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The team behind the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer is hoping to raise £135,000 to replace “vital components” ahead of the 80th anniversary of its launch.

The sum is just a small part of the £1.5m required to repair the Waverley, which is due to visit the Bristol Channel in late May 2026.

Waverley was built in Glasgow to connect rail passengers to seaside towns, and now offers cruises to the public.

Paul Semple, general manager of Waverley Excursions, the company that runs the trips, said: “We are preserving her truly unique character. As the world continuously changes around Waverley, she becomes even more special as she represents a moment in time when she was first designed and built.”

The renovations will also be funded by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society and the steamer’s owning charity, Waverley Steam Navigation Co.

The £135,000 is needed to replace the ship’s two masts and several windows in the dining saloon with authentic materials.

Mr Semple said: “They are vital components that really give the authentic nature to Waverley.

“Essentially, many parts of the ship could be replaced with more modern materials and fittings which may last longer, but collectively that would change the look and feel of the ship.”

Waverley was built shortly after the Second World War for the London and North Eastern Railway, connecting passengers from Glasgow to towns such as Rothesay and Dunoon.

It was launched in October 1946 and entered service the next year.

Following the end of its working life, the ship was gifted to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society in 1974 for £1.

A data centre containing powerful computers used to run digital services could be built at the Drax power station site near Selby, according to a planning application.

Proposals for two buildings totalling around 4,960 sq metres have been submitted to North Yorkshire Council by Drax Power Limited.

The centre would be built to the north of the power station on land currently used for storage.

Under the plans, the data centres would be three storeys tall and a sprinkler plant room and tank, access roads, loading bays and parking would also be built.

There was hope last summer that “real change” was coming to the crumbling Derwent Valley Mills heritage site after years of indecision over its future.

Belper Mills, a key part of the Derwent Valley Mills Unesco World Heritage Site, are in “poor condition” after they have stood largely derelict for decades.

A decision on a planning application was initially expected at the end of 2025, but was then delayed by Amber Valley Borough Council until early in 2026.

The MP for the area, Jonathan Davies, is calling on the council to make a decision on the application as soon as possible.

The owners of the site hope to redevelop it into new homes and potentially a museum and heritage centre.

But given the costs involved and Unesco heritage concerns, the project is fraught with difficulty.

However, local leaders say they are confident of significant movement on the mills in 2026 as the council now has what it needs to make a decision and a potential funding from the East Midlands mayor to kickstart the scheme.