STAND’s 35th ANNUAL LOST TRAWLERMEN’S DAY SERVICE
For all those who were not able to join us at STAND’s 35th Annual Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service or for those who wish to watch the Service again… You can now view the complete Service on You Tube
You Tube link: https://youtu.be/5Y2wryqcDyo
St. Andrews Dock Fishing Heritage Group – STAND would like to thank everyone who attended the 35th Annual Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service at St. John the Baptist Church, Hull on Sunday 28th January 2024. This is always a special Service to remember all of Hull’s lost trawlermen.
It was great to see the church filled to capacity. There was a tremendous sense of unity amongst all those present as we came together in remembrance and we hope that a spiritual and poignant Service was provided by those who played a part in the event. We also pay tribute to those of the general public and relatives of lost loved ones who joined us and especially those who came to remember the 36 trawlermen from the Gaul lost 50 years ago on the 8th February 1974 with all hands.
Thank you to Rev Richard Coutts, vicar of St. John the Baptist Church for the use of his church and we express our sincere thanks to the church volunteers who helped on the day.
Thank you to Rev Tony Cotson, STAND Chaplain – we are always so appreciative for all his support and especially with the planning of the Service.
We were pleased to welcome Bishop Eleanor Sanderson to her first Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service.
It was an absolute joy and privilege to welcome the City of Hull Band once again. They were outstanding and exceptionally moving bringing something so special to the Service. We cannot thank them enough for their time and talent freely given and I know how much people enjoyed your playing.
Thank you to the children’s choir from Chiltern Primary School. Wow! You sang so well. Your singing was very much loved and appreciated by the congregation.
We also appreciate the time that the staff and parents have given.
The participation of representatives of the Sailors’ Children’s Society, Mission to Seafarers, The Fishermen’s Mission and Stella Maris was as always greatly appreciated.
A huge thank you to the immaculately uniformed young men and women of the Hull Sea Cadets from
T.S. Iron Duke who so poignantly and respectfully carried out the important duty of the two minutes silence period with the sounding of the Gaul bell combined with the bosun’s whistle and the lowering/raising of their standard. All the Sea Cadets and their Operations Officer are a credit to the training establishment.
Four wreaths were presented for dedication during the Service by STAND, The Fishermen’s Mission, the Hull Bullnose Group and the Lord Mayor’s Cadet accompanied the Lord Mayor. All the wreaths are now at the City’s Memorial to the Lost Trawlermen of Hull on St Andrews Quay.
Finally, it was really special to hear from so many people who visited the City’s Memorial to the Lost Trawlermen of Hull just before and after the Service. It is so good to hear that the Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service at St John’s once a year and the Memorial on St Andrews Quay, which is open all year round can complement each other in this way.
STAND appreciate all your lovely and positive feedback about the Service and about the Memorial too.
We will continue to strive to ensure the sacrifice made by those lost to the sea whilst sailing from the port of Kingston upon Hull is never forgotten.
Ruth Creasey – STAND Chair
STAND ANNUAL LOST TRAWLERMEN’S DAY SERVICE – DETAILS 2024
STAND’s 35th Annual Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service will be held on Sunday 28th January 2024 at St John the Baptist Church, St Georges Road Hull at 12 noon.
Below is the Order of Service which will be available at the Service:
SAVE THE DATE……. STAND ANNUAL LOST TRAWLERMEN’S DAY 2024
SUNDAY 28th JANUARY – 12 Noon at St. John the Baptist Church, St Georges Road, Hull
Details to follow in the New Year
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STAND Annual Lost Trawlermen’s Day 2023
The St. Andrews Dock Heritage Park Action Group – STAND wishes to thank everyone who attended the 34th Annual Memorial Service at St. John the Baptist Church on Sunday 5th February 2023. The congregation turnout was outstanding. We hope your attendance was rewarded by the spiritual and nostalgic Service provided by those who played a part in the event.
We thank those of the general public and relatives of lost loved ones who joined us in commemorating their tragic loss. We especially acknowledge Rev Tony Cotson and for the use of St. John the Baptist Church and we express our sincere thanks to the church volunteers who helped on the day.
The City of Hull Brass Band and their music was outstanding and exceptionally moving; we cannot thank them enough for their time and talent freely given. The feedback from the public for their involvement was excellent.
Thank you also to Mrs Constable and the children’s choir from Eastfield Primary School. Their participation in the Service was very special and their singing was very much loved and appreciated by the congregation.
