Cyril and Lilian Bishop Lifeboat (The Ghost Of Dunkirk) visit

The club visited the recently returned Hastings lifeboat, the Cyril and Lilian Bishop Lifeboat, at present undergoing final renovation work at the East Hastings Angling Club. Rotary met Tush and Pat Hamilton in the Angling Club’s clubhouse where Tush gave a talk about the background of the lifeboat and how, eventually, it was returned to Hastings. Tush, with Dee-Day White, and a team of helpers had recovered, restored and displayed another Hastings lifeboat, the Priscilla MacBean, when they received a call from the local council telling them of another Hastings lifeboat. It turned out that this was located in a riverside boatyard in the middle of France.  Enquiries revealed that the Cyril and Lilian Bishop had been in service in Hastings between 1931 and 1952 and had also been part of the Dunkirk evacuation. Tush and Dee-Day were adamant that it should be returned to Hastings. Dee-Day contacted the owner, Simon Evans, but he would not sell or part with the boat. So Dee-Day and Tush travelled to France and met Simon, the owner of 23 lifeboats, who still refused to sell. After much discussion and haggling Simon did accept an offer and agreed to do more work on the boat which Tush, Dee-Day and their volunteers did not have the expertise to do. The cost of the boat was met by Skinners Sheds and the low-loader transport was provided on very favourable terms by an Appledore company.

Money is, of course, an essential ingredient in the restoration process and an appeal has been launched. Donations have already been made, a number by families of those who served on or who were rescued by the Cyril and Lilian Bishop, Work is now being carried out to enable it to be displayed on land between The Bourne and All Saints’ Street in Hastings. Sadly, the cost to make it sea-worthy would be prohibitively expensive. Rotarian Roger Young, who had organised the visit, presented Tush with a donation from the club towards the restoration appeal. The club was given the opportunity to see the lifeboat at close range and Tush explained the work that had been done and needed to be done.

Following the visit the club adjourned to the nearby Ye Olde Pump House for a roast turkey dinner.