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Click here to see the full presentation of the project
The
memorial may take the form of a life-sized statue looking
out to sea. The cost is likely to exceed £50,000
and we are asking for you to assist us in this fundraising.
It will be a permanent memorial, not only to those who
fished from Newlyn but from all Cornish harbours. Please
help as generously as you can"
There has already, at the beginning of October 2005,
been a heartwarming response from the public to the appeal
for funds towards the ‘Newlyn Memorial to Fishermen
Lost at Sea’.
It was only two month or so ago that the fund was ‘launched’
with a packed public meeting at the Newlyn Mission.
This was a very encouraging occasion and from it came
the enthusiasm from the steering committee members, support
from those attending – plus a determination to succeed.
The target is £50,000.
There is a splendid cross-section of the community on
the committee including Andy Wheeler, Revd Julyan Drew,
Deputy Mayor Frank Granger, Tony Woodhams, Janet Madron,
Ruth Simpson, Peter Burton, Elizabeth Knowles, Malcom
Pilcher, Michael Johnson and Nathan de Rozarieux. All
will be well-known to most of you.
The secretary is Linda Hitchcox and the treasurer Shirley
Stevenson to whom donations may be sent c/o the Newlyn
Mission or paid into any branch or Barclays Bank. It was
Shirley who first inspired the project following the loss
of local fishermen in recent times.
She asked if a committee could be set up and said: “Members
of families who have lost husbands, partners or sons at
sea in fishing tragedies, some of whom have no known graves,
have asked if a memorial can be established at the port.
“ They would like it to be in a prominent position
and somewhere they could visit and place flowers. We all
feel there would be tremendous support for this. Although
it would be at Newlyn it would remember not only those
who fished from the port but those from a wider area and
other harbours in Cornwall whose interest are served by
the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen at Newlyn”.
You will recall there is already a Remembrance Room at
the Mission dedicated to those lost at sea. The names
are inscribed in a book of remembrance and on plaques.
As vice-chairman of the Newlyn Harbour Commissioners
and one whose fisherman father, Rodda Williams, died in
a fishing tragedy in Mounts Bay 64 years ago, together
with his uncle Ben Batten, I was asked to become Chairman
of the Memorial Fund, and was proud to accept.
The industry has been behind the fund 100%. As Andy Wheeler,
of the Cornwall Fish Producers Organisation commented:
“We are fully supportive of the efforts currently
being made to establish a permanent memorial.
“ The fishing industry has long been the lifeblood
of the area and we believe this would be a fitting tribute
from the Cornish community to those who have been tragically
lost”.
So we have begun in great spirit. I believe the memorial
is very close to the hearts of Cornish people. Newlyn
is England’s most successful port for the values
of its fishing landings. But years have brought considerable
loss of life.
As the launch Rev Drew showed slides of many such sculptures
in various parts of the country and overseas including
the work by Cornish and Welsh artists who had already
shown interest.
Several showed a life-sized figure, cast in bronze, of
a fisherman – and there captured the imagination
of the audience. Tony Woodhams (the Mission Chairman)
answered the many question posed.
The audience included family members of fishermen lost
at sea; their views were sought and there was a poignancy
to the occasion.
I remarket we wanted the whole of the county to join
this venture. We have already received great support from
local councils and on the committee are representatives
form a wide range of interest, including RNLI at Penlee,
the Mission, Newlyn Association and Penzance Town Council,
Penwith District Council, Seafood Cornwall and several
others previously mentioned.
We believe we have the support of the Cornish people.
So it has proved. Hundred of appeal letters have been
sent out: to fishing organisations, merchants and fishermen,
every council – from country to parish – and
to all media groups and Newsletters of Cornish Parishes.
This pointed out: “The memorial may take the form
of a life-sized statue looking out to sea. The cost is
likely to exceed £50,000 and we are asking for you
to assist us in this fundraising. It will be a permanent
memorial, not only to those who fished from Newlyn but
from all Cornish harbours. Please help as generously as
you can”. To give it all a further public boost
we staged a publicity stand at the Fish Festival.
There has been an exciting response and a milestone was
reached on Monday 26 September 2005 when I attended a
meeting for Penzance Town Council. The Mayor Councillor
Dennis Axford presented a donation of £1,000 that
took our total over the £10,000 mark.
Since the 1980 more than 20 fishermen who have set out
from Newlyn have lost their lives in fishing tragedies
– let alone the many from other Cornish harbours.
In 1997 some 11 lives were lost including four from a
local trawler.
I spoke to the council members of the hard work being
put in towards the Memorial. Interestingly , two committee
members where present, the Deputy Major and the Chaplain.
I told of our mission and of how many had felt the trauma
of loss. “We want something of which the families
can be proud, where they can go when they wish to remember
their loved ones”.
Since that presentation the total has continued to grow
and the last reckoning was around 11,000. There has been
help from many other quarters, including Penwith District
Council which has given advice and assistance on the potential
site.
This could be at the ‘Banjo’ are at the end
of the Tolcarne Inn car park and opposite to the Art Gallery
entrance.
Enthusiasm has been widespread and interest has been
shown by many well known personalities in Cornwall and
beyond who have given financial support and guidance.
Above all, however, strong backing has come from the
fishermen and the fishing industry .
To all of you a sincere “THANK YOU’.
Douglas Williams MBE.
Chairman, ‘Newlyn Memorial to Fishermen Lost at
Sea’.
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