This is one of a set of three films commissioned by the YFA from students from York St John University. They feature interviews with an ex-fishermen and ex-seaman, a fish merchant's son, and fishing historian Robb Robinson. The films cover the history of fishing in Hull with footage from films held by the YFA of fishing at sea and of St Andrew's Docks. Record 2 A film by Kirsty Angus, Jeffrey Pettit, Ben Nicholson The film opens on a fishing boat followed by a fishing trawler out on...

This is one of a set of three films commissioned by the YFA from students from York St John University. They feature interviews with an ex-fishermen and ex-seaman, a fish merchant's son, and fishing historian Robb Robinson. The films cover the history of fishing in Hull with footage from films held by the YFA of fishing at sea and of St Andrew's Docks. Record 2 A film by Kirsty Angus, Jeffrey Pettit, Ben Nicholson The film opens on a fishing boat followed by a fishing trawler out on a rough North Sea. The film switches from black and white to colour and is accompanied with a traditional fishing tune. Jim Williams explains that he and all his family were brought up on the Hessle Road in Hull, born within half a mile of the fish docks. It was in an age when boys invariably followed their fathers into whatever industry they worked in. In the background bobbers are shown at work in St Andrew's Dock. In the first 6 months of 1946 fishermen only got 36 hours on land after 3 weeks at sea, going up to 24 hours and then 3 days. Robb Robinson explains that in that short time on shore seamen would make the most of it, getting dressed up and going to the pub or club, and out dancing. He then tells how fishermen, having a dangerous and uncertain job, were very superstitious. He mother would never wash on the day his father went off to sea, because it was said that you were washing away the luck. According to Williams, green was meant to be an unlucky colour, although two different firms on the dock had their ships painted green. He got married in the same church as his parents, as did his own children. Canon Tardrew deliberately painted the pews in the church on St George's Road green, as they still are. He explains that when he was a child, before the Second World War, rather than sing sea shanties, they used to tune in to the American Forces network and listen to country and western music such as Jimmie Rodgers and Patsy Cline. The sea shanties go back to sail and the clipper ships. There is more archive film of fishing out at sea accompanied by traditional music. Robb Robinson passes on a tale told by his uncle about being on an armed trawler, the King Saul, during the Second World War, and obtaining a grand piano from a stranded ship off Norway, which they played for the remainder of the war. Williams explains that fishermen were paid, not according to what they caught, but for what it sold for; so they hoped to land when there was least ships at the dock when demand would be high. Come pay day, the fishermen were known as 'millionaires for a day', when they would spend their money. After a brief view from a ship of ice floating on the water, Jim Williams explains the painting behind him which shows a view of the dock from the manager's office, in the 1950s and 1960s, when there was up to 150 plus ships sailing off from Hull. Jim Williams had sailed in five of the ships in the painting. A narrator reads out a poem, 'Fishy Business' by Mark Walmsley, starting, "Scallywags in filthy clothes, worn and ragged". This is accompanied with images of the sea, bringing in a haul of fish and of the docks and the filleting of fish. On board a ship the crew sit around a large table to eat, switching between old and more recent film. End Credits - Many thanks to the interviewees: Robb Robinson and Jim Williams, the Ocks Ceilish Band - Amble, Northumberland, Lucy Harris, Mark Walmsley, Don Bemrose www.thisishull.com and the East Riding Dialect Society