Winkle Club will remember lovedones and honour former seafarers

Following on from the success of last year's event, the Hastings Winkle Club will be holding their special Old Town Christmas Remembrance evening again this year from 6pm on Saturday December 17
Hastings' Winkle Club's Christmas Remembrance Processional. Photo by Sid Saunders. SUS-151220-123102001Hastings' Winkle Club's Christmas Remembrance Processional. Photo by Sid Saunders. SUS-151220-123102001
Hastings' Winkle Club's Christmas Remembrance Processional. Photo by Sid Saunders. SUS-151220-123102001

Under the title ‘Christmas-Time To Remember,’ it will provide an opportunity for Old Towners who served in the RNLI, Her Majesty’s Coastguard, as fishermen or as Winkle Club members to be remembered by their families, friends and loved ones.

Also for the first time this year, a wreath will be laid to commemorate those from the Old Town who lost their lives in the service of their Country.

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Special ‘Message Boxes’ will be placed at key locations in the Old Town from Saturday November 12. at the RNLI Lifeboat House, the Fishermen’s Museum, the Fishermen’s Protection Society in Rock-A-Nore Road, John the Cobblers in the High Street and the Fishermen’s Institute in All Saints Street. Message cards can be completed at all the locations or posted C/O The Fishermen’s Institute, 97, All Saints Street,TN34 3BE. The message cards will eventually be transferred to Christmas Trees on Winkle Island.

At 6pm on Saturday December 17, those wishing to participate are asked to gather at the Priscilla MacBean site in Old London Road where a short service of remembrance will be held at around 6.30pm. Then at approximately 7.15pm., a procession will move off down All Saints Street, led by a lone piper, to Winkle Island, where wreaths will be laid commemorating those from the key seafaring services and associations. A number of dignitaries will be attending and refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the event.

Chairman of the Winkle Club’s Fundraising and Promotions sub-committee, Fran Craig said: “Many people, especially from the Old Town, have said how much they appreciated last year’s event and so it seemed only right and proper to meet their request for another reflective, remembrance opportunity during this year’s Christmas season.

“The Winkle Club is pleased to be able to coordinate this very moving act of commemoration.”

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