The Rocking Horse Shop

One of the main reasons I bought it is that I’m a former seafarer who worked for Union-Castle Line which operated passenger liners between Southampton and South Africa. The horse came from the first class playroom of their passenger ship “Capetown Castle”. When launched in 1937, “Capetown Castle” was the largest motor ship in the world as most vessels were steam-powered at that time. The ship was built at Harland & Wolff’s yard in Belfast and the horse was made by craftsmen in the shipyard’s joinery shop.

When the ship was scrapped in 1967, the horse was bought by Union-Castle Line’s technical manager David Aris (who is now 95) for his young daughter. It remained with the family until 2017 when David gave the horse to a local hospice who placed it in the front window of their charity shop in Garstang. It was purchased by a farmer from Stockport who stored it in one of his outbuildings until I bought it from him in March this year. I have since been in touch with David who is delighted that the horse is back with someone who sailed with Union-Castle Line.

The horse has now been fully stripped, repaired and is ready for many new riders!