Just putting some thoughts down.Where i personally am up to.

And what i am going to try to find out.

I was just looking once again at the lifeboats history.As best as i can.

I will tell you what questions i am going to be asking just to clear some points up.

As the next few hours go on then i will know where i am up to.

A letter in the Times talks of one in 1885.

1896-The Samuel Fletcher Of Manchester Lifeboat delivered to Blackpool.The second one.

Delivered December 1896.

1897 June the 16th-The Fuodroyant Nelsons former flagship.Wrecked off the coast.

A hurricane force storm blew up just before 6am.

28 crewmen saved by 16 lifeboatmen from Blackpool's lifeboat the Samuel Fletcher.

So perhaps this was the first rescue made by the new Samuel Fletcher.

Around the 1900s ships began to have engines so perhaps demands on lifeboats reduced a touch.Perhaps the ships could power themselves out of trouble not as before when the sails were ripped to shreds.In storms.

1930 Sold by the RNLI For £70 after finishing service.

Used on Stanley Park Lake Blackpool for tours.Till the 80s.Still trying to find exact dates.

So probably in a strange way why it is still around today.One of anyway.There are more reasons why it is still around today.And why it nearly wasn't as well.Not dwelling on those.

Then stored in the boathouse.

Then when restoration or turning boathouse into something else was put outside where the lifeboat started

deteriorating some say.How long was it in the boathouse.Before this happened.

Was it in the boathouse forgotten about for over 30 years.

You could not write this stuff.

Seem to remember go carts in there at one time.

The Samuel Fletcher of Manchester was then saved from oblivion by a few Blackpool people and placed at TS Penelope with the intention of the cadets making it into a project.

In 2009 perhaps.

Who were these people and how did they move it.

I feel once again Bruce somewhere along the line is involved once again.

And i still have tales to tell about his fascinating life.

Unfortunately this did not happen. The Samuel Fletcher of Manchester was then moved to the Illuminations department at Squires Gate Lane and is earmarked to be moved to Hayling Island, near Portsmouth, for renovation.

I will try to find out when this may take place.

How long was the lifeboat at TS Penelope before being moved to its present location.

About 3 years i feel.

Who made the decision to move it to the Illuminations Dept at Squires gate.

And how and when was this done.

Roughly early 2012.

And of course how is,and when and where is the examination of the lifeboat to work out how much the renovation will cost.

Not long i feel.

And is there a need for a restoration fund or are there funds available.

I myself if needed will make a contribution to any fund if needed.

Why was it called the Samuel Fletcher Of Manchester.How did it get here.

I have just been looking at family trees of Samuel Fletchers here and there.Just in case.So much history.

Just a few answers now that over a little time i will find out.

Getting a little closer i feel.

Well got tired of things.Had a rest away from this story.

Trying to find out if The Samuel Fletcher Of Manchester lifeboat is to be restored.

So much history so much bravery.

Talked to a chap a couple of months ago.

He said to me.No one is bothered about this historic lifeboat.Under a canvas sheet somewhere in this town

Well a Blackpool museum is to be formed.Perhaps things are underway.I will find out.

It deserves its place there.

So i will ask some questions to people in position.Who may know a thing or two.

Roused me again when he said that to me.Brought it closer to the surface so i can find it again.Easily.

Many thousands of people have sailed on it when it was decommissioned and used for touring on Stanley Park Lake. 70 pounds that is all it was sold for.

And probably why it is still around in a strange way.

When a elderly gentleman says no one cares about this historic lifeboat to me what can i do.

Let us find out.

Give me a week or two.Maybe less.

If anyone wants to contact me about this story,has any photos any cine,film footage i will put my email and mobile on now.Have you a story to tell.I bet many have.

Email- [email protected]

Mobile-07490605169.

I am getting a strange feeling the renovation of the Samuel Fletcher Of Manchester lifeboat,the oldest oar driven lifeboat left in the world at Hayling Island at Portsmouth is not going to happen.

Why i do not know,but i will find out.And hope i am wrong.

So at the moment the lifeboat must still be under canvas at the illuminations department feeling sad and neglected and saying to itself ,do i deserve this fate.I rescued the crew of the Fuodroyant Nelsons Flagship,gave so many pleasure.

People gave their lives to rescue people who have sailed on me in all kinds of weather.I am nearly as old as the Town.The Blackpool Tower so many things.Why am i rotting away under canvas,nobody to see me.The Town should be proud not treat me like this.

In 2007, the £5m Heritage lottery grant funded restoration of Blackpool’s award winning Stanley Park was completed on time and within budget.

Why was i not restored then does no one care.Was i forgotten what service i gave.

