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JOLLY SAVES THE DAY, Skegness Civic Society

Skegness Civic Society has just published a colouring and story book called “Jolly Saves the Day” to promote beach safety at Skegness.

The publishing of the book is linked to the opening of the Jolly Trail on Wednesday, 21 May and it will be made available as a printed book to those who complete the Jolly Trail and also be downloadable from the internet.
“Jolly Saves the Day” has just been published by Skegness Civic Society. The book, which is both a story and colouring book, was written by Steve Kirk, Chairman of Skegness Civic Society, to mark the opening of the “Jolly Trail” along Skegness’s seafront.
In the book Skegness’s iconic Jolly Fisherman saves two children who have drifted out to sea on an airbed. The book is intended to carry the message of beach safety to young children and adults alike in an entertaining and fun way.
Skegness Civic Society, with financial assistance from Regeneration Across Communities of Lincolnshire (RACoL), has printed five thousand copies of the book to be given away, together with a set of crayons, to children who complete the Jolly Trail.
To complete the Jolly Trail children must first obtain a free leaflet with questions at the beginning of the trail at the Tourist Information Office situated at the entrance to the Tower Gardens on Grand Parade. The children can find the answers to the questions as they follow the big yellow footprints that mark the trail. The footsteps take the children back to the Tourist Office – where they can claim their prize. The trail takes about an hour to complete.
As well as being given away as a prize the book will also be available as a free download from as many websites as possible.
The Jolly Trail was first envisaged by Steve Kirk three years ago and, after much persuasion, taken up by Lincolnshire Tourism, Lincolnshire County Council, East Lindsey District Council and Skegness Town Council. The Jolly Trail will be officially launched on Wednesday, 21 May at 11.00 am at the Tower Gardens, Skegness.
Steve Kirk, Chairman of Skegness Civic Society, said:
“For such a small book I have been surprised how much work it has entailed. The “Drier Side of Britain” is renowned for it’s beautiful golden beaches. With the hot sunny weather we are having who could blame anybody for taking a dip in the sea. However if this book helps to dissuade just one person from taking their inflatable into the sea with them it will all have been well worth it.”
And on the subject of the Jolly Trail he said, “I can’t believe it’s finally going to happen. After over three years of planning I believe it will be a big success and another tourist attraction for the town. I must say a huge heartfelt thank you to the officers of Lincolnshire County Council, East Lindsey District Council and Skegness Town Council for making my dream a reality.
Further information may be obtained from: Mr Steve Kirk, Chairman of Skegness Civic Society, 105 Beresford Avenue, SKEGNESS PE25 3JL Tel: 01754 766258 Email: steve@skegnesstown.com

(click the picture above to download ‘Jolly Saves the Day’ in pdf 4.63Mg- note: you will need Acrobat Reader to download the pdf file)

Hoax call sparks extensive sea and air search
JASON Baugh sparked a major air and sea search off the Lincolnshire coast in 1999 when he faked his suicide, magistrates heard.
Personal belongings and clothes were found on the beach at Skegness after Baugh made a hoax telephone call to the coastguard, the court at Skegness was told.
Baugh, 30, of Magdalen Road, Norwich, pleaded guilty to making a hoax telephone call, intending to cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.
Finding Baugh £250, magistrate Mr Geoff Smith said: “You put a lot of people to a lot of inconvenience and the court won’t stand for that.”
Telephone call
Had he been in a better financial position, he would have received a greater penalty, said Mr Smith.
Prosecuting, Mr John Mitchell said that after Baugh’s belongings were found on the beach, police launched a missing person’s enquiry.
Baugh made a telephone call to the coastguard and an extensive air and sea search swung into action.
Police enquiries revealed that on August 30 last year Baugh rented a room at a Skegness bed and breakfast establishment. The following day he had contacted his wife to say he would be going for a swim in the sea and told his landlady a similar story.
During their enquiries police contacted a property management compa
ny, who said that a man had paid in cash six months’ rent in advance for a room in Norwich.
A search of the room revealed six rounds of .22 ammunition.
When interviewed by police Baugh had said he had intended to drop out of sight and take on a new identity.
Mr Mitchell said the total cost of the air and sea search was not known.
For Baugh, Mr David Eager said his client had had enough of his life in his own name. He had suffered various tragedies and had felt he could not cope any more.
He returned to his roots in Skegness with a plan to fake his suicide. His plan was that the old Mr Baugh would cease to exist and he would start a new life in a new name.
“He wasn’t trying to get away from his debts. He was going to make payments of these debts, albeit under a new name,” said Mr Eager.
“What he was not thinking about was the effect his telephone call would have on the coastguard.”
In the time the emergency services were dealing with this matter, a real tragedy could have occurred, but fortunately it didn’t,” said Mr Eager.
There was no sinister motive behind his possession of the ammunition. It was simply something he had failed to clear out.
Baugh was given a 12-month conditional discharge for the ammunition offence.

