Skegness Magazine

WITH petrol and other energy costs rising, what price now that unique steam tramway which ran between Alford and Sutton in the great railway boom years at the beginning of the 20th century?
For five years this marvellous, almost Heath Robinson contraption ran between the two towns via Hannah, Markby and Bilsby.
Picture: The Alford – Sutton [...]

Formation of the First Local Board in Skegness 1884
The first Council in Skegness was formed in 1884. It was called the Local Board.
The following images are from the Skegness Herald 1884. They follow the proposal of a self-governing local body, a Local Board, its opposition and its formation.
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Source: Skegness Herald 10th October 1884
A news story of a Nottingham man who suddenly made an attempt to drown himself whilst walking on Skegness beach. Fortunately he was saved by a fisherman and a pier personnel.
This news article not only gives an historical account of the resort but reveals attitudes and reporting styles in the [...]

Source: Skegness Herald 30th May 1884
The story below leaves one questioning whether something underhand was going on.
The horse handler refused to sell his animal and later that day, coincidentally, the horse suffered an unexplained death after being let to ‘a gentleman’.
Was the horse poisoned in revenge?
If so, did the ‘gentleman’ have anything to do with [...]

Source: Skegness Herald 2nd May 1884
Here we have a letter written to the editor of the Skegness Herald complaining about scavenging in Skegness.
The term ’scavenging’ had a totally different meaning in Victorian times than it does today.
If one was referred to as a ’scavenger’, it meant the person was responsible for clearing the streets and [...]

Source: Skegness Herald 7th March 1884
This story will shock conservationists today, but it is a brilliant insight into Victorian attitudes towards nature.
Cormorant Shot on Skegness Pier
On Saturday last a fine cormorant was shot on the pier head by a young man named Grimstead, who saw it hovering around the pier and saw it alight on [...]

Source: Skegness Herald 8th February 1884
Quite apart from the interesting content, this article reveals the procedures taken when a body was washed ashore in Skegness in Victorian times.
Notice how John Woodward ‘conveyed’ the body to the police station. Faced with such a find nowadays, one would summon the police to the site of the incident. [...]

Source: Skegness Herald 4th January 1884
Rather than type out this letter to the editor of the Skegness Herald, I’ve included it as an image because I don’t want to be held responsible for Google having a complete melt down trying to translate it!
It’s revealed that the practice of ‘road scraping’ existed in Skegness in the [...]

Drunk and Disorderly in St Matthew’s Church
Source: Skegness Herald 1884
A SCENE IN ST MATTHEW’S CHURCH
During the midnight service in St. Matthew’s church on Monday, an unusual scene occurred.
The service was conducted by the Rev. E. R. Iremonger, and while it was proceeding, a person well-known in Skegness, went into the church in a most inebriated [...]