Rare Sutcliffe pond yacht now on display at Horsforth Museum

A rare Sutcliffe pond yacht that was owned by Mrs Joan Sutcliffe is to go on display in the village where it was made back in 1932.

JW Sutcliffe founded Sutcliffe Pressings in Horsforth, Leeds, and produced tinplate boats for 60 years, with the wind-up, clockwork and battery-powered vessels highly collected since the factory closed in the 1980s.

In 2009, a private collection of Sutcliffe Boats was loaned to the Horsforth Village Museum and it is pleased to announce that the loan period has been extended to include the 2010 season. The Sutcliffe Collection has attracted collectors from far and wide as it is thought to be one of very few complete collections of Sutcliffe boats available for viewing.

Nancy de Dombal from the museum has been delighted with the interest in the collection. ‘It’s great to have such a collection of old toys on display for all to view, but when they are part of your local village history that makes them extra special,’ she said.

Following the death of Joan Sutcliffe in August 2008, the remainder of the factory’s old stock, along with other interesting Sutcliffe-related items, was sold at auction – the latter including the rare 16” pond yacht.

Bidding on the day was strong with several telephone bids both from the UK and USA. The yacht’s future was secured in the UK and now remains in the hands of a private collector.

The yacht is to go on display at the Horsforth Village Museum for the remainder of the 2010 season. It will be displayed with photographs of Joan Sutcliffe carefully carrying her pride and joy aged just 13 years old.