The Boat

January Madness - a handful of couples brave dancing on the deck whilst all the sensible people are tucking into tea and cake or dancing in the drill hall.

Address : Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0HJ
(Static moored...this boat does not move except up and down!!)
 

After a 5 year absence, CerocLondon are reinventing the Tea dance.

After Hammersmith this was the most successful event in the Ceroc calendar, but owing to insurance problems

we had to stop the event. Well we're delighted to tell you that for a temporary period only we're back on board.

Come and enjoy a cup of tea and a piece of cake in between dances. There's a ballroom for the dancing a

gun room for the tea and cake and a quarterdeck (the outside bit) for gossiping.

This is truly a great event and the booking is only temporary before it's turned into a casino and therefore you don't want to miss out.

Dates of forthcoming events

Photos of recent events

Boarding 2pm (freestyle until 6pm)

Cost £10 with membership card (includes tea and cake)

Address : Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0HJ

Parking

Parking is very easy in the side roads opposite the boat; Temple Avenue or John Carpenter Street. You can't access these from the Embankment directly as they are no entry, so turn left at Blackfriars roundabout and then take either of the next two lefts and effectively drive until you are opposite the boat and park in either Temple Avenue or John Carpenter Street.

Please note that you can park in Solo Motorcycle bays on Sundays.

This is Temple Avenue and as you can see there is loads of single Yellow parking.

THE BALL ROOM

This magnificent spacious room is unique amongst Thames river venues in that it offers 2500 square feet without columns. The space is completely versatile and adaptable, and with it's parquet floor it can be used for formal dinner dances, weddings or conferences.

With views across the Thames to the OXO Tower and the London eye, it is just the place to hold the ultimate party that you and your friends will never forget.

THE GUN ROOM

Located right next door to the ball room and linked by a large sliding door, is the gun room,

which has a large bar and also offers access to the Quarter Deck.

The Quarter Deck offers panoramic views of the city of London, The Tate Modern and the South Bank.

Location:

The President is moored right in the heart of the City of London, on the Victoria Embankment.

Alongside the ship are the Inns of Court, on the opposite bank are the OXO Tower, The National Theatre,

The Tate Modern, The London Eye, and the re-created Globe Theatre, St Paul's Cathedral,

Somerset House and Fleet Street are a short walk.

Nearest Tube stations are Blackfriars, Temple, (District or Circle lines).

Nearest mainline stations are Blackfriars Mainline and Thameslink.

Or if in doubt, simply look in any London street map where you will find us listed.

Map:

http://www.multimap.com

History Lesson:

	Decoy Q Boats
	Q SHIPS| Men risked their lives on the mystery Q ships During the First World War Britain had a secret weapon - the decoy 'Q' boats. Inside Out investigates the ships and the brave seamen who sailed in them.
	Britain's secret weapon during the First World War was built in the dockyards of Devonport and other South West ports. The Q-ships were Britain's amazing answer to the German's potent new weapon - the submarine or U-boat. These fighting vessels were a great trick of disguise and cunning - they were actually ordinary ships built as decoys. Battle lines During World War One Germany's fearsome new weapon was the submarine. The German strategy was to starve Britain to defeat by sinking every ship it could. 880,000 tons of shipping went to the bottom of the seas in one month alone. This was a fight to the death and the biggest casualty was the traditional rules of war which sank without trace There was only one solution - to outwit the Germans with a clever plan - the Q-ships. More than 200 boats were disguised and sent into action against the U-boat menace. Secret men of war In the ports of the South West, ships of every shape and size were transformed - trawlers, steamers, schooners and cargo ships were all transformed secretly into men of war.   Many Q ships were sunk without trace The ships were nicknamed Q-ships after the original 'Q' numbers given to the some of these special service decoy vessels. The ships had guns under dummy lifeboats or hidden under fake funnels and awnings. Some of the ships used paint to hide their cache of weaponry. The idea was to lure the U-boat into attacking these decoy ships which would unleash their hidden weaponry. The men on these mystery ships showed courage beyond the call of duty. Until now their story is little known for theirs was a secret mission. Courage under fire Forty four of the Q-ships were destroyed by the U-boats, some were sunk without trace. However the Q-boats were able to destroy fifteen enemy boats, with many other submarines limping back to port for repairs. But the Q-ships sustained their own losses as illustrated in the table below: The Q- Ships 1914 3 ships entered service.   1915 29 ships entered service. 9 Q-ships lost. 2 U-boats destroyed by the South West boat Baralong. 1916 41 ships entered service. 11 Q-ships lost. 1917 95 ships entered service. 23 Q-ships lost. 6 U-boats destroyed. South West boat Penshurst sunk two U-boats. 1918 25 ships entered service. 1 Q-ship lost. Total 193 Q-ships in service. 44 Q-ships lost. 15 U-boats destroyed. During the First World War there were 70 duels between Q-ships and U-boats. One of the fiercest fought involved a battle off the Devon coast involving the HMS Stock Force in 1918. The boat was fatally hit and sunk in Bigbury Bay by a U-boat after luring the German vessel to the surface. This ship was a small converted collier captained by Harold Auten who was awarded the VC for his courageous actions. Remnants of war In this famous mismatch of strength, the Q-boats were David compared with the Goliath-like power of the U-boats. But the battling spirit of the men who fought in the Q-boats lives on. These decoy ships played a valuable part in the Allies anti-U-boat campaign. Today only one of the boats survives - the HMS President moored on the Thames. It remains a testament to the unsung heroes who risked their lives under a veil of secrecy.