The history of the land and people of Spurn Point told by Bro Fred Walkington MBE.

About the talk:  The talk is a new look at the history of Spurn point, the changes and the uses it has been put to over the years through the people who lived on the point, and how recent changes have impacted on the area.

About the speaker:    Fred Walkington was born in Bridlington where he lives with his wife Carol.

His family have lived in Bridlington and Flamborough since 1720. They have been connected with the Lifeboat since 1871 that can be traced.

Fred joined the Bridlington lifeboat crew in 1965 at the age of 19 after being part of the launching crew for 3 years. In 1975 he became the youngest RNLI volunteer Coxswain in the country.

He held the position as Coxswain for 25 years, until he had to stand down on reaching the RNLI’S age limit of 55 for lifeboat crew members.  In 48 years connected with the RNLI he went on 427 service launches as a volunteer lifeboat man.  He was awarded 2 RNLI bronze medals, 5 RNLI Thanks on Vellum certificates and several RNLI letters of thanks in recognition of outstanding lifesaving rescues.

In 200 years of its existence there have been 6 Bridlington lifeboat service launches to which RNLI medals have been awarded, Fred has been on 5 of these launches, 3 as a crew member, 2 as Coxswain. An unparalleled feat at Bridlington.  During the time he served on the lifeboat, it was officially credited by the RNLI with saving 420 lives.

His youngest son Grant has been a lifeboat crew member since the age of 17, now holding the position of coxswain and continues the long family tradition with the Bridlington Lifeboat.

The first Walkington was recorded as being a crew member of one the two lifeboats that took part in rescues during the great gale of  the 10^th February 1871.

In the Queen’s 2001 New Years honours list, Fred was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, MBE.  For his contribution to Maritime Safety.

In 2005 Fred published a book detailing the history of the Bridlington Lifeboats since its founding in 1805, 19 years before the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwrecks forerunner of the RNLI was formed.

All the money from the sale of these books Fred and his wife Carol have donated to the RNLI.

This event is for members & their guests only.