The participation of representatives of the Fishermen’s Mission, Apostleship of the Sea and the Mission to Seafarers was as always greatly appreciated.
Thank you to KCOM: Ethnicity & Heritage Group for laying a wreath in honour of Hull’s lost trawlermen and their families/friends/colleagues.
Last but not least, the immaculately uniformed young men of the Hull Sea Cadets from T.S. Iron Duke poignantly carried out the important duty of the two minutes silence period with the sounding of the Gaul bell combined with a piped signal and the lowering/raising of their standard. In addition, the cadets ceremoniously presented the four wreaths for dedication during the Service. All the Sea Cadets and their Operations Officer are a credit to the training establishment.
Before closing I must acknowledge my fellow STAND Committee members. First and foremost Ron Wilkinson, our Chairman who dedicates so much time, passion and commitment to STAND and constantly strives to uphold the memory of Hull’s fishing heritage and community. He is currently in hospital but is very much in our thoughts.
Also, I must acknowledge the work of our other Committee members; friends who give so much time and effort in all we undertake in the community. Thank you so much.
The purpose of this Memorial Service tribute is to ensure the sacrifice made by those lost to the sea whilst sailing from the port of Kingston upon Hull is never forgotten.
God Bless them all.
Ruth Creasey – STAND Secretary
STAND’s Annual Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service 2023
STAND’s Annual Service to remember all lost Trawlermen is scheduled on the Civic Calendar to be held on the last Sunday in January.
However due to changing circumstances i.e. the development of the St. Andrews Quay Memorial Site, the Service is once again kindly being accommodated by:
St. John the Baptist Church, St. Georges Road
Sunday 5th February 2023
1200 noon.
This change of date coincides with a week during which Hull’s fishing community suffered two major disasters – the Ross Cleveland on the 5th February 1968 and the Gaul on the 8th February 1974.
STAND profoundly apologises for any inconvenience caused; we hope you will once again join us on the above date/time when we will once again show our respect for those lost and the families left behind.
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Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service 2022
Heartfelt appreciation
The St. Andrews Dock Heritage Park Action Group – STAND wishes to thank everyone who attended the 33rd Annual Memorial Service at St. John the Baptist Church on Sunday.
Considering the difficult circumstances experienced over recent times, the congregation turnout was outstanding. We hope your attendance was rewarded by the spiritual and nostalgic Service provided by those who played a part in its production. We thank those of the general public and relatives of lost loved ones who joined us in commemorating their tragic loss. We especially acknowledge the Rev Tony Cotson and his wife Janet for organising the event and for the use of St. John’s. We express our sincere thanks to the church volunteers who helped on the day and we thank Rev John Walker for standing in at such short notice. We also wish Rev Tony a speedy recovery from Covid.
The City of Hull Brass Band and their music was outstanding and exceptionally moving; we cannot thank them enough for their time and talent freely given. The feedback from the public for their involvement was excellent.
The participation of representatives of the Fishermen’s Mission, Apostleship of the Sea, Sailors Children’s Society and the Mission to Seafarers was as always greatly appreciated.
We hope that the enlightening talk by our guest speaker, Peter Naylor helped the Community understand his emotive sculpture which forms the centre piece of the City’s Memorial to Lost Trawlermen. His piece on the concept of the thirteen figures is something everyone in the Fishing Community should read; it is so meaningful and perceptive. STAND are privileged that it will soon form the focal point of the landscaped Memorial site on St. Andrews Quay.
Last but not least, the immaculately uniformed young men of the Hull Sea Cadets of T.S. Iron Duke poignantly carried out the preliminaries of the two minutes silence period with the sounding of the Gaul bell combined with a piped signal and the lowering/raising of their standard. They are a credit to the training establishment.
Before closing I must acknowledge the work of my fellow STAND Committee members; friends who have given so much time and effort which should be deservedly recognised; thank you so much.
The purpose of this Memorial Service tribute is to ensure the sacrifice made by those lost to the sea whilst sailing from the port of Kingston upon Hull is never forgotten.
God Bless them all.
Ron Wilkinson – STAND
Chairman
STAND Annual Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service 2022
STAND were hoping and planning for our forthcoming Annual Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service to be held at the Memorial site on St Andrew’s Retail Park. However, due to circumstances beyond our control we have made alternative arrangements.
We are now able to inform you that the 33rd Annual Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service sponsored by STAND is to be held at St. John the Baptist Church in St. Georges Road on Sunday 30th January 2022 at 12 noon. The church will follow the latest and necessary Covid-19 guidelines with the seating area being socially distanced.
The church is a popular venue with all those who attend, providing warmth, comfort and shelter from the weather conditions usually experienced at the time of year.
We are pleased that the City of Hull Brass band will again provide the music; their amazing sound is even more beautiful within the confines of the church, creating a warm, atmospheric environment in which to remember and recall special memories.
We welcome everyone and hope the wonderful community spirit we enjoy each year will again make the Service memorable.
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STAND’s ANNUAL LOST TRAWLERMEN’S DAY SERVICE 2021
Sunday 31st January 2021
Welcome to STAND’s 32nd Annual Lost Trawlermen’s Day Online Service 2021.
Please join with us and a whole Community to take time to remember, to reflect and to pay our respects to the thousands of trawlermen who lost their lives.
We hope you will take great comfort from the online Service which follows.
STAND are very grateful to Adam Cotson for all his hardwork and support in the preparation and adaptation of the following video.
**Click on the video below
The Service can also be viewed on:
STAND’s Facebook page: Stand – Hull Heritage
St. John the Baptist Facebook page: St John the Baptist
LATEST NEWS
LOST TRAWLERMEN’S DAY SERVICE 31st JANUARY 2021
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS YEAR’S LOST TRAWLERMEN’S DAY SERVICE 2021
STAND annually organise and sponsor the Memorial Service for all lost trawlermen. The date for this event is listed on the civic calendar as the last Sunday in January each year. The scheduled date for our 32nd Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service was to be on Sunday 31st Jan 2021.
It is with regret that, due to the Covid-19 restrictions, this year STAND are unable to offer a Community collective gathering as we have for the last thirty one years as the transmission rate of the new strain of virus would put the public at great risk of not only contracting the disease but assist in the proliferation of an illness that is causing widespread suffering and loss of life.
As a charity dedicated to commemorating the sacrifice made by thousands of lost fishermen, it would be negligent on our part to encourage the public to disregard Government Medical & Scientific Guidelines.
However, it is STAND’s duty to mark Lost Trawlermen’s Day without breaking the restrictions therefore, in keeping with those rules we will have a virtual presentation.
This virtual Service will take place on the scheduled date of Sunday 31st Jan 2021 at twelve (12) noon.
You will find the link on the ‘Lost Trawlermen’s Day’ page on the STAND website: www.hullfishingheritage.org.uk and on our STAND Facebook: Stand-Hull Heritage
You will also find the link on the St John the Baptist Church Facebook.
The link will continue to be accessible at anytime after the scheduled virtual Service has taken place.
If people want to leave any thoughts/memories/comments of remembrance, we welcome this via our Facebook page: Stand – Hull Heritage or via our email address: info@hullfishingheritage.org.uk
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In past years the date of the Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service has been flexible which has led to relatives of those lost asking for a fixed date to be established. As the Service always has to be held on a Sunday, the following method has been adopted…. STAND made a request to Kingston upon Hull City Council for Lost Trawlermen’s Day to be accepted onto the Civic Calendar with the Service date to be set as the last Sunday in January annually.
As KHCC and their Events Team are major contributors to the organisation and support of the Service, which includes the provision of a marquee, seating and sound system as well as personnel, they agreed to STAND’s proposal.
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A question posed by many who attended the 2020 Annual Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service and the reception afterwards, was ‘Why not hold the Service every year at St. John the Baptist Church?’ This led to a quite lengthy discussion which resulted in the STAND Committee members reviewing the idea at a subsequent Committee meeting. We identified the following points on this situation and came up with the following pros & cons:
LTD is always held in the winter month of January at the Memorial site on St. Andrews Quay fronting the River Humber and although in past years KHCC has kindly provided shelter, in the form of a marquee, from the adverse weather at substantial expense, we cannot expect the financial cost of the Service to be available indefinitely. The unavailability of shelter would be detrimental to the physical well being of those attending the Service and could result in reduced footfall. The protection provided by St. John the Baptist Church is a positive advantage.
An opinion stated by some was that LTD should always take place at the St. Andrews Lost Trawlermen’s Memorial, the new permanent place of commemoration at the retail park which is the site of the old fish dock from where they sailed. With the River Humber as a backdrop and the special opportunity to lay flowers/wreaths at the Memorial figures, it provides a tangible closeness for relatives and friends to be near their lost loved ones. However, others countered this view saying that the Memorial site is available 365 days a year for those who wish to visit what is to be seen as the final spiritual resting place of those lost. It is a place where anniversary visits could be made throughout the year.
