The cruise season at Portland Port is well and truly underway with four ships already visiting throughout May and another to call before the month ends.
The Azores, Ryndam and Eurodam celebrated inaugural calls to Portland as they arrived at the beginning of May. To mark the first time they called into Portland they were presented with a plaque, but this year the port was keen to identify a more original and unique way to commemorate inaugural calls so commissioned the creation of five Portland Stone plaques to celebrate the five inaugural calls this year.
When presented to the captain of the ship the origin of the plaque is explained; they are quarried from Portland stone and sculpted by local craftsmen. Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust were commissioned to produce the plaques, which have been gratefully received. Paul Crabtree, the sculptor who carved the plaques, commented; “This has been a very detailed project to work on and has made use of the great facilities at the Drill Hall Community Stone Workspace” at Easton Lane Portland. There’s also an exhibition space showcasing talents of artists and stone carvers with the opportunity to learn to carve stone.
Ian McQuade, General Manager – Business Development, has been on board all three of the inaugural calls so far this summer; “We wanted to do something that was distinctly Portland in character and with these beautiful carved Portland Stone plaques I believe we have achieved this. It is clear from the comments from the ships that our offering is highly original and very much appreciated. Hopefully 2015 will see still more inaugural calls and a demand for more handcrafted Portland Plaques”
The stone plaques stand out when hung next to all the other plaques collected from the cruise ships travels around the world, perhaps no better testament to the Isle of Portland itself.
