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Author Topic: Hello, I'm new and a fan of the "Renowned" Birkenhead Star yachts  (Read 1380 times)

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History

As is recounted in the brief paragraph at the head of page 2 of the , Star Yachts was founded in the years immediately following WWI by Franz Marie Denye, a Belgian refugee who had fled Belgium at the beginning of the war. Originally a builder of full size ships, he decided that models would provide a livelihood for him and his family. This they did until the works site was compulsorily purchased to clear the site for new development in 1990. At that point the family closed the business. The factory had been demolished by 1991. There was a brief attempt to keep the name alive as the banner of a Youth Opportunity Programme project to provide work for the unemployed, but it soon folded. It is not known whether the products of the YOP project were the same as those of the original company.

Production over the years was extremely varied andvery large, as is shownby the regularity with which relatively recent examples appear on Ebay and in boot sales. Apart from the last catalogue and some instructional material of comparable vintage, very little documentation has survived and we don't know a lot about the pre-war production apart from very occasional models that turn up of which we had no prior knowledge. Over the years the range has included both clockwork and steam powered boats but these are extremely rare. It is thought that Star produced hulls for steam powered models sold by Mersey Models of Liverpool and probably that the steam plants used by Star were made by MerseyModels.

Changes over time

Much of the variation in production will now be impossible to disentangle, but we have some small insights. Early (pre-1939?) hulls have a rounded counter stern, but more recent (post 1945?) models have a square stern. [early round stern] The Star trademark logo was originally a brass pressing nailed to the deck, but this was changed at an unknown date to the more familiar transfer. The last production run of yachts have blue sails. Names have been changed at various times, For instance SY7 yachts exist named both as Arctic Star and as Ocean Star. Whether this is a considered policy, or the result of a shortage of the appropriate name transfers is impossible to determine.

The catalogue is a trade catalogue. Most of the boats were sold through toy shops and department stores, particularly in seaside towns, but some of the larger boats were sold at one stage by Bassett-Lowke, who bought in a number of ranges of superior quality toy boats throughout their existence. There will be pages on Bassett's activity in the toy end of the market in due course.

You will see that the last pages of the catalogue contain many non-boat items suitable for sale in sea side toy shops. Many of these are in plastic. It is not known whether these were moulded by Star or bought in. The absence of any plastic components on the boats and the continued availability of items such as the tower style bucket suggests that they were bought in.

Catalogue and Instruction sheets

You can download the last colour catalogue, a price list and some sailing instructions.

Sailing performance

As the catalogue admits, the very small models are suited only for the bath. The smaller yachts struggle to perform, but the 'named' yachts generally sail well Western Star however, at 30 inches the largest yacht in the last catalogue, is a pig to sail properly. The performance is improved by moving the mast forward by an inch.

Potential collectors should be aware of Chinese copies of Star designs sold under the logo of Bosun Boats. These are not Star yachts in any sense and do not sail anything like as well as the originals.

See photos of some collectors with their genuine Star yachts.

Vintage Pond Yachts

• 1935 Catalogue
• Star Yacht Stands
• Postage & Delivery
• Terms and Conditions
• Model Making

The History of Star Yachts of Birkenhead

These colourful little yachts were, as proudly boasted on the later deck emblem, “Guaranteed to Sail” and they could regularly be seen navigating the uncharted waters of the local park pond, delighting children when they reached the other side and frustrating parents when they didn’t…

The history of the Star Yacht company, including the varied products it manufactured over a period of almost 70 years, is a fascinating one and it’d be a shame if it all became lost over time. I have, since childhood, been an admirer of their products and, more recently, I have had the good fortune to have been allowed access to much archive material not only from the Denye family themselves but also from others who managed to salvage records from the factory as the bulldozers, quite literally, began flattening the site in 1991.

See also:  Star Yachts of Birkenhead 1935 Catalogue.

See also:  Star Yacht display stands.

Please note that the majority of images on this website can be viewed in greater detail simply by clicking on them.

How Star Yachts began…

It was at the outbreak of the First World War that Franz Marie Denye, the owner of a successful boatyard on the North Sea coast of Belgium, decided it was time to load his possessions onto a newly built fishing boat and, together with his wife Marie Valerie Vanassche and two little children, escape the imminent arrival of the advancing German army. His family had, for centuries, been building wooden fishing smacks and trawlers, originally at their De Panne yard and then, as demand had grown, at a new yard with two slips in Ostend. One can only begin to imagine their feelings of trepidation as they slipped anchor and, in the dead of night, sailed off with uncertainty as to their future…

When the Armistice finally came it was clear that the family business in Ostend had, together with their property, been destroyed taking with it all hopes of returning home and so the decision was made for them to remain in England. The family took on a small back street shop in Birkenhead from which Marie sold cooked meats whilst Franz, when not employed in the shipyards, would settle himself in a back room and carve the “little model yachts” that were destined to make their fortune.

