The popular Shipwreck Museum in Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings, is on the lookout for more volunteers to work in the museum and shop. And, according to Tim McDonald, chair of the trustees of the Nautical Museums Trust that runs the museum, they “desperately need you”.

“We’re an incredibly popular small museum, with around 70,000 visitors a year,” he explains. We rely very much on our dedicated band of volunteers to staff the museum and shop. We have a great collection of shipwreck artefacts, recently joined by the two lifeboats, the Priscilla MacBean and the Cyril and Lilian Bishop.” 

Until recently, these were on display in Old London Road and The Bourne. 

For those interested in life on Earth, there are also exhibits of fossils found in the local area. Catering for a wide audience, it is a multi-sensory museum with sound, touch and smell – and is fully accessible for wheelchair users. 

Admission is free, so visitors can spend their money on the wide variety of maritime and fossil gifts, with a wide range of souvenirs, artefacts, toys, cards, prints and handicrafts, many made by local artisans – and keep volunteers busy!

Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Tim on at tim@timmcdonald.co.uk for an informal chat. To advertise for volunteers or find other opportunities, you can visit hastingsvoluntaryaction.org.uk/service/volunteering

Had you been passing by the junction of The Bourne and Harold Road at about 5am on Monday 1 July, you would have seen a group of assorted characters loitering by the side of the road. You would have been forgiven for thinking that nefarious activities were afoot at this unsocial hour of the day, suspicions that may have been heightened by the arrival of (a) a lengthy low-loader transporter, (b) the biggest mobile crane you’ve ever seen and (c) a couple of escort vehicles. 

The objective of all this activity was, however, perfectly legitimate – to move the two historic lifeboats, Cyril and Lilian Bishop and Priscilla MacBean, to a new home. The roadside site, where they had rested for many years, had not offered sufficient protection from the increasingly unpredictable weather, and both vessels were deteriorating at an alarming rate. A more sheltered location was required, and this had been found in the enclosed yard at the back of the Shipwreck Museum in Rock-a-Nore Road, where both boats could join the last of the great Rye river barges, Primrose, a long-time resident of the Museum.

The early hour had been planned to enable the move to be carried out while it was still quiet but, thanks to two individuals who decided to ignore – or hadn’t noticed – the temporary ‘no parking’ signs, everything had to be delayed by a couple of hours until the ‘offenders’ turned up to drive away their vehicles! This meant, unfortunately, that the operation had to take place at the height of the morning rush – and so huge apologies to those of you who may have been held up as the crane swung the boats out and over the main road, onto the transporter.

Happily, the rest of the move went smoothly – apart from a little damage to one of Priscilla MacBean’s already fragile timbers – and both boats now sit proudly in their new surroundings. There is still a lot of work to be done and the Shipwreck Museum is in the process of putting together a team of volunteers to help look after and maintain the three vessels. Many of the people who have helped with the lifeboats in the past have pledged to continue assisting and the RNLI has also promised its support. More volunteers are needed – not just in looking after the boats but also in helping with many other aspects of the Museum, such as stewarding, IT, fundraising and publicity; so if you think you might be able to help, you would be welcomed with open arms. You can contact the Museum on 01424 713938, through the website shipwreckmuseum.co.uk or via social media.

For one local resident, the transportation of the Cyril and Lilian Bishop proved to be a highly charged experience. Kevin Boorman, referred to by many as ‘Mr Hastings’ after serving the town for more than a quarter of a century, was on hand to photograph its final journey. His great uncle, George Moon, was cox of the boat and sailed it to Dover in June 1940, where it was commandeered by the Royal Navy to take part in Operation Dynamo to help evacuate allied soldiers trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk.