overhuled, adding the distinctive chevron on her bows. At that time also, she was renamed Laguna Belle and sailed on the London-Clacton route, although omitted Southend, after whom she was originally named. The price then for a return day trip was four shillings (20p). Sold in 1936 to the General Steam Navigation Co Ltd, she was retained on the Southend-Clacton service, sailing on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. On the other days of the week she visited the London docks and cruised for the Port of London Authority.For a previously unpublished picture of passengers embarking for one of these evening PLA cruises please click here. She was eventually scrapped in Holland in 1946.