Alongside this increase in production Franz was able to seek out agents that could promote his models to retailers in major cities and it wasn’t long before the orders came flooding in for thousands of toy yachts.

In an interview of 1927 Franz later reflected – “You see my knowledge of design and construction resulted in producing really sailable boats”. He had discovered an untapped market for his wonderful little yachts and it soon became obvious that a move to new premises would be necessary…

Star Yachts move to Marion Street…

In 1922, encouraged by the huge surge in sales, Franz took the decision to set up a factory in Marion Street, Birkenhead – an address that was destined to become synonymous with Star Yacht production for almost 70 years.

“I acquired a workshop in Marion street, installed lathes and other light machinery, and for a time my wife, myself, and elder children worked very long hours for six days a week. Still the orders increased.

More machinery followed and then we engaged young women and girls from the district, departmentalising the making and fitting of masts and sails under my wife’s supervision, and the hulls under mine.

Now we are turning out hundreds of wooden toy railway engines, model barrows, children’s blackboards and other useful toys which hitherto have chiefly come from Germany”

(Quote taken from an interview with Franz for the Liverpool Echo dated 25th November 1927)

The images below show the “Star Yacht Works” in Marion Street. The first was taken circa 1923 and shows the factory and staff with Franz, wearing his trilby hat, stood to the left of the group whilst to the right is his wife Marie. The second image shows the factory as it was circa 1931 and the two gentlemen stood outside the entrance are Jean-Jacques and Ferdinand-Andre, two of the sons of Franz Denye, who were destined to later take over the running of Star Productions until the 1960’s.

The overwhelming success of the business, together with the necessary expansion required to cope with the demands in manufacturing, meant that in 1937 land adjoining the site was purchased and the factory extended. Further expansion was possible when, in the early 1950’s, the company was able to purchase an old builders yard located behind the factory.

The third image, taken in the early 1970’s, shows the extent of the development along Marion Street and it was to remain like this until the sad closure of the factory for redevelopment in 1990.

The following quote gives a good insight into the workings of the factory itself.

“Inside the mysterious, dark buildings of Star Productions, the traditional skills of its craftsmen are jealously guarded. Few people are allowed through the locked doors except the company’s faithful employees. The air hangs heavy with the pleasant smells of freshly-planed wood, yacht varnish and paint. Along a labyrinth of passages, resembling below decks of a ship, the partly-made hulls of countless small-scale yachts await the craftsman’s touch”.

(Taken from a quote in Cheshire Life dated January 1986)

The photographs below show factory life as it was in around 1923 and, although the images are poor, it’s possible to see how well organised the whole production line had become.

The first image shows what was known as the “construction room” and you can just make out the 12 numbered workstations beginning with No 1 in the foreground on the right hand side. Throughout the early years production was extremely labour-intensive with each individual yacht being carved, by hand, from a solid rectangular block. It was only after this time, with the introduction of semi automatic lathes and then later fully automatic lathes, that production became simpler and more efficient.

The second image gives a good insight into how the Star “painting department” was laid out at the time. There are women standing busily painting the wooden hulls, painted hulls laid out to dry and finished yachts dotted about on shelves around the room. In the centre is a large pot belly solid fuel stove with Ferdinand, as a small boy, stood next to it minding the huge kettle. It’s difficult, in today’s “health and safety” conscious world, to imagine the working conditions of such a bygone age…

The third photograph depicts the “fixing and sail making department” and it seems clear, from the cramped nature of the workstations, that business was indeed booming at this time.

It’s interesting to note that all the work areas depicted above are located on the first floor of the Star Works building so, given the lack of evidence to the contrary, one can only assume that the ground floor was used for the storage of  both raw materials and the finished stocks of yachts ready for dispatch.

The earliest reference that I’ve been able to find, relating to the products of the “Star Yacht Works”, are three post cards that were almost certainly used as commercial advertising material in the 1920″s.

The first depicts an early model Fishing Smack and, as can be seen from the images below, although it share similarities to models shown in 1930’s catalogues (and contemporary models produced by Star that were retailed under the Tri-ang banner) there are subtle differences such as the omission of portholes.

