! HULL.

75 km yezterday, 16 this morning brought us to the humber and what was one of the biggest fishing ports in europe.


Hessle Road
Was very excited to be arriving on Lil Biloccas and the headscarf revolutionaries home turf. Big Lil and the women are totally inspirational, and demonstrate so much of the power of womxn/fishworkers. (More info:
https://www.historyworkshop.org.uk/radical-objects-hulls-headscarf-revolutionaries-mural/)

Can't really express anything without sounding idiotic, but just to say very honoured to speak to so many seafaring folks from a much ignored community that has seen 6000 Fishermen lost to the sea in 130 years.


At some point our luck may run out and folks might not want to talk about fish work, time and value and what it means today. But right now super grateful that people are really up for sharing their experience with us, and back what our aims.
Feel pretty overwhelmed of recieving this Hessle road fisherman mural t shirt from Jerry and Ray at the Hull Fishing Heritage Museum. Hope that we can develop a project that is deserving of such an important gift. Hull we will be back.

more info on the heritage centre here: http://www.hullbullnoseheritagegroup.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR1dVUXPH25N2Gn2bMw4x-NoUHgLwDLod2ronVWHFYidK28Bdv64W_MYGHc

after a very soaking wet and hilly 38 km from whitby we foubd ourselves a bit sodden, but happily, in scarborough! for herring, Tunny fishing and holidaymaking

Scarborough! Check out these tunas- caught as part of Tunny Fishing.

These boys are baiting herring to go out on the tunny fishing competition. Next pic shows prize winning Tunny! Ryan at the maritime museum, granddad is the boy in the centre of the first pic, and was part of the crew catching the prize winning Tunny years later in the next pic. Tunny fishing had to be conducted in a small row boat with very strict rules (rod not allowed to touch the bow, etc).

Tunny fishing died out with the herring in the 60s here.

Pics of women doing the gutting on the quayside.


After learning loads about the Herring and Tunny fishing in the excellent Scarborough maritime centre, and an excellent coffee with an actor and potential collaborator, we cleaned EVERYTHING in the laundrette and took up residence in Scarborough for the night!


We fulfilled any a many year dream of mine and stayed at the mighty Scarborough Grand Hotel (run by the controversial Britainnia, who I love despite the repeated worst hotelier awards).

The majestic Grand Hotel- which when built in 1867 was the biggest brick building in Europe. It's built to represent time: 4 towers for 4 seasons, 12 floors for the months and 365 rooms for the days.


Below are a series of Atmosphere moments from Scarborough.

A nice audio recording of Ryan from the maritime centre may come soon!

womens work in whitby

And Learning about the local women workers who had the huge tasks of prepping for the catch for the fishing boats. This involved Skaning, Baiting and Caving. "Filthers" Mussels were collected to use as bait, lines would be skaned, baited and caved by the women often in the homes, and great pride about how many lines you could do in a day. One woman spoke of marriage proposal caveated with how many lines can you skane..

Photo credits to @whitbymuseum. Big thanks to the volunteers for showin me about.

last video is a snippet of the ofthechain whitby gansey expert Deb talking me thru these two fish! loads more to come from deb.

​

If you missed it, this is Nora Balls. The knitted Herring heralded onto our voyage by Low Light Heritage Centre in North Shields, who are about to run an incredible exhibition entitled Thats Women's Work about women workers on the quayside.
Nora the herring's namesake is Norah Balls - local suffergette and activist - great video on her from Nina from Low Light here : here https://youtu.be/YGzW7LOswrI

More about the exhibition at old low light here: https://oldlowlight.co.uk/event/test-upcoming-range-event/

​AFter an astonishing cycle through northumberland, Tina and i found ourselves at North Shields Fish Quay. and we were over the moon to meet Guy the centre manager for Low light Centre (https://oldlowlight.co.uk/digital-heritage/) and to find out they are putting on an exhibition next month entitles " That's Womens' Work" about the unsung women workers who work and have WORKED on the quayside past and present. had an exceptional morning learning about some of the worker struggles in North SHields, and some of the incredible people who have led them - not least Sheila - who is a female Trawler Skipper.

extracts coming soon !

in the mean time i must introduce Nora Balls, the knitted herring that is mine and Tinas new buddy on the road.

Norahs name sake is Norah Balls the local rowdy activist and suffergette. a video thanks to Low Light here: https://youtu.be/eZ3zWr1SQsE

They also sent me to get fish from Angela and Phil at phils PLaice (the fish mongers on the Quay). Below is an extract from chat with Angela.

HERE is a pic of Nora with angela! and brief reflection on tourism and fishing industries

eyemouth to alnmouth 90km
alnmouth to tynemouth 65km

seahouses, cranster, alnmouth, amble whitly bay, tynemouth, north shields.