Victory in Europe Day, 8th of May 1945

Yesterday, as I was walking back from my daily exercise regime, I was passing the Cyril and Lilian Bishop (one of many blogs referring to her) and stopped for a wee chat with, from a very respectful socially accepted distance of course, Tush Hamilton and Dee-Day White, who were adorning her with bunting with respect to the 75th anniversary today of VE Day. Subsequently, I took this photograph this morning as, thankfully, it's a public holiday and I didn't need to go to work today...

3 Years Ago Today and the Priscilla MacBean!

 Priscilla MacBean on The Stade

I started writing Steve on Hastings 3 years ago and, besides my introductory blog, my first blog was about the Priscilla MacBean and how a retired lifeboat had moved from a field near Eastbourne, given a makeover, and pulled up The Bourne to a new 'drydock' in Old London Road (blog), with thanks to friends from childhood Dee-Day White, 'Tush' Hamilton and Charlie Sharrod, and many more people too! A feat repeated with another retired lifeboat earlier this year (though coming over from France to Hastings, not from Eastbourne!), the Cyril and Lilian Bishop (blog).

One the move up The Bourne

The journey, when the Priscilla Macbean was pulled up the hill exactly 3 years ago today, was a wonder to behold, traffic held up for ages, but no road rage, just smiling faces, drivers making donations to the pot when they understood the history of the event, and police cooperation; more photographs on my earlier blog.

Local Coastguard on board at her final drydock

With respect and thanks to today's RNLI lifeboat crews, and to those of the past.

The Cyril and Lilian Bishop docked.

A couple of images of the Cyril and Lilian Bishop taken yesterday (Sunday) without a herd of people surrounding her! If you haven't already read anything about her history read this earlier blog, though if you're a regular reader of my blogs you probably have!

So, congratulations to Tush and Dee-Day, and their wives and everyone else involved with this great project, and, if you want to get a closer look at this past Hastings' lifeboat, walk up The Bourne or All Saints Street, and she is now moored below All Saints Church. 

Nice one!

The Cyril and Lilian Bishop

The Cyril and Lilian Bishop being towed onto the beach this morning; I've written about this lifeboat, the "Ghost of Dunkirk" a few times now, for more information about her and her history, go to one of my previous blogs, for example here...

Tush and Dee-Day supervising her movements, thanks to the help of volunteers...

Now sited on the Stade Open Space, just below All Saints Street, and from where the annual Blessing of the Sea will be made this evening, just after 6pm.

The Cyril and Lilian Bishop will remain on the Stade until she is towed up All Saints Street on Saturday at 11.00 am to her final dry dock below All Saints Church. Tomorrow evening will see some musical events held on her, and on Friday evening there will be an auction from her deck of numerous donations, where the proceeds will go to her upkeep. 

Another important piece of Hastings history being preserved, nice one!

Dunkirk Hero: Lifeboat returns to Hastings

I mentioned the Cyril and Lilian Bishop when I wrote a blog about Hastings Fishermen's Museum and Dunkirk on 24th May last year (link), and now that lifeboat is back in Hastings, thanks to the tireless Dee-Day White and Tush Hamilton, and, no doubt, many other of their families, friends and acquaintances, arriving during the morning of Friday 1st July 2016, following their campaign to return The Ghost of Dunkirk. It is now situated within the East Hastings Sea Angling Association complex by the RNLI Lifeboat Station.

The Cyril and Lilian Bishop was the first Hastings' lifeboat built with an engine and took part in the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk in 1940. She was built by J Samuel White & Company in Cowes, Isle of Wight, and came into service at Hastings RNLI in 1931, until she was sold as a fishing vessel to a Scottish buyer in 1950. 

 

Model in Hastings Museum

More history can be found at the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS) website,  She was re-named “Lindy Lou” in 1976, and, near the end of the millennium, following her rescue by the ADLS, acquired by Simon Evans, who collects and restores old lifeboats, and taken to his rented boatyard in Sens, France; having since moved to his personal boatyard at Migennes, where she remained until she returned to Hastings this week. 

As you can see above, there is still plenty of work to be carried out on the restoration of the Cyril and Lilian Bishop, go to her facebook page for developments. I shall blog regular updates, including photographs, in the coming months.