The LTD Service is an annual one off commemoration of all those lost and allows the community to meet one day of the year to collectively pay their respect to their loved ones and socialise with friends and relatives who have experienced the same loss. The most hospitable place for this gathering to comfortably take place could be St. John the Baptist Church. The church in itself gives an atmosphere of spiritual respect to the occasion.
The marquee used at the St. Andrews Retail site, although providing shelter from the elements, is difficult in its structure to allow the safe and practical ‘dressing up’ of the space with photographs, models etc and the displaying of artefacts. The restriction of exhibition limits an important aspect of the Service, whereas the facilities at St. John’s Church are safer, more reliable, modern and technological. The large screen with computer presentation allows video film clips and Power Point photo presentations to be shown which greatly enhances the event for those attending. The musical performance by the City of Hull Brass Band in 2020 was excellent in the main due to their brilliant musical ability but also the acoustics of the church. In the past, on the St. Andrews Retail site, the effect of any musical accompaniment has always been diminished by the sound of the elements (wind) and the open space in which the event is held.
The after Service social gathering and refreshments, which was well attended this year (2020), was held within the Church’s cafeteria area and the service was freely and willingly provided by the Church and their volunteer staff. The same provision of service is not possible at the St. Andrew’s Retail site.
If, after reading the above pros and cons, you wish to comment and offer constructive opinions, STAND would welcome your viewpoint in helping us to resolve what is a very difficult and sensitive dilemma.
Please contact STAND on: info@hullfishingheritage.org.uk
LOST TRAWLERMEN’S DAY SERVICE 2020
STAND would like to thank everyone who joined us at our 31st Annual Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service on Sunday 26th January at St John the Baptist Church, St Georges Road. The Service was very well attended as we remembered all of Hull’s Lost Trawlermen and, in particular this year we commemorated the 65th Anniversary of the loss of all 40 crewmen, off the North Cape of Iceland, on the Lorella and Roderigo on the 26th January 1955.
Thank you to all those who participated and helped to make it such a poignant and touching time for all present.
Our special thanks to Rev Tony Cotson for the kind use of his church and to all the ladies in the Hessle Road Network who worked so hard and willingly to prepare an after Service buffet.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the City of Hull Brass Band who played a special piece composed for all Hull trawlermen – ‘Anchor for the Soul’. Also to Chiltern Street Primary School choir; Bishop of Hull Rt Rev Alison White; Mission to Seafarers; Sailors Childrens Society; STAND Chairman, Ron Wilkinson; TS Iron Duke Sea Cadets and St John Ambulance.
We thank each and every person at the Service as we strive to remember all Hull’s trawlermen; our fishing history and important fishing community and we will continue to remember them.
Below is a link to a recording of the City of Hull Brass Band playing their special composition ‘ Anchor for the Soul’ :
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ8rMFrBpmE
View Order of Service below:
Order of Service 2020
LOST TRAWLERMEN’S DAY SERVICE 2019
STAND’s Annual Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service was held on Sunday 20th January 2019 at the Memorial site on St. Andrews Quay, Hull.
The Service commemorated 30 years of STAND and Lost Trawlermen’s Day and, once again was very well supported.
A warm welcome was extended to all by the Chairman of STAND, Ron Wilkinson who also gave an encouraging update on the progress of the Memorial and Garden of Social History Project.
The Rt. Hon. Alan Johnson reflected on 30 years of STAND; poems, readings and prayers were delivered by Rev. Tony Cotson (St. John the Baptist Church, Newington) and other charitable groups and the Bishop of Hull, the Rt. Rev. Alison White gave an address.
Children from Chiltern Street School Choir sang ‘Out from Hull’ and performed well.
There was the traditional Pipe Down by T.S. Iron Duke : Hull Sea Cadets followed by a one minutes silence.
Wreaths were laid at the Memorial and individual flowers were cast.
Thank you to all those who came along to pay their respects to Hull’s Lost Trawlermen and to support the event.
Photos of Lost Trawlermen’s Day 2019
The three key speakers were :-
Ron Wilkinson: Chairman of STAND
Rt Hon Alan Johnson
Bishop of Hull Rt Rev Alison White
STAND’s wreath
Dedication and blessing of the Memorial and wreaths. Individual casting of flowers.