A Short Biography of George Scales
George Scales (1917 – 2005)
George spent his entire life in Scarborough (although, I believe his first few months were lived in Filey).
His parents, Thomas Scales and Edith (nee Humphrey) moved to Scarborough from Filey in 1917, Thomas feeling that there was more scope for him in Scarborough than the then rather overcrowded fishing industry in Filey. He had been brought up in a long-time fishing family and that’s what he did. However, he had more ambitious ideas for his off-spring. George had wanted nothing more than to follow in his family’s footsteps and go into fishing himself. Thomas thought otherwise.
George passed his 11 plus exam and went to Scarborough Boys’ High school, leaving in 1931, having attained the equivalent of six GCE. 0 levels. Thomas thought his son obviously had a brain and wasn’t going to waste it shooting crab and lobster pots but the family needed an additional income. Thomas decided that his son was going to be someone and (somehow) obtained a job for him in the Borough Council as a clerk. I don’t think George ever forgave him, but, as it was in the day, he gave in and worked for the Scarborough Borough Council for the rest of his working life. He worked his way up the hierarchy aspiring to Deputy Borough Treasurer and, later, Principle Officer Administration Technical Services, setting the budget and expenditure for the entire Borough. Very much, in his own words, “a round peg in a square hole”. The only break from local government came at the outbreak of war when he was conscripted into the Royal Navy for the entirety of WWII of which he spoke little apart from the fact that he didn’t like it.
As was common in the fishing community, due to the repetition of surnames, all fishermen had nicknames and he inherited the nickname Young Snaidie from his father Tom “Snaidie” Scales. George got his fishing fix for a few years in the early 1950’s maintaining his father’s cobles for him, “Premier” (SH21) followed by the new build wops “Venture” (SH315) “Sceptre” (SH47) and “Success” (SH12). His spare time was spent mending pots and nets with his father and generally messing about in and around the harbour, until Thomas retired, due to chronic ill-health caused by an accidental sinking of his coble whilst fishing with Wyrill Crawford both very lucky to be rescued by a passing coaster. During the 1960’s, he and his close friend “Mickey” (actually another Thomas) Scales – no relation – bought a keel boat “Katie Anne” SH53 from Swansea. Micky skippered and George did maintenance, kept books, etc. George was now a much more fulfilled man.
At 21 Lowdale Avenue at 1 o’clock there was silence at the lunch table as we all listened to the wireless for Mickey’s call sign “7 and 21, 7 and 21” – our respective house numbers – when he would give reassurance to his wife and family that all was well and coded messages as to position and catch to George.
Later, George and Mickey bought another boat “Caroline” SH129. She was skippered by Mickey’s brother George “Jocksy” Scales whilst George, again, kept accounts and helped maintained the boats. The idea had been to fish either side of the ten mile limit, as Katie was slightly longer than Caroline, but shortly thereafter the rules changed again and it became irrelevant.
Everyone was happy. Apart possibly from his wife Mary, who thought that the boats took up far more than their fair share of George’s time to the detriment of wife and daughters. However, in the 1970’s
when Mickey and Jocksy had had their fill of the hard life of fishing and the boats were sold. Mary thought more of them as they funded the holidays she had for many years dreamed of and never had. Unfortunately, Mary didn’t have too much time to enjoy the improved life-style as she died at 58 in 1976, the year before George finally retired from Local Government with plans to travel the World.
I remember being asked “Isn’t your Dad going to be bored?”. I knew him well enough to be able to say that in no way would he be bored, he would get on with the things that he had wanted to do all his working life and didn’t have time. I was right.
George had always had a keen interest in photography and now had the time to indulge it fully. His main interest was, of course, the fishing industry. He travelled extensively both in this country and abroad, always with camera to hand. His greatest joy was to share his harvest with like minded people and his collection of photographs, logs and general information grew and grew. He spent a week every year at the Maritime Museum at Greenwich and became well known there and information was swapped back and forth.
I had often asked Dad what he wanted doing with his now vast collection when he died and never got a satisfactory answer. Donated to the Local Council? No, they would stick them in a cellar and forget about them. The local library? No, people would just go in and help themselves to anything that interested them. Greenwich? They probably had all of his stuff by now – if anyone’s interested sell it and you girls share the proceeds. When I was approached by George Westwood, a long standing close friend and protégé of Dad’s, about what is now known as the Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre, I could not have been more pleased. This is exactly what he would have wanted – to share his enthusiasm and the wealth of his collection with all.
Written by his daughter Anita Lucini.
Footnote by George Westwood.
Straight in the back and long in the stride he would walk everywhere, distinctive with his flat cap, jacket and gansey irrespective of the weather. He was my mentor and guardian angel, who always gained my greatest respect, a straight talking man but as fair and honest as the day is long but above all else he was my friend.
See a sample of his huge photograph collection here, these are Scarborough crews.
