*click for much larger version
Thanks to Tom Clarke for sending in this old photo of an unknown, local vessel. We’re hoping that some of you will be able to provide more information about her?
Tom writes:
I scanned this from a medium format negative, so I must apologise for the large file size [Ed: I reduced it somewhat as it was large]. It was kept inside an envelope in a draw for years, almost immaculate!
The photo was taken by my uncle Norman Beech, and shows an ‘ex-ship’ lifeboat with a home made hood/canopy on the deck. I couldn’t tell you any more than this, so I would be very interested to hear if anyone else could mark a date or time.
So, can you help?
The picture of the ex lifeboat looks like the old Hoylake Lifeboat which was bought by Jack Bird in 1951/52 .At that time he was the Coxswain of the Hoylake Lifeboat and a local fisherman. I believe he was going to use it as a fishing boat
Quite right – she was the Grey Lass, formerly Oldham IV. She was my favourite boat at Hoylake, and I was a devastated seven year old when she was wrecked. She was lost on the same night as Jack Bird’s other boat the Nobby “Lillian” (or “Lily Ann” I’m not sure). I have a photo of the Grey Lass which I took on my little Brownie 127 when she was sitting on top of the embankment with her side stove in.
Jack Bird replaced her with the “Storm”, another converted lifeboat, and I believe many of the local fishermen contributed to help him purchase and convert her.
If my old brain box serves me correct the boat in the photograph is an ex Holt Shipping Line lifeboat which had been purchased by the Beech family of Waverley Road. The alterations were carried out by ?Frank Beech, Norman’s older brother in the small boat yard at the end of the prom gardens just passed the tennis courts. The boat was names Britannia II .After launching moored just off Denehey Slip. Although I didn’t sail on her we spent many happy hours on the moorings when the tide was in, in fact a photograph I sent to John was take from the boat in question. It would be c1950..It,s nice to see some of the old classmates are still about, Norman Beech and George Marchbank..
George Marchbank replies:
Hi Gerry
I remember you and Norman Beech but I am afraid you are wrong in this case. The ex lifeboat bought by Frank? Beech is not the one in question, I did help in converting the boat and also sailed in her. At one point we went to Conway and because of bad weather we ended up there a few days longer than planned. I seem to remember that they took the boat to Scarborough.
I think George is correct. When Hoylake’s 1931 first motor lifeboat “Oldham” was decommissioned in 1952 and replaced by “Oldham IV”, Jack Bird bought the old boat. Jack was coxswain of the Hoylake lifeboat from 1951 to 1963 and used the old lifeboat as a fishing boat, and I think day tripper, until she was wrecked on the Meols embankment. I think this was around 1953 but I may be a little bit out. Jack also lost his other boat in the same storm and was uninsured. His son Gordon told me it was the only time he saw his father cry. But the people of Hoylake rallied around Jack and his family and a replacement lifeboat was bought. With a twist of irony, Jack called this replacement boat “Storm” and she was a common site at her Hoylake moorings throughout the 1960s. She had been the Gorleston lifeboat, I think, and had been stationed in Norfolk. “Storm” had a wheelhouse very much like the boat in the picture and the photo could indeed be her though I suspect it is her predecessor “Oldham”. If the date of the photograph is known, it will probably confirm exactly which boat it is.
Hoylake and Hilbre Island had a succession of Liverpool-class lifeboats throughout the 20th century. The oldest surviving Liverpool-class lifeboat, the 113 year-old Chapman, is now in Hoylake Lifeboat Museum. She was the last to serve on Hilbre Island before the war. “Oldham” was also unique as she was the very first Liverpool-class lifeboat to be motorised. A first for Hoylake at that time.
The first shout that the Oldham IV went to was for Jack Bird. He had got his nets caught up in the propeller of his fishing boat “Lillian”. The gun went off about 5 pm and stand down was about 9.30am the following morning.. I was a member of the lifeboat crew and we did not find Jack, he said that he could have touched us but because he did not recognise the sound of the engines he kept quite,, instead. he hoisted his sail and went out with the ebb then sailed back to Hoylake on the flood ending up on Hoyle Bank were he could then clear his prop and come to his mooring under his own steam. Harold Triggs was Coxswain
I remember the Grey Lass being wrecked- certainly in the 50s and also the generosity of local folk to help Jack Bird replace his precious boat. I wrote my first ever poem about the event. Thankfully for everyone I no longer have a copy and can’t remember it all!
