Cyril & Lilian Bishop for RX134 site...

I had a chat with Tush Hamilton early this morning because I promised to solve the issue of which older lifeboat was planned to replace RX134 (blog), and he confirmed that they are planning to move the Cyril and Lilian Bishop to the site in front of the Fish Market and opposite the Dolphin Inn, and he should know! Still no idea when this would happen, as Tush said, still hurdles to cross. Both of the lifeboats need moving before they become victims of being dry-docked, and, after moving Cyril and Lilian Bishop it is hoped that Priscilla MacBean can be found a new home indoors too. 

Indoors? Tush explained that they hope to build a small 'lifeboat museum' around Cyril and Lilian Bishop on its, hopefully, successful move to the RX134 site, and then they need to find a suitable site for Priscilla MacBean.

Regular readers will be aware of my particular interest in RX134, also Cyril and Lilian Bishop and Priscilla MacBean, consequently, my interest in these developments, fingers crossed for the future... 

Whatever, I hope to continue the RX134 facebook page in her memory.

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.

Take Your Fish To (Common) Market...

The local fishing industry has many problems with the European Union, and justifiably so, particularly the ever decreasing fishing quotas being allocated, but I felt a wee bit concerned when I saw so many Ukip flags on the fishermen's beach yesterday. See below, where 3 flags are on show. Sorry the photograph is so poor, but it was damp, and, just when you want wind to fly the flags, it dropped, the 'law of sod' apparently! 

Anyway, my mind went back to the excellent 5 or 10 minutes of the Jamie Oliver Channel 4 television programme at the end of January, when Tush Hamilton shared his knowledge of whole fish and their culinary delights with Jamie and Jimmy. Also, Tush and Paul Joy bemoaned the fact that the UK market has become obsessed with filleted fish, which also means wastage, and Paul explained that, consequently, 90% of his catch that morning, and 90% of the Hastings catch of whole fish generally, goes to Belgium or France via the local market (Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast).

Now I'm wondering if supporting the UK leaving the EU isn't a wee bit myopic considering that amount of fish crossing the Channel? I'm sure that the French, Belgian and Dutch fishing fleets would scramble for the UK's share of fishing quotas, and that the UK's power to influence European fishing policy would be lost...

Shouldn't our MEPs and MPs be representing the interests of our fishing industry and fighting more forcefully within the EU, earning their keep, in effect, rather than sticking their heads in the sand, or, as is the habit of Ukip MEPs, not even turning up for debates (confirmed by EU records)? They then claim their salaries and allowances, paid for by the UK taxpayer, but fail to represent the people who voted them in, shame on them... 

Jamie Oliver in Hastings

So, Jamie Oliver was spotted interviewing people on the fishermen's beach a week or so ago, apparently for his television programme to be screened this Friday evening on Channel 4, Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast, I believe it is called (sorry, I don't have a television, so I have to take people's word for it). Anyway, watch it, as it should be very interesting; he had to censor Tush Hamilton when he was talking about fishermen and skate, so I hear... 

Also, a little bird (not a gull) told me that Jamie has had his people sniffing around Rock-a-Nore recently too, so we may just be getting a Jamie Oliver restaurant in Hastings in the near future! Remember, you read it here first...