Town’s maritime heritage under the spotlight

A group of Cavaliers and their partners had a fantastic insight into the town’s maritime heritage on visit to Scarborough’s Maritime Heritage Centre on Wednesday evening September 21.The centre on Eastborough was officially opened on 2^nd April 2016 by Lord JohBeauclerk, one of the centre’s PatronsWhilst the building is limited in size, it nonetheless holds a wealth of fascinatingartefacts and records of Scarborough’s seafaring past. It is openfrom 11.00am to 4.00pm Wednesday to Sunday all year round Mark Vesey, the current Chair of the charitable trust, which runs the centre, gave club members a whistle stop 40-minute presentation on the town’s maritime heritage.It might be quite hard to believe but Scarborough was the fifth largest shipbuilding in the country in the eighteenth century with 12 shipbuilding firms building ships. 

Visitors to the centre can find out about the town’s medieval history and experience a walk along Quay Street to see evidence of timber clad buildings that would have been the foreshore way back then.

Learn how the town has links with the RMS Titanic, as James Moody born in Scarborough was the sixth officer on the ship that took the infamous call from the crow’s nest to say that an iceberg had been sighted and the only junior officer to die when the ship sank on her maiden voyage.
Stories of the bombardment in 1916 by German naval ships, which killed 18 people and led to a major recruitment drive by the Government of the day to join the armed forces.
On a more light hearted note there is a photograph of Alfredo the brilliant accordionistthat played for visitors on trips out of the harbour on the Coronia.
The centre actually opened on 12th December 2009 and staged over 40 exhibitions in itsfirst ten years. Over 100 volunteers helped put on these exhibitions giving over 20,000 hours of their time. It relies largely on volunteers that meet and greet the public, scan and index the archives, update the website and social media, plan and create exhibitions, help with fundraising, give talks to schools and community groups.
There are presently 22 volunteers on the centre’s books ranging from 20 to 80 years old giving on average 2/3 hours a week.
In 2016 the centre was awarded the very prestigious Queens AwardforVolunteers.
As well as the centre the trust opened the UK’s smallest maritime heritage centre in aformer telephone box on Sandside.
The SMHC has close connections with the Graham Sea Training School on Paradise and the Sub Aqua Club 83 on St Mary’s Street that has a collection of around 50 ships bells.
Looking to the future there are plans to open later this year a Marine Drive Heritage Trail to be known as ‘A porthole in time” with a series of 30 metre-wide granite portholes depicting Scarborough’s history.
The group gave thanks to Mark for an extremely informative and entertaining introduction to the Scarborough’s maritime heritage.
The evening concluded with a meal at the Scarborough Tandoori restaurant.

Mike Wilkinson, Rotary Cavaliers