I also recall fish being sold on the slipway- but before the 70s, certainly in the 60s and maybe the 50s.
George Marchbank replies:
Sue
In the late 40s and early 50s there were 3 ladies selling fish at the slipway, they were May Hughes, Ethel Lewis, and the 3rd one I believe was Ashton. At that time the fishermen were Jack Bird (Lillian), Harry Jones (Ivy), Mick Ackroud (Mischief), there had been 2 other fishing boats but they were wrecked in storms at the end of the 50s, the owners names that come to mind are Rowlands and Ashton, One other boat was owned by Ted Bird (Clyde) who used this to catch shrimps it was slightly smaller than the fishing boats
Thanks George. I remember May Hughes and Ethel Lewis but not the other lady, The fish was wonderful.
Regarding the ex RNLI and other boats seen around Hoylake in the 1950,s.
During the days when I was involved with the lifeboat and Capt. Davies was the secretary to the station, I can add a few more names to the list of the fishing boats, The ” three brothers ” was one, another was the ” Phoenician” owned by Harold Bralelsforth I think. Jack Bird had the :Lillian” and the “Ivy” belong to H Jones.
George Marchbank was not quite right about the :Britannia 11″ This boat belonged to My Father Chas Beech, and was registered as LL259 or LL239, . The ex “ships boat” that I converted was from the Alfred Holt line, we fitted an ex service Scammel marine engine at a slip at Heswal she was registered as LL59 . I later took her to Scarborough on the East coast..
Regarding the ladies who sold the fish that was brought ashore at Hoylake, I think the other lady would have been Mrs Kiffin, who if my memory serves me well, lived in School lane.
It is nice to know that some of us Old timers are still around and kicking! Tubby Mort, George Marchbank Ronny Bates, Dave McGowan.
I eventually went Deep sea as a radio officer, and spent most of my life around the pacific and southern oceans and settled on the island of Tasmania in 1970. in the roaring forties ..
I remember walking along one of the main streets of Sydney and coming face to face with Arthur Baker who was having a day on shore from his ship, Arthur was another of the lads who spent some time with the Hoylake lifeboat.
It was my Cousin, John Woodhouse who alerted me to this website, and we can both remember the fun that we had as boys wriggling through the barbed wire entangelments along the prom just to get onto the shore.
Frank Beech.Tasmania
The “Storm” referred to above was not an ex-Gorleston Lifeboat but the ex- Gourdon (Scotland) Lifeboat, “Margaret Dawson”‘ (Official Number 782), a single screw Liverpool stationed at Gourdon 1936-1952. She was identical to but slightly newer than the “Grey Lass” ex-ON.750 “Oldham” which had been built in 1931.
I live just a few miles from Gourdon and it is a beautiful fishing port not far from Aberdeen. They have a lifeboat museum. My great grandfather was Herbert Jones who was the coxswain of the original Oldham. I have a nice photo of great grandad Herbert outside the lifeboat house with his brothers Harry and Frank and another I think Tom.
I remember grandma Aida Rimmer (Nee Jones) telling me that they had boats called the Ivy, Guiding star and the Annie?
The Jones family lost a larger Brixham trawler the Fleetwing off the Mersey bar and some of the brothers were tragically lost.
If anyone can tell me any more about the rest of the family I would be grateful.
Hello William. Your great grandfather Herbert Jones was also coxswain of the last Hilbre Island pulling and sailing lifeboat Chapman which still exists. After extensive restoration she was on display in Hoylake Lifeboat Museum for a while but after the museum closed she found a new home on the Fylde and is the prime exhibit of the Lytham Lifeboat Museum which reopened to take her. Your great grandfather was very kind to me as a little boy and used to take me with him to the lifeboat station after he had retired when he used to open it up to the public. I was very spoiled and loved the old station and our lifeboats. Herbert was a bit of a hero for me and he instilled in me a lifelong passion for lifeboats. You can find images of Chapman on the internet. Best wishes – John