TS Queen Mary was built in 1933 by Messer's Denny of Dumbarton, for Williamson Buchanan Steamers Ltd. In 1935, at the request of Cunard White Star Line, TS Queen Mary was renamed Queen Mary II, so as to release the name Queen Mary for yard number 534, then under construction at John Brown’s shipyard, in Clydebank. She was withdrawn in 1977 and towed from the Clyde to King George V Dock London.For almost twenty years the ship was operated as a successful bar and restaurant complex. She was sold to a French consortium in 2009, and then a private investor in 2011. Both plans fell through and, in October 2015, Friends of TS Queen Mary purchased the ship at auction, and then raised almost £300,000 in cash and in-kind support to return her to the Clyde, in May 2016. The charity's aspiration is that Queen Mary will be one of the UK’s largest interactive maritime exhibits and will provide an unparalleled way of learning about our maritime and social history. As a museum, she will connect local people with their river and its industrial heritage. Queen Mary will offer a range of exciting curriculum-linked learning experiences to all schools in Strathclyde, for pupils and learners of all ages and abilities. She will inspire the next generation in a range of related disciplines.