Scarborough Maritime Heritage Project has recently been involved in a pioneering project to bring members of our respected fishing community together with the Old Town's younger generation. The Their Past Your Future project was the first community project of its kind in North Yorkshire and helped break down generational stereotypes. The group of 8 retired fishermen and 8 young people came together during the October half-term for a range of educational activities centred around the history of Scarborough's fishing industry and it's role within the 2nd World War. Educational activities included; a visit to Eden Camp war museum, a tour of the Harbour and a trip on the Regal Lady - herself a veteran of the Dunkirk Evacuation as well as researching many local archives and photos from Scarborough's fishing past in the Library. The younger participants even interviewed the older participants about their life at sea! With the assistance of a graphic and video artist the group produced a large visual display documenting Scarborough and it's fishing industry during the 1939-45 conflict as well as a video diary DVD of the weeks activities.
The displays will be housed in Scarborough Library, local schools and community venues for the time being until a dedicated Maritime Heritage is built, when they will join the large collection of artefacts and archives already gathered. The video diary DVD is also available to be shown to schools and community groups.
Overall, the project has been a massive success and has helped in keeping Scarborough's fishing heritage alive in minds of the younger generation.
The following webpages feature some of the topics covered in the project:
• Local fishermen talk about superstitions in the Old Town
• Scarborough fishermen discuss heavy seas and weather
• Scarborough Fisher folk discussing life in the harbour and Old Town
• Fishing during the Second World War in Scarborough
• Attacks on Scarborough trawlers in World War II
• Rationing in World War II in Scarborough
• Entertainment in Scarborough during the Second World war
• The Regal Lady during Dunkirk
• Blackouts during WW2
Written by Lindy Rowley
