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Carnival 2013 Wednesday August 14th, Fishing Competition

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From 6.00 to 7.30 p.m., this year’s Fishing Competition took place off Yarmouth Pier. Although there was a light drizzle at times, enthusiasm was only moderately dampened, and there was a good turn out.

Carnival 2013 August 14th Fishing Competition Judge

Carnival 2013 August 14th Fishing Competition Judge, Peter Scott

Carnival 2013 Wednesday August 14th,Fishing Competition off the Pier

Carnival 2013 Wednesday August 14th,Fishing Competition off the Pier

Carnival 2013, August 14th, Fishing Competition off Pier

Carnival 2013, August 14th, Fishing Competition off Pier.

Carl Ingram, holder of Spirit of Yarmouth Carnival award for 2012 – 2013, with father Alan, successfully catching seaweed.

Carnival 2013, August 14th, Fishing Competition off Pier. 'Focus'

Carnival 2013, August 14th, Fishing Competition off Pier. ‘Focus’

 

 

 

 

 

Seen back left in cap, the winner of ‘heaviest edible fish’ prize, David Langford – a reward for how many years trying?

John Caulcutt: Harbour, Delphie and Robin Lakeman

Delphie ran the garage and subsequently took over the pumps on the quay; that place was pretty well open twenty four hours a day.  People would come to Yarmouth to buy fuel because of Delphie. Her whole wall was a mass of postcards from people like the Hiscock family [who endowed the present-day lifeboat] who would send from every port that they were in because they were enamoured with Delphi like we all were, because she was such a magnetic character. Humble origins, humble in her lifestyle and everything she did, but a really good down to earth solid, gutsy, go-getting person.

She was such an encourager of everything. You had some weird project and she’d absolutely get right behind it. She used to wait up for us when we came across from Lymington on a Friday night.  We all had our own mugs. Robin would have been out fishing in that old naval pinnace – he had crab pots, lobster pots, and prawn pots just round from Fort Albert going into Colwell Bay. There were always tons of prawns in the fridge, so we’d have a pile of prawns when we got back.

Fishing boat 'Kit' moored by fuel station 1970s

Fishing boat ‘Kit’ moored by the Lakemans fuel station 1970s Photo: A. Cokes

And Robin, you could hardly get two words out of him, but a finer mechanic I don’t think any of us will ever see.  Sea going and apprentice to start with; all his life he’d been with engines, just incredible. We used to go out fishing with him and he was a canny fisherman, particularly for shellfish.  He knew just where and when they’d be feeding and when those pots would be full.  An amazing guy.  So great to have the opportunity when you’re kids to grow up with this enormous local knowledge that the Lakemans were able to pass on.

She was the most amazingly generous person, not only with her time but with her energy and her money and that manifested itself in the end, in the Abbeyfield.
The Delphie Lakeman Trust has given away over two hundred thousand pounds to a hundred and forty different causes all in her name, principally Yarmouth and West Wight based, to things that she would have approved of because she did like to push the envelope out.

John Caulcutt ( who established and manages The Delphie Lakeman Memorial Trust, which has grown from an allotment in Yarmouth which Delphie left to him.)

 

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Alec Cokes: Shops, The Square, Harwoods, 1960s,

Mr. Harwood outside Harwoods in the Square 1960s

Mr. Harwood outside Harwoods in the Square 1960s

John and I, we wanted twenty fathom of rope so we went to see Mr Harwood.
In those days you went through the same door as now, and the counter was on the left as you went in and Mr. Harwood was just looking through a gap, with stuff all round him, all hung up, pots and pans and whatever.
The well, that was in the back yard.  It’s inside now so that shows you how small the shop was. So we said, ‘Mr Harwood, can we have some rope?’
He said, ‘Yes, of course you can.  What do you want that for nipper?’
We said, for an anchor rope.  So he says, there’s the coil, take it outside. The pavement is all marked in fathoms, roll out what you like, cut it off and bring the bit back in.
So we said all right.  So we unrolled this coil, and of course he’s not looking out the door or anything, so we thought …. we’ll not stretch it too tight.
We coiled it all back up again and said, ‘There we are Mr Harwood, that reached almost to the public bar in the Bugle.’
He said, ‘ Oh, did it? That’s alright then’.
He said, ‘Give it here’, and we thought he was going to measure it, but he weighed it.
Alec Cokes b 1945