Instead of living in what seems like a cave.

See how old i am.When i arrived let us look at what was going on in the world.

Why am i under canvas.Look at this man who sailed on me,see what he gave,see what men these lifeboatmen were and still are.

Why am i treated this way.

And this was only one man.A hero Footballer,lifeboatman who played for Blackpool and Liverpool who then went on to give his life for a friend.

John Parkinson died from his injuries

http://kjellhanssen.com/1911/12/20/john-parkinson-died-from-his-injuries/

A member of the Blackpool Lifeboat

Crew for twenty years

Never shall his memory fade.”

1896

Lifeboat delivered to Blackpool 1896.A leap year i believe.

Boar war-Battle of Doornkop South Africa-Boars beat Dr Jamesons troops

Utah admitted as 45th state.

1st car in Detroit-horseless carriage

Marines land in Nicaragua to protect US citizens

Modern Olympics began in Athens, Greece

1st Olympic games close at Athens, Greece

1st edition of London Daily Mail (halfpenny)

1st horseless carriage show in London (featured 10 models)

Dow Jones begins an index of 12 industrial stocks (closing is 40.94)

Last Czar of Russia, Nicholas II, crowned

1st car accident occurs, Henry Wells hit a bicyclist (NYC)

W S Hadaway patents electric stove

Harvey Hubbell patents electric light bulb socket with a pull chain

Queen Victoria surpasses her grandfather King George III as the longest reigning monarch in British history.

The Glasgow Underground Railway is opened by the Glasgow District Subway Company.

I hope i am wrong and secretly work and planning is going on behind the scenes.

Not the first time i have said that.

Is it really true,no one is bothered but people like me.I understand there are some.

Can no one in power get things done.30 thousand to be done roughly.

I made more than that as a tour boat taking people on tours round Stanley Park Lake for decades.

In 2007, the £5m Heritage lottery grant funded restoration of Blackpool’s award winning Stanley Park was completed on time and within budget.

Why was i not restored then does no one care.Was i forgotten what service i gave.

Instead of living in what seems like a cave.

Blackpool Council has today received £1.24 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the development of the Blackpool Museum project.

2015

Together with funding from Blackpool Council and volunteer support this creates a £1.6 million pot for the development stage of the project.

https://www.blackpool.gov.uk/News/2014/May/Blackpool-Museum-secures-Heritage-Lottery-Fund-support.aspx

Following the development stage Blackpool Council will apply for £20 Million for the implementation of the museum.

I will say to the council if you renovate this Lifeboat i will show you how to get your money back and more for good causes like the RNLI Within a 18 months of renovation and putting in the right place.

Want the challenge.

Well i have contacted two MPS and the local paper today. Saying do you know when the Samuel Fletcher of Manchester Lifeboat is to be restored.

What else can you do when a elderly gentleman who cares so much about this lifeboat says No one cares about it.No one is interested.Any more.

I know what this man has done for the lifeboat but not told anyone.I am so sad for him.

At the moment but i am a optimist.

Well i can see the potential benefits for many in this Country if it is restored.

For now i can do no more but wait for answers to the questions i have sent.

Someone help this Lifeboat to be restored.

I am going to contact Bruce Allan today.He does not use computers,he is 70 odd now.

And knows every square inch of the lifeboat.

And wondering probably what is happening to the Lifeboat at this very moment.And probably knows.

The Lifeboat he has done so much for.

His dream to restore,pull the Samuel Fletcher Of Manchester Lifeboat on its Bogey through the streets of Blackpool by horse as in Victorian Times to a safe place.He has even asked some people who have horses on Marton Moss if they could help when the time arrived.

They said Yes.

Then people can admire it and wonder.

My part of the story began on a walk one boiling day in July 2013.Came across a shipwreck,that is all.

A story with a beginning ,a middle but no end.

And am just telling A Tale Of The Shoreline.

I have noticed in this thread on page 1 my email address is wrong it has changed since then as has my mobile number.

So if anyone wants to have a chat,say anything i will put it on again.My new one.

If anyone wants to contact me about this story,has any photos any cine,film footage i will put my email and mobile on now.

[removed]

One last thought i hope when walking i hope another story does not appear.

Believe one is emerging from Cleveleys,with connections to Africa,Crafts, young people there.

May have to stop walking.

Off the shoreline anyway.

Off now down to the Shoreline for a while.Collect a few pieces of Driftwood,Sea Glass, Ambergris, see the dolphins leaping,the seals swimming.The migrating birds.

Find some peace for a while.

10-36am Tuesday 6th Oct 2015.