The second and third postcards depict early examples of their popular “Solid Yachts” and show the original keel shape before the introduction of the more distinctive curved keel that featured from the early 1930’s right up until the factory finally ceased production in 1991. Another distinctive feature of the early yachts is the much shallower, hand carved hull which preceded the deeper, machine turned forms of the later models.

Early advertising postcards for the “Star” yacht works in Birkenhead, England.

Star Yachts at the 1929 World Scout Jamboree…

This 15 day event, which was attended by some 30,000 Scouts and over 300,000 visitors, featured a “Star Yacht Works” exhibition stand complete with a flagpole flying a huge flag with the, none-too-subtle, wording “BUY STAR YACHTS”. The stand itself proudly boasted “All Star Yachts are Guaranteed to Sail”, a clever tagline that featured from the companies early days right up until the factory closure.

Although the image is fairly poor it is possible to clearly identify, amongst the many yachts offered, two Fishing Smack models in the foreground and what appears to be a large Racing Cutter to the right of the stand.

Franz can be seen proudly standing at the edge of shot in front of a large motor car, his business was clearly doing rather well…

A Star Yacht lost at sea…

It was on a fine August morning in 1932 that the Master of the steam trawler Swan, a Captain C A Evans, spotted a tiny object bobbing up and down on the waves of the Irish Sea. As his vessel drew closer both he and his crew were surprised to discover that it was a toy yacht, its sails set as it majestically charted its course.

On Saturday August 20th 1932 the Daily Mail, under the headline “Toy Yacht At Sea – Found With All Sails Set” , reported –

“A remarkable sea voyage by a child’s toy yacht only 15 inches long, was revealed when the Fleetwood steam-trawler Swan arrived in port yesterday. While in the vicinity of the Calf of Man, Skipper C A Evans observed a small object sailing bravely along and, steaming closer, discovered that it was a toy yacht, with all sails set and in perfect condition.

An address at Bangor, County Down, was found on the sail, and it is presumed that the yacht’s child owner had been paddling at the resort with the yacht when it was carried away to sea.

That so small a yacht could weather a voyage of nearly 100 miles without being swamped or battered to pieces is considered remarkable among the deep-sea fishermen who inspected it at Fleetwood yesterday.

Inquiries for the owner will probably be made, and if possible the child will have the toy returned.”

The yacht was clearly identifiable by the Star logo which was, alongside the name of the retailer in Bangor, emblazoned on the mainsail and Franz, ever the businessman, seized the advertising potential that such a story could bring in order to promote his products. Although attempts were almost certainly made to trace the young owner of the vessel it is unlikely that they were ever reunited with their pride and joy, instead the yacht was returned to the factory where a bespoke glass cabinet was constructed for it and it was to take pride of place on the front of the Star Yacht Works stand at the British Industries Fair, Olympia in 1933.

Star Yacht Works displays at the British Industries Fairs of 1933 and 1934

It is clear, from the photographs taken at the fairs of 1933 and 1934, that the range of yachts on offer around this time was vast and, judging by the catalogues, the period from the mid to late 1930’s represented the heyday for the Star company. Certainly, and as noted in a newspaper cutting dated 27th September 1935 titled “Birkenhead Firm’s Expansion” , the company was thriving and recognized the need to grow in order to cope with the increasing volume of orders –

“A substantial increase in trade during the past twelve months has been responsible for a considerable expansion and development in the output of the “Star” Yacht Works, Marion Street, Birkenhead.

Controlled by Mr F. Denye and family, the business takes the form of the manufacture of wooden toys and, up to the present, has employed eighty people. During the past year business has increased to such an extent as to make it impossible to cope with the output and, in the New Year, the number of employees is to be brought up to over 200 and the premises enlarged.

The firm sends its goods all over the world and is the only one in Birkenhead to be represented at the British Industries Fair”.

The catalogue of 1938 boasted a range of no less than 38 different yacht variants and alongside these were also offered 6 clockwork speedboats, a Star steam launch, 2 Star electric launches and 3 clockwork Star cargo steamers. Although yachts formed the mainstay of the companies business, the changes in seasonal demand for such products was managed by the production of other wooden toys – wheelbarrows, carts, blackboards, easels, bagatelle boards and billiard tables, to ensure the ongoing economic well-being of the factory.

Identifying the Star Yacht variants…

(To be continued).

