Des Newton was a legend at the Merseyside Maritime Museum. Pic courtesy Merseyside Maritime Museum
Des Newton, one of the world’s leading ship bottlers who made ship models for the Royal family, has died at the age of 67 after a long illness.
Born in the shipbuilding stronghold of Cumbria’s Barrow-in-Furness during a bombing raid in 1941, Newton combined his highly-developed practical skills and fascination with all things naval to join a shipyard following school, starting out in the welding department.
“I was usually the little urchin who was always being picked out to weld the inside of the rudders and masts and other nasty places where no other person could reach,” he wrote.
“At the time I thought it was clever to be able to do these things until one day I got stuck and smelt my own flesh burning from molten metal down my leather boot.”
A bully who challenged him to make a boat which could fit inside a lightbulb ended up paying out on his bet when Newton created one, floating on a sea of plasticine, and he often gave friends a ship in a bottle as wedding presents.
He toured the country in a national talent contest (also becoming a professional entertainer and musician) before settling in Liverpool, joining the National Maritime Museum at its inception in 1978.
“It was time well spent because anyone seeing Des demonstrating his ship bottling skills knew they were in the presence of a great entertainer,” said Stephen Guy of the Museum.
“Des had an intense interest in ship bottling and became a world expert and exponent through his studies and skills. He could quickly and expertly answer any question on the subject, and then demonstrate the solution.”
He became the resident Ship in Bottle demonstrator at the Museum, making models for the Queen, Prince Charles and the Duke of Kent in between regular television appearances. He was awarded a Lifeboatman statuette for services to the RNLI in 1989, and continued holding workshops until September last year.
“Des was known as a genuinely open, inspirational person, treating everyone with the same cheerful enthusiasm,” added Guy. "He was one of the best-known personalities at the Merseyside Maritime Museum, where he had a ship bottling and model workshop for 20 years.
“He joined the staff as a craft demonstrator in 1985 and soon became very popular, particularly with visitors attracted by the Tall Ships Races. Among his works in the Merseyside Maritime Museum collection are his model of the first Royal Yacht, the Mary, and several bottled ships.”
