1/2 Today at St Cuthberts, Churchtown, a memorial service at the graves of the 7 shrimpers drowned after becoming disoriented in fog on 26th Jan 1869, they were buried 29th Jan. The disaster resulted in the construction of the Marshside fogbell which we are currently restoring.

2/2 The flowers placed on each shrimpers grave at St Cuthberts consist of both blue and yellow blooms to represent the sea and sand that provided their income but also claimed their lives. Thanks to Rev Rebecca Clarke for the service & Tom Hodge florist for donating the posies.

1/4 Today was the funeral of John Wright, aged 92. The last man to ring the Marshside fogbell in anger as it were, as a 15 y o during a thick fog in 1945. The then bell ringer, an old man was exhausted so John took over and rang the bell for over 8 hours.

2/4 until the shrimper caught up in the fog made it safely back to dry land. To give John Wright a final send off, his funeral procession stopped outside the Marshside fogbell today while we rang the bell 8 times.

3/4 The bell was rung 7 times for the 7 shrimpers who were drowned on 26th January 1869, a disaster which led to the construction of the fogbell building we are currently restoring. The 8th ring of the bell was for John, g g grandson of John Rimmer, one of the seven lost in 1869.

4/4 Crew members from Southport Lifeboat stood outside the fogbell to give John a final farewell. A great send off and a great story, one which will certainly feature once the fogbell micro museum opens up, it’s theme being “lives along the coast & saving lives along the coast.”

Fantastic to see this historic Southport landmark being restored! If you would like to support the appeal please visit: bit.ly/3JQxPRR #StandUpForSouthport #Southport #Marshside #heritage #appeal NW Heritage standupforsouthport.com/historic-marsh…

ANCIENT WIRRAL BOAT TO BE INVESTIGATED wirralarchaeology.org/pages/2023/02/…

Thanks to Andrew Brown (Stand Up For Southport) for this great feature on the fogbell restoration project. We are still trying to raise funds to get the restoration work done and then we will start work on the fogbell virtual museum online. Watch this space!

Podcast on civil war sieges of Lathom by Mark Turnbull Author. Archaeological excavations there over the past 5 years have provided the NW Heritage team with a fascinating insight into the time between the final years of Lathom Castle & the building of the new Lathom House in the 18th c

So very excited to have been commissioned by Pen & Sword Books to write a biography of Prince Rupert of the Rhine! 'King Charles I's Cavalier Commander' #CavalierCommander 🥷Now to gallop off & raid archives up and down the country!

An enormous thank you to Dave Walshe Secret Sand Land for helping to move the Marshside fogbell restoration project a little further forward today. Chimney uncapped, rebuilt and pot fitted. The fogbell is now looking a little more like it was originally built. Next job, the roof!

Perplexed! Back in Jan 22 we sent a box of splitting wedges to Sutton Hoo Ship's Company to help with their Sutton Hoo ship project. After that, never gave it a thought. Until today, 17 months later when they were delivered back to us, obviously never having reached their destination!

A very busy weekend for the NW Heritage team with a Heritage Open Day at Scarisbrick Mausoleum, Southport, yesterday. Visitors got to see this beautiful Neo Romanesque building that is being painstakingly restored to its former glory. #Scarisbrick #Crossens #Southport

Today NW Heritage team were at Lathom showcasing our projects for Heritage Open Day. On display were finds from the #Lathom Castle excavations including civil war projectiles & ornate plasterwork from the remains of the 18th c Leoni mansion built on top of the castle ruins

New sign boards being fitted to the Marshside Fogbell, one of North Meols hidden gems. Open day 28th October 11-4. #southport #northmeols

Saturday 28th October: Marshside Fogbell open day. Display of material by various groups and organisations on the theme of “Life along the coast, saving lives along the coast”.

The Scarisbrick Family Mausoleum, Rufford Rd, #Crossens. Built to designs by the renowned local architect Ernest Walter Johnson in Romanesque style between 1899-1901. (EWJ also designed the #Southport lifeboat memorials) #31DaysOfGraves Day 24- Chapel (internal 📸 NW Heritage)

With the anniversary of the Eliza Fernley disaster coming up next weekend, the biggest loss of life of any lifeboat operation, heres the Secret Sand Land podcast on a brief history of the lifeboat service of the Southport coast. open.spotify.com/episode/1CH8Dc…

26th January marks the anniversary of the loss of 7 Marshside men who were drowned after getting caught in a dense fog whilst shrimping.Please join us at their gravesides to remember all those who lost along our coast. 1pm 26th January 2025 St Cuthberts, Churchtown PR9 7NR.