Update 14.55pm Tuesday 6th October.2015

I have just spoken to Bruce Allan.

He said that Blackpool Council have applied for funding for the new Museum to be in the Winter Gardens.

The Samuel Fletcher Lifeboat Of Manchester Lifeboat is i believe to be included.

I had not read this anywhere or heard this before.

Bruce himself feels that the rightful place for the Lifeboat would be in the original Boathouse on Lytham Road which last time i looked was empty.The place that many rescues were carried out and history and atmosphere

remains.The picture of the boathouse is somewhere on this thread.

And would give something to South Shore that has been going through some hard times.

But is happy that the lifeboat appears to be safe.

So at least for now i will move on to other stories and return to this as and when things start moving.

And any other developments good or bad.Will be keeping a sharp eye on things.

Now where what was i doing before this came up again.

Ah i remember Cleveleys now.Just up the coast.A story to be told about Crafts,a man that had vision,a connection to Africa and the young people there.

Bye for now.

Tawnyowl.

Well i will not leave it at that.A song for anyone who has read this thread through.You deserve that.

As does The Samuel Fletcher Of Manchester Lifeboat.

Rumours about the lifeboat that i hope may be fact-we will see.

A lifeboat ,probably the oldest surviving oar driven lifeboat left in the world.

Link to a Heroic footballer,Nelson, Shipwrecks and more.

A True Tale Of The Shoreline.

To the Lifeboat

Nothing is set in stone,till it is i will not stop writing about you.

Going to make sure you never turn to driftwood.

You have been drifting for a long long time,drifting for a long long time.

Till you reach the shore i will not give up.

You will return home.Back where you belong.

Why was this historic Lifeboat not restored years ago.

The tune.

So a tune while i find out more.May take a little time.

Well just a short update.I realise when looking back through this thread i got a little roused at times.

But publicising your thoughts and feelings although once published they are out there for ever can come back to haunt you a little.

Some stories out there about myself from things that have happened in my life,non criminal make me wonder whether i should have opened up.

But life is full of surprises and you can rise up or fall down into the depths just as quick.Most of my stories have shown the failure side of my life.

And people seem to like reading them.

And i do not regret the failures in my life it happens.It could have been the other way but wasn't,so what.You just move on.

But this one seems to be turning out differently.

I do not regret writing this story and sometimes it is surprising who reads them.

I will be writing a much larger post soon when my facts are 100% and i have met certain people.

But reading this story online helped someone who decided along with some other brave souls to restore the Samuel Fletcher Of Manchester Lifeboat.

I spoke to Bruce Allen and his wife a month or so ago.Although Bruce is ill he talked to me.

As i have said before Bruce is a special man the kind of man once met you never forget.

Being so busy with other stories and life events i had not checked how the Lifeboat was for some time.

I was brought up to speed and emails were exchanged from different places fast.

So the historic Lifeboat is being restored now and thought you who have followed this thread may like to follow the group restoring it and perhaps wish them well.

Maybe follow the group or even join the group as the Lifeboat slowly gets restored.I am sure they would appreciate you wishing them well in what must be a difficult,time consuming project.

Exciting events are happening and you may find it interesting to see the finished product in time to come.

I am just a teller of Tales Of The Shoreline,sometimes if roused enough i write about them,that is all.

So here is the group restoring the lifeboat.

Group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/samuelfletcherlifeboat/about/

Photos.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/samuelfletcherlifeboat/photos/

Have a look around.I am hoping soon to meet and take photos videos and write a few things as work progresses and will update regularly.

This story has a beginning a middle but not at the end yet.

But the tide has turned and the Samuel Fletcher of Manchester Lifeboat will not be turning into Driftwood any day soon.

A story that will have a happy ending,who would believe it.

And will be here when it does.

Bye for now .

Tawnyowl.

Just one more thing.Due to every now and again my computers blowing up etc,hard drives etc frying and not being that clued up on computers my email and mobile

are changing from time to time.

[removed - HB]

As this historic Lifeboat was a cruiser on Stanley Park Lake Blackpool for many years after finishing service if anyone has any cine,photos memories send them to the group or myself and i will pass them on.Tens of thousands of people have been on this Lifeboat and will not realise they have travelled,cruised on the Lifeboat that rescued the crew of the Foudroyant Nelsons former Flagship when wrecked of Blackpool way back in June 1897.

Bye again i will return.

Tawnyowl.

TO, I've removed your contact details I'm afraid. We don't advise publishing them on a public forum.

HB

Thanks honeybee13.Nice to have someone keeping watch.I can get a little carried away at times.

Bye for now.

Tawnyowl.