"When I was about 10 year old I was playing wave dodging on the lifeboat slip way and a wave hit me and pulled me down the slip way and old man gabber pulled me out got me be scruff of neck pulled me out coughing and spluttering took me home because he was my neighbour next door to us, be dad took me in back yard, ringing wet through still getting over me ordeal, still frightened and I thought what's me dad gon'a do, he stood me in back yard, went back in't house, came out with a bucket of water, and he stood and threw a bucket of water over me, which knocked me onto my backside and he said that's the strength of bucket of water you should never underestimate the strength of the sea its a powerful thing and you don't forget it. You wont beat the sea its a powerful, powerful thing. They've never beat a ship strong enough to beat it. Your very vulnerable you shouldn't mess about with it. Even in the shallows it can take you and it will take and you'll never be seen again". Tom Rowley
"When I was little I lived in Hinderwell Road. I didn't know the fishing till I was 15. I found it hard to get into the fishing community because I was classed out of town, I wasn't a bottom ender and I didn't feel welcome, but I got on with it. Every one new everything about every one else, you could leave your doors open in and out of each others houses. Once involved a really friendly bunch because Tom and his family was known I was accepted. Me mother in law says to me when we were courting, don't ever learn how to skein, some will always want you to do it. Me mother in law would come back stinking it was awful smell. I worked on crab stalls dressing crabs". Lindy Rowley
"I'm 2nd in last out a 15 (second youngest) the first one died at an early age, the second one died at an early age the first died at 18 the 2nd at 47, we were in a house where we had to have 2 sittings the eldest one got on first and if there was owt left for us 2 young'ns we' d get that after em and clothes was past down if they weren't worn out that's what wed have to be contented, when rationing was on we had hell of a job. Mam and dad used to get all sorts to get food in and clothing. I had 5 brothers in forces nearly all at once so it was a bit worried for mam and dad, but there was more room in the house. We had two double beds 2 up and 2 down so your feet met in middle. One room, eight kids in one room.
You buggers moan like hell with a bed of your own. And school, before we went to school it was one of them mangle grinders for washing to go through, me mam used to be scrubbing all washing on a wash board out of the boiler. Then when that was done into a big basket, through mangle first then out onto line. That was how we carry on before we went to school. We used to chop sticks for coal fire, we had plenty of wood with houses bombed, so there was plenty of wood to go at. It was us young'ns that did it, there was no hoover then it was all brushes to all sweeping and that. When we were bathing we had to have same water for 4 of you. Carbolic soap big block. It was horse work really, but were here aren't we all but 2 of us but they died young. There's only 3 of us left and I'm youngest. 76 , 78 and 80. I'm still living in the same principle as we did then. One coal fire, 3 rooms upstairs 3 down one coal fire, no central heating. No telephone".
Ross Tyson RIP August 2016
