The guest speaker at the February meeting in the Expanse Hotel was Irene Cook, who was introduced by the chairman Terry Atherton. Irene spoke about the History of the Bridlington Coastguard Rescue Team and explained that the Humber Coastguard co-ordinating centre on Limekiln Lane covers an area from Scotland down the coast to Suffolk and into the North Sea. It is a Government agency manned by regular officers operating 24 hr cover and using lifeboats, helicopters and rescue teams. In this area there are rescue teams at Whitby, Scarborough, Filey, Bridlington, Hornsea and Hull.
The Bridlington team first came into being after the Great Gale of February 1871. A Major Wilkinson placed an advertisement in the Free Press and 22 men came forward mostly from the fishing fraternity. They operated under the auspices of the coastguard and took part in monthly exercises using a rocket apparatus from shore to ship to send a sit in cradle which became the breeches buoy. This equipment was kept in premises on West Street. In 1931 local business men joined the team as it became clear that the fishermen were the most likely to be at sea and in need of rescue services. A new gun with a range of 250 yards was acquired for £56. In the 1940’s it was requisitioned for the war effort and never returned!
Irene then showed slides of photographs taken by Free Press photographers Arthur Dick, Paul Atkinson and Paul Berriff of incidents involving grounded vessels under the cliffs at Sewerby or beached where coastguards had maintained a vigil or effected a rescue. The last breeches buoy rescue took place in 1977 when 5 men were taken off a fishing boat. It was reported that that night many deserted the Roy Orbison concert in the Spa to watch the rescue!
Helicopters have become the more usual mode of rescue and Whirlwind, Wessex and Sea King were used. The system has now been privatised and red and white Sikorskis are used.
Irene joined the service in 1980 and we saw pictures of her scaling cliffs, descending cliffs and dangling from ropes. She described the training she and all the team had had and of rescues at sea, of people falling down cliffs, dogs on cliffs, finding missing people. She had a 30 year career in the service and loved the job and a highlight had been to attend a Buckingham Palace reception representing the whole north east coastguard service.
The vote of thanks was given by Jim Hornsby for a talk well received by members.
The club’s next meeting is oh Thursday, 1st March. The topic New Developments with Bridlington R.N.L.I.
The Bridlington team first came into being after the Great Gale of February 1871. A Major Wilkinson placed an advertisement in the Free Press and 22 men came forward mostly from the fishing fraternity. They operated under the auspices of the coastguard and took part in monthly exercises using a rocket apparatus from shore to ship to send a sit in cradle which became the breeches buoy. This equipment was kept in premises on West Street. In 1931 local business men joined the team as it became clear that the fishermen were the most likely to be at sea and in need of rescue services. A new gun with a range of 250 yards was acquired for £56. In the 1940’s it was requisitioned for the war effort and never returned!
Irene then showed slides of photographs taken by Free Press photographers Arthur Dick, Paul Atkinson and Paul Berriff of incidents involving grounded vessels under the cliffs at Sewerby or beached where coastguards had maintained a vigil or effected a rescue. The last breeches buoy rescue took place in 1977 when 5 men were taken off a fishing boat. It was reported that that night many deserted the Roy Orbison concert in the Spa to watch the rescue!
Helicopters have become the more usual mode of rescue and Whirlwind, Wessex and Sea King were used. The system has now been privatised and red and white Sikorskis are used.
Irene joined the service in 1980 and we saw pictures of her scaling cliffs, descending cliffs and dangling from ropes. She described the training she and all the team had had and of rescues at sea, of people falling down cliffs, dogs on cliffs, finding missing people. She had a 30 year career in the service and loved the job and a highlight had been to attend a Buckingham Palace reception representing the whole north east coastguard service.
The vote of thanks was given by Jim Hornsby for a talk well received by members.
The club’s next meeting is oh Thursday, 1st March. The topic New Developments with Bridlington R.N.L.I.