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Tower Gardens is the venue for many events in Skegness. Today the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust was holding a Minibeast Safari.

The aim of the event, organised by the Gibraltar Point Nature Reserve Team, was to increase children’s awareness of the natural environment.

There were many activities arranged for the children. The most popular nature activity was searching for minibeasts in trays containing piles of undergrowth, leaves etc.

The chilldren found various specimens including woodlice, centipedes…

…and worms! This wriggly little specimen, seconds after this photograph was taken, dropped from the little boy’s hand and went down his sleeve!.

The boy, quite unperturbed (as we would all be wouldn’t we??), calmly pulled it out again.

Activities inside the marquee included painting and drawing pictures of minibeasts…

…and making models. This mum and dad were helping their children make a snail and a squirrel.

Then the time came for the Minibeast Safari to begin.

Kim Hudson, the Safari leader, firstly briefed the children of any possible hazzards they were to watch out for, like stinging nettles, litter, etc.

Then off the children and their parents went, around the Tower Gardens to search for their minibeasts!

Minibeast Safari Skegness News on Video

DEATH as the result of nondependent abuse of drugs, was the verdict given on the death of 19-year-old Tristan Oliver, who died in September 1999.
Tristan Oliver and Dean Pryme, who was living in a bedsit at 10 Cecil Avenue, Skegness, had both been drinking strong cider all day.
Lee Pinches and John Belton were also living at 10 Cecil Avenue.
Dean Pryme was on codeine phosphate tablets for his bad leg and took them with alcohol because he said it gave him a buzz.
Mr Pryme said Tristan Oliver came round to see him about 2.45pm. He said Mr Oliver knew he was on pain killers and he helped himself to some. He later took some more. They had been on a drinking session all day. Mr Oliver complained that the tablets had made him itch.
That night, Mr Pryme went to the garage to buy some pot noodles for Lee Pinches and John Belton.
When he came back he found that Mr Pinches and Mr Belton had put Mr Oliver, who would not wake up, on Mr Pryme’s bed. Mr Pryme moved him to the settee. He said Mr Oliver had been sick and he wiped it off with a tea towel.
At that point he knew Mr Oliver was still alive because he moved his legs.
They then went to bed, but found the following morning at about 10am that Mr 0liver had sick coming out his mouth, blood coming out his nose, and had turned blue.
Mr Pryme said he realised he was dead and went to get his landlady Daphne Woodward to ring an ambulance.
The cause of death was given as an asphyxiation of codeine and alcohol.
Coroner Stuart Fisher gave the verdict that death had occurred as non-dependent abuse of drugs.

SEVERE STORMS IN 1893
THE SHANNON DISASTER as reported in the Skegness Herald

The most deplorable disaster that has occurred at this or probably any other seaside resort happened at Skegness at noon on Saturday last. It was a fine morning, but the heat appeared to be somewhat oppressive.

At 10.30 a train from London brought to Skegness the employees of the North London Railway Company. They were full of glee, and as they passed along the Lumley Road on their way to the beach were singing the latest songs and playing toy instruments. They had arranged to dine at the Pavilion, Pleasure Gardens, at about one o’clock.

At 12 noon a great change came over the scene. Just prior to this time about 28 of the party had gone for a sail in the Shannon.

At midday a terrible storm of wind and rain swept over the town with great fury. The Shannon, though ably manned by two experienced boatmen, was wrecked by the storm, and 28 persons, besides the two boatmen, lost their lives.

When the news of the disaster reached the pavilion, where their comrades were dining, the feelings of grief may be better imagined than described. An elderly man, almost frantic, had lost two sons and a son-in-law that morning, and these had left 13 young children unprovided for. To add to the grief of the poor fellow, his wife died on Sunday, the day after he got home again.
The Shannon was certified to carry 6o passengers, but only 31 were aboard at this time. The boat belonged to the Grunnill family and was in charge of Edward Grunnill, 44 years of age, and Edwin Grunnill, 49. [Links lead to the men’s gravestones in St Clement’s Church Skegness]. Both men were members of the Skegness lifeboat crew, and experienced boatmen.