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)

The New Lifeboat - How the Name was Chosen
IT might have been named “Alfred, Lord Tennyson ” or “Sir John Franklin” or “Matthew Flinders”, alternatively the “Wash Sentinel” or “Jolly Fisherman” —but Skegness’s new lifeboat bears proudly on its bows the name “Charles Fred Grantham”, perpetuating the memory of the distinguished townsman who was honorary secretary of the Skegness Lifeboat Station for forty years spanning the turn of the century.

When the R.N.L.I. asked the Skegness Lifeboat Station to suggest a name which might possibly commemorate “a well-known personality or geographical location from or around Skegness,” all of the fore-going names were considered by the Executive Committee, and it was the last mentioned, suggested by the presiding vice-chairman, which won approval all the way through until its final confirmation by the Lifeboat Committee Institution’s Committee of Management.
Charles Fred Grantham was one of the most remarkable personalities to influence Skegness in its earlier years. Born at the neighbouring township of Burgh-le-Marsh, in 1859, descendant of a well-known family of farmers, he began to farm at Skegness in his early years, living at the Hall, on the west side of Roman Bank.
In 1882, at the age of 22, he succeeded William Everington as hon. secretary of the local lifeboat station. He served ably in this capacity for just over 40 years; in 1892 he was presented with a pair of binoculars to mark ten years’ service, and in 1902 he received the Institution’s decoration given for long and distinguished services.
He was still holding office as hon. secretary at the time of his death in October, 1922, and, right up to that time, the horses which were used to launch the lifeboats had come from his farms.

Although the lifeboat service was probably his first love, he gave much service to the town in other directions.

He was elected, one vote only below the top of the first Skegness Local Board elections were held in 1885. For the first year s running, from 1890, he served as the first chairman of that authority, and he became the first chairman of the Skegness Urban District Council when that body was constituted in 1895.

He held many other offices. In 1907 he became the first Justice of the Peace to be appointed from Skegness. For many years he represented the resort on the Lindsey County Council, and also as a member of the authority responsible for drainage and sea defences in the area. Paralleling his service with the R.N.L.I. was his work as a member of the Eastern Sea Fisheries Board.

A devout churchman, he had the honour of becoming the first commanding officer of the Church Lads’ Brigade Company associated with St. Matthew’s—a company which was later converted into a cadet corps.
He served this town and the organisations within it whole-heartedly until his death.

Picture above: Mr CHARLES FRED GRANTHAM Local hon. secretary, 1882-1922

Below: 1901 census showing Charles Fred Grantham living at The Hall Roman Bank Skegness.

6th March 1974

Maroon marks 150 years of sea rescues
THE BIRTH of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution on 3 March 1824, was marked at midday on Monday - exactly 150 years later — by the firing of a maroon from the Skegness Lifeboat Station.
A board at the station tells the public that in that time 94,000 lives have been saved with the loss of 263 lifeboat-men.
Prayers for the lifeboat service are to be said , in churches next Sunday.
The anniversary will be celebrated by a dance on 2 April and two flag days — on 27 July and 17 August — when bands will be parading in honour of the occasion. Part of the proceeds of the civic ball this month will be given to the RNLI.
Skegness lifeboatmen will be among those from all over the country attending a garden party at Buckingham Palace on 16 July.
FIRST LIFEBOAT
The Skegness lifeboat station will be celebrating its own 150th anniversary next year. The first lifeboat was stationed at Gibraltar Point, being moved shortly afterwards to Skegness and the present boathouse on South Parade was built in 1892.
The present crew are: Ken Holland (coxswain), Joel Grunnill (2nd coxswain), Ron Chapman (bowman), Johnny Strezelecki (assistant mechanic), Morris Hatton (radio operator/signalman), Colin Moore (signalman) and Graham Phillips (emergency mechanic).

Picture: The lifeboat coxswain, Mr Ken Holland, about to fire the maroon in the putting green opposite the lifeboat station at midday on Monday to mark the 150th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat In-
stitution.