Cyril & Lilian Bishop update.

Early this month, and the site for where the Cyril & Lilian Bishop will be docked, in front of All Saints Church and opposite the Stables Theatre, on The Bourne. I have written a few times about this retired lifeboat, one of the "Little Ships" that evacuated troops from Dunkirk during WW2, indeed, the only Hastings boat that brought troops off the beach then (though many others helped with other duties during the evacuation process), eg see this blog, which provides a potted history of the boat and the actions of local characters who have brought her 'home' and been restoring her since.

Work on the site started soon after the first photograph was taken, if you would like to know a bit more about the Cyril & Lilian Bishop, here is a little factsheet.

The site is getting nearer to being finished now, I took these last 2 photographs yesterday, and am now waiting eagerly for the boat to be hauled up All Saints Street on the 17th of June 2017, to her final dry dock. By the way, the boat also has a facebook page.

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.

Hastings Fishermen's Museum... and Dunkirk!

With the memorial and Commemorative Service in Dunkirk today, in honour of the 75th anniversary of the "Little Ships" and the relief of the British Expeditionary Force, and French and Belgian troops (nearly 340,000 soldiers were evacuated to Britain to fight again), I thought this would be an excellent day to blog about the Fishermen's Museum.  

The first exhibit you reach at Rock-a-Nore

The Old Hastings Preservation Society created and opened the Museum in 1956 in the former Fishermen’s Church of St Nicholas, a mission chapel that served the fishing community from 1854 until the building was requisitioned by the military authorities during WW2. The building is Grade II listed, and rented from Hastings Borough Council. See more about the building and museum at their website.

The Enterprise

I have to admit I was surprised to find out that no fishing boats from Hastings actually sailed to Dunkirk in 1940 as part of Operation Dynamo, though most of Hastings' larger fishing boats were requisitioned and sailed to Dover in case they were required. One of those that did sail to Dover is the first exhibit you see when you walk into the museum, and you could hardly miss it! That is, the Enterprise RX278, and outside, amongst the boats, huts and anchors, and behind Tush & Pat's hut, is the Edward and Mary RX74, that also sailed to Dover in 1940.

Edward and Mary, and other exhibits

However, the Cyril and Lilian Bishop, the first Hastings' lifeboat built with an engine, did take part in the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk. She was built in Cowes and came into service at Hastings RNLI in 1931, until she was sold as a fishing vessel to Scotland in 1950. More history at the ADLS website; indeed, I found it very interesting to look around the site! She was since re-named “Lindy Lou” in 1976, and, near the end of the millennium 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 I believe she now resides.

Cyril and Lilian Bishop (in a bottle)

Very recently, Bob Arrowsmith donated a model of Cyril and Lilian Bishop in a bottle to the museum, which can be seen behind the Enterprise over in the far corner. Indeed, the main principle of my blogging about the Fishermen's Museum today is that, if you haven't before, you really should visit, there's much to see there, enjoy!