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Birkenhead Star Yacht Appreciation Society

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The bourgeois charm of Siberia's oil capital

If you’re driving west across Russia from the Pacific Ocean, the first thing that you notice upon entering the city of Tyumen is the McDonalds. Tyumen has long been one of the only Siberian cities with a McDonalds restaurant. Although the fast-food giant has plans to open locations in nearby Novosibirsk and other regional cities, Siberia still contains one of the longest distances on earth outside of Africa where you can remain on a major highway and not see a McDonalds. Until you reach Tyumen, that is.

A stop in Tyumen provides an interesting glimpse into how modern Russia’s oil revenue has influenced Siberia’s oldest Russian city. Tyumen is a great stopover point on the Trans-Siberian Railroad and a short ride from Yekaterinburg (five hours) or Tobolsk (four hours).

In the 16th century, Russia started expanding eastward into parts of Central Asia ruled by the Tatars, an Islamic people who still live thoughout Russia. A band of Cossacks wrested control of Tyumen from the Tatars in 1580. Six years later, Russians established a fort in Tyumen on the Tura River.

For centuries, Tyumen vied with the nearby city of Tobolsk—once the official capital of Siberia—for the prestige of the region’s most important city. Tyumen won in the end, when the Trans-Siberian Railroad bypassed Tobolsk and was routed through this now oil-rich city.

Tyumen played an important role in Russian history during times of war. At the beginning of the Russian Civil War, the Bolshevik Red Army slowly pushed the White Army, commanded by Admiral Alexander Kolchak, into Siberia. Kolchak and his anti-Bolshevik forces holed up in Tyumen until the Red Army overtook them in January of 1918.

During the Second World War, many Russian industries were moved away from the front to Siberian cities. Tyumen had already become an industrial capital during the early Soviet era, and the city became an ideal spot to relocate Russia’s western factories. As Nazi forces approached Russia in 1941, the embalmed body of Vladimir Lenin was sent from the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow’s Red Square by train to the Tyumen State Agricultural Academy for safekeeping. In 1945, Lenin’s body was shipped back to Moscow.

Some of the factories relocated to Tyumen during wartime remained in the city. The discovery of oil in the region catapulted Siberia’s oldest Russian settlement to further prosperity. Modern Tyumen is a vibrant city with a number of universities and a revamped center well-suited for exploration by foot.

Start your walking tour around central Tyumen on Ulitsa Respubliki. The city’s main drag has fine pedestrian walkways and leads wanderers past an impressive collection of tsarist-era buildings that recall Tyumen’s importance in the beginning of Russia’s colonization of Siberia.

From the southeastern end of Ul. Respubliki, head north toward the Tura River and take a brief side trip onto Ul. Ordzhonikidze to visit the Fine Arts Museum (47 Ul. Ordzhonikidze) which houses exhibits of classical Russian and Soviet art as well as traditional bone carving and works produced by the native people who live in the far north of Tyumen Oblast.

Back on Ul. Respubliki, you’ll soon see the city’s requisite Lenin statue by the local government buildings. A block away, opposite Lenin, is Tyumen’s city park, a delightful place to walk or hop on one of its amusement rides.

Most Siberian cities developed under the watchful eyes of the atheist Soviet regime and churches are usually not Siberia’s strongpoint. But this isn’t true in four-centuries-old Tyumen. Strolling up Ul. Respubliki, you’ll soon come to the Church of the Saviour (41 Ul. Lenina) and the Znamensky Cathedral (13 Ul. Semakova). Each of these stunning Baroque-influenced churches are located right off Ul. Respubliki and were built in the late 18th century.

Tyumen is also famous for its historic wooden houses. Heading further up Ul. Respubliki, stop to wander around some of the side streets and snap photos of these ornate wooden structures which provide a glimpse back in time. Near the Tura River, you’ll pass a civil war monument in remembrance of the Tyumen natives who died fighting the White Army and the Tyumen State Agricultural Academy (7 Ul. Respubliki) an impressive building in its own right where Lenin was stored during the Second World War.

Near the end of Ul. Respubliki, take a walk over the Tura River on the Lover’s Bridge, a suspension bridge open to foot traffic only that has become one of Tyumen’s iconic sights. The other side of the river is a great place to see more of Tyumen’s signature wooden houses as well as take in the churches scattered around the city center.

Save the best for last and visit the Trinity Monastery (10 Ul. Kommunisticheskaya) at the end of Ul. Respubliki. A white wall surrounds the monastery, giving it the appearance of a mini-kremlin, and the golden onion domes of the 18th century churches within should not be missed.

Although navigating Tyumen is straightforward enough, the St. Petersburg-based travel company OSTWEST can arrange a city tour in Tyumen and the surrounding countryside.

All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

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