Help was rendered by Jabez Grunnill with his boat, the Dart. Both boatmen were drowned, in addition to 28 of the passengers.

At the inquest, Charles Henshaw, one of the three survivors, said : “I was on board at the time of the disaster, and do not consider the boat was overloaded. There was plenty of room for more passengers, and I don’t consider the boatmen were to blame in any way. They were both at their post.’ Only 20 of the bodies were recovered.”

The local Appeal Committee met the London Committee, which had been formed for the purpose of helping the survivors, about September 24th, to consider the allocation of the money subscribed for the widows and orphans of those lost. Altogether this amounted to £6201, and £600 of this was given to the families of the two boatmen.

ANOTHER SEVERE GALE.—Another severe gale took place on November 18th and 19th, 1893. It necessitated the launching of the Skegness lifeboat, which rescued the crew of the cod smack Frank, of Grimsby, who unfortunately had to abandon their vessel. The gale caused considerable damage to property in the Lumley Road. The following poetry appeared in the “Skegness Herald” of November 24th, 1893. It is by the late Miss Frances Theadora Maddison, formerly of Partney, who resided at Skegness for many years. She was a member of the well-known Lincolnshire family of that name, and was highly esteemed in the town and district. She did not claim to be a poet, but her sonnets, which appeared in the “Herald” from time to time, were highly appreciated by those who read them :—

THE GALE
0, hungry sea! lash’d by the waves to foam, Thy waves are seeking prey, and soon the cries of drowning men in agony arise!
Soon hushed, alas! and while the seamen roam, The anxious watcher’s tears and bitter sighs By strong winds are mocked ! they raging come Around the coast, around each fisher’s home, While neath the waters, dead and loved ones lie,
O the Saviour breathe the words, ‘Be still!’ I may
And on bruised hearts pour balm, with tender power,
With trembling now each contrite spirit fill,
For none but He can save in midnight hour,
When on mid-ocean tossed by storm and spray,
The helpless vessels roll, and long for day.

“F. T. M.”

(1861 census Frances Theadora Maddison)

A “ran tan” was a ritual performed by some members of a community to express indignation to unsociable or “immoral” actions of an individual. Sometimes, the ritual got out of hand, as described in the story below. I’m not sure of the exact date of the original article but estimate it to be around 1900.

“RANTANNING” FATALITY
There was a sequel at Spilsby Sessions to the extraordinary story of a “rantanning” at Firsby, (Which was mentioned in a previous edition of a local newspaper’s “Fifty Years Ago” feature).

Three men were charged with the manslaughter of a ratepayer who died from the effects of maltreatment  received, two days before his death, at a “rantanning”.

It was alleged that the deceased turned his daughter out, and took in a married woman living in the village. The accused admitted fetching deceased out of the house.
A doctor stated that the death was due to shock and abdominal injury, but the witnesses failed to connect the accused with the fatality, and they were discharged, the magistrate stating that no jury would convict.

Died In His Car!
SKEGNESS GREENGROCER WHO RECENTLY RE-MARRIED

TRAGIC INCIDENT IN LUMLEY ROAD

There was a tragic happening in Lumley Road about 11 a.m. 3rd May 1949, when Mr. Alfred Drury, aged 55 years, a greengrocer of 9 Westfield Drive, Skegness, was taken suddenly ill as he was getting into his car outside the School of Cookery, and died even as help arrived.
He was observed to start the vehicle up, and was about to drive off in the centre of the road when the car stopped suddenly. The “revving” up of the engine caused attention to be centred on the vehicle, and a number of people rushed up only to find Mr. Drury slumped over the wheel.
Dr. Brownlie was called, but Mr. Drury expired as the police were removing him to the ambulance.
The Skegness Coroner, Mr. W. C. Howard, has been informed, but as death was from natural causes, no inquest will be necessary.
A sad feature of the occurrence is that deceased, who was a widower, was married for the second time only a fortnight previously, his bride being Mrs. May Medley, daughter of a former Skegness lifeboatman and a niece of the late Coun Samuel Moody, J.P., a former Chairman of the Skegness Council.
The utmost sympathy was extended to the widow in this tragic occurrence.