Peter Fairbairn
Peter belongs to: Cullercoats RNLI
Peter was born in Simpson Street in Cullercoats. From an early age he wanted to be a fisherman and lifeboatman. Peter fished from a coble, herring drifters and trawlers.
Peter was interviewed by Carl Greenwood on 24 November 2005. The interview took place at the Interviewee's living room and lasted 1 hour, 4 minutes and 38 seconds.
The RNLI
"Well, I was connected with Cullercoats lifeboat practically all my life"
Well, I was connected with Cullercoats lifeboat practically all my life, like I told you right at the very beginning, and when I did come ashore out of my own boat, the secretary said, he said, “Peter, would you like to start as a DLA?”- that’s a Deputy Launching Authority, when the secretary’s not there you’ve got authority to launch the boat. I said, “aye,” so I took that job and then I think I was, no, I did, or was it the secretary retired and then the Chairman, the Branch Chairman packed in, so I was asked to take over the Branch Chairman’s job, so I had the DLA job and Branch Chairman’s and I would have liked to have carried on, but age again, it’s telling you, you know, at seventy I had to pack it in, so that was it. But would have liked to have…
That’s why I go, I keep going down on a Sunday morning to, I wouldn’t say keep my hand, but just like the craic and different things. But I was in, in the lifeboat for a little while, when I had my own boat. I came up the trawlers, I came up the lifeboat when I was in the trawlers and when I did have my own boat, started using it again, you know. Years ago, before modernisation come in and what have you, what they’ve got now, it was a good bunch of lads, it, you know, I would say, one of the best clubs in the world to be in. That was another close knit family I had.
Peter has 19 memories in the memorynet:
Peter's memories with a Change theme:
Changes in equipment- Changes at the Fish quay and the in the fishing community
Photograph of Peter- The Akede
Peter's other memories:
This memory has these themes:
Community | Volunteering
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