3 Things to do to mark National Maritime Day in the Humber

The day commemorates all those who work and have worked at sea, with a specific focus on their wellbeing. Working at sea in any capacity is tough, as those that are friends or family of sailors, seamen, trawlermen, or fishermen will certainly have been told.

The sea can present endless opportunities, whether it is providing fish and other sea creatures for food, or where we are increasingly using to power our homes and businesses. Indeed, the Humber region owes a lot of what it is to the sea and those who have worked, and still do, in the fishing and maritime industries.

Here are three ways you can celebrate and acknowledge National Maritime Day

1 - LEARN MORE ABOUT HULL’S ‘HEADSCARF REVOLUTIONARIES’

During the late 1960s and the early 1970s a group of women from the Hessle Road fishing area of Hull got fed up with the lack of consideration to health and safety on trawlers and took matters into their own hands. They became national legends and changed the face of deep sea fishing for good.

‘Big Lil’ Bilocca and her supporters used their formidable characters and determination to improve safety aboard ships after three trawlers and many men were lost in the space of three weeks. There are some tributes to them in and around Hull, including some blue plaques and a mural depicting the most notable members of the Hessle Road Women’s Committee which is on Hessle Road close to the junction with St George’s Road. There is also a mural of Lil Bilocca on Anlaby Road close to Hull Paragon Station

Learn more about the Headscarf Revolutionaries at https://fishingnews.co.uk/fishing-nostalgia/triple-trawler-disaster-hulls-headscarf-revolutionaries/

2 - VISIT A MARITIME MUSEUM.

A superb museum for learning about life at sea is Hull Maritime Museum, though you will have to wait until 2025 as it’s currently closed to the public for a £30m refurbishment project funded by Hull City Council and The National Lottery Fund. It’s set to be better than ever with even more maritime history on display than before.

We highly recommend the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre which exhibits life through the years through the eyes of those who lived and worked (and still do) in the fishing industry in and around the Humber. It’s very interactive and great for people of all ages to get a taste of what life at sea is all about.

3 – GO ON A BOAT TRIP

There are lots of opportunities in the Humber region to see boats and to even go aboard for your own seafaring adventure.

Grab three friends and hire a tour of the Humber with Ultramarine

Or if you have more friends, how about a 12 person trip from Grimsby with Sea Charters Grimsby? Anyone up for a spot of dolphin spotting?