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Gillian Dickson, wife of Newlyn Mission Superintendent Keith Dickson,
is joining the crew of a local beam trawler this spring for her first-ever
fishing trip.
Not a woman to do things by half, the 42-year-old mum of two will stay
at sea for the duration of the fishing trip and this could be up to seven
days depending on the weather conditions and the fish.
Gillian, who admits to being "a bit nervous" at the prospect,
plans to raise money for the Newlyn Fishermen's Mission through her sponsored
fishing trip.
She will be going to sea in April on-board the Newlyn-registered Sapphire
(PZ66), skippered by Mike Corin and will be a working member of the crew
who are fully backing Gillian's bid to raise £5,000 to aid the vital
work of the mission.
Fishing is still the most dangerous peace-time occupation with an average
of three fishermen killed in British territorial waters each month and
Gillian is extremely mindful of this stark fact.
The recent sinking of the Breton trawler Bugaled Breizh - which was a
familiar sight in Newlyn - off The Lizard and the loss of five lives has,
says, Gillian, really brought the dangers of fishing home to her.
"Obviously boats are going out to sea all the time and they return
safely, but that is not always the case. Fishing trips can and do end
in tragedy and the loss of the French boat in January really reinforces
what a dangerous occupation fishing is."
A number of people have expressed surprise that Gillian is taking on
a fishing trip, especially as her only previous experience of the sea
has been a ferry crossing to France.
"Some have said that I must be mad, and maybe I am, but I believe
very strongly that we need to help our fishermen in any way that we can,
particularly as they receive very little support from any official bodies
when they come ashore," she said
Her daughters, Sarah aged 15 and 12-year-old Hannah, are fully backing
their mum's fund-raising adventure.
"They've told me that they think it's 'fantastic' and 'cool',"
Gillian told The Cornishman.
Local chemist the Newlyn Pharmacy is backing her too, supplying all that
she will need for up to a week at sea, including anti sea-sickness medication.
"I intend to make sure that I have everything I need - just in case,"
she said.
Lifejacket and sea-boots have also been supplied by a company at Lowestoft.
Gillian and Keith Dickson and their young family have been resident at
The Ship Institute on Newlyn's North Pier for just over two years, moving
here from Mallaig, 40 miles west of Fort William in Scotland.
They have settled well and enjoy being part of the local community, though
miss their families. Both Keith and Gillian's families live up in Scotland
- a total distance of 752 miles. "Its too far to go for a weekend,"
she added. "But so far, and thankfully, our families have been able
to visit us in Newlyn".
article copyright © THE CORNISHMAN
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