Fleetwood, a seafaring town.

[Captain Kong]

I have been in Fleetwood this last couple of days. I was looking around and there are several memorials to past tragedies of lost life at sea,
Here are just a couple of examples.
1 a helicopter crash in Morecambe Bay by the Gas Rigs 27 December 2006, Seven men died.
2 a fishing boat with the RADAR School framed in a hole in its side , [ no lives lost here, think it has just been dumped ]
3 The funnel of the GOTH lost with all hands, 21 men 16 December 1947 whilst running for shelter in an ice storm from Greenland to Iceland. most Fleetwood and surrounding towns men, one Bolton man and a Liverpool man.
4 Crew list of the GOTH. No one knew where the Goth had gone down for over 30 years, then an Icelandic Trawler caught the Funnel in its nets. The Skipper brought it back to Reykljavik and then it was sent back to Fleetwood and it is now on display by ASDA supermarket there.
5 a memorial on the sea front for 42 trawlers lost at sea from Fleetwood with a tremendous loss of life for such a small town
There is no fishing today from Fleetwood, the evil European Union has banned all fishing from this once great fishing port. It is OK for Belgian, Spanish and French trawlers to fish in Morecambe Bay and the Irish Sea. the Bersterds, they destroy the fishing grounds with their method of fishing.
Cheers
Brian.

[Captain Kong]

Here are two more,
The JACINTA, once the most successful trawler of all time, catching over a million £pounds of fish a year. We import our fish now.
Now reduced to a Museum ship for a bygone age.
On the Prom is a statue to remember the families who stood at that spot to wave Good Bye and to welcome the trawler men as they sailed to the fishing grounds.
I dont know how to turn the photos to the right way up.
Cheers
Brian

[Captain Kong]

I have the photos the right way up now.

[robpage]

My late father had a love of Kippers , if we ever visited Blackpool he would buy Fleetwood Kippers to take home on the coach , People would enjoy a day on the beach we would get a Tram ride to Fleetwood and back for a Box of Fleetwood Kippers , we lugged then around all day , the clothes smelled of kipper the coach smelled of Kipper , Yes I remember Fleetwood as a fishing port !!!!!

[cappy]

theres only 2 things smell like fish and one of them is fish

[alf corbyn]

hi brian. i have been to fleetwood a couple of times. i have seen the memorials, and i especially liked the small market and excellent cafe.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Alf, it is a nice friendly town, but a tremendous amount of unemployment.
The europeans in Brussels closed down the Fishing industry, many hundreds of jobs lost at sea and ashore.
Isle of Man Ferries pulled out and went to Heysham.
P&O Ferries to Belfast sold out to the Swedish Stena Line who closed it down almost immediately, another 250 jobs lost.
There is no industry there now. no hope. sad.
Cheers
Brian.

[john sutton]

brian
does a chandlers called Fleetwood Trawlers still exist.They made a sail for my sailing boat in 82 I also bought a fishermans jersey from them that was so full of lanolin that it was unwearable unless one was close to the arctic circle
john sutton

[robpage]

They have changed the name John and also do a web based trading from West Yorkshire as http://www.theyachtshop.co.uk

Trading as: The Yacht Shop
1 Station Road,
Fleetwood,
Lancs,
FY7 6NW
United Kingdom

Tel: 01253 879238
Fax: 01253 773230

Fleetwood Trawlers Supply has run a Chandlery shop at Fleetwood since 1912, traditionally supplying almost everything and anything to the hundreds of fishing boats using the port.Since the decline of the fishing industry we have had to diversify into other areas and we now deal with a thriving and expanding leisure boating market, whilst retaining many of the traditional items which are not available from your normal hardware shop.

[John Arton]

Brian
Fleetwood trawler "Goth". Am I right in thinking that there was a lot of suspicion regarding its loss with the thinking that it had actually been sunk by a Russian submarine or something similar. Its loss occurred sometime after or during the Icelandic cod wars did it not, which fuelled speculation over the cause of its loss.
The position where it went down was, as you said, only discovered after its funnel was snagged in another trawlers net. I think that then the wreck was surveyed and the consensus of opinion as to its loss was down to overloading. I am most likely wrong but the name rings a bell so was wondering if I had the right trawler.
As an aside, when you visit Fleetwood do you ever take a trip out to Sunderland Point. My mother used to visit there regularly when young as she had relations and friends living there. Believe she stayed at a house called Rose Cottage as I have a picture of her outside this house and it is marked Rose Cittage, Sunderland Point, on the back.
rgds
JA