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Ship sails back to its home dock
In memory of her late mother Joyce Medcalf, Kathryn Harrison (right) has donated a scale model of the steamer EBO (built in 1901 at Lytham shipyard) to Lytham Heritage Group. Also pictured are Lytham Heritage Group archivist Sue Swatridge and chairman Alan Ashton.
LYTHAM Heritage Group has been presented with some fascinating mementoes of the town’s proud shipbuilding history.
Kathryn Harrison, who now lives on the Isle of Man but was born and brought up in Lytham, has strong family connections to the shipyard.
On the death of her mother, Joyce Medcalf, Kathryn felt it appropriate to hand back the items to the town in which they originated.
The artefacts were passed on to Mrs Medcalf by her stepfather Vernon Coltar of Preston Road, Lytham, who worked at the town’s shipyard.
Centrepiece of the collection is a scale model of a twin Screw Steel Steamer, the Ebo. The model, housed in a wooden case, was professionally built by the Lytham Shipbuilding and Engineering Company as an advertisement for potential clients.
In addition to the model, which is to go on display at Lytham Heritage Centre, Kathryn has donated a large number of historic photographs.
Lytham Heritage Group chairman Alan Ashton said: “We are so grateful to Kathryn. This is an important part of Lytham’s history.”
Lytham shipyard was founded in 1888 when the Preston firm of shipbuilders, Richard Smith and Company, was forced to leave its works on the banks of the Ribble when the river was diverted to form the new Preston Dock.
In 1893, with a change of personnel, the company name was changed to Lytham Shipbuilding and Engineering and a number of members of the Friedenthal family joined the firm. They went on to run it until its closure in 1955.
The shipyard employed as many as 400 men at one time.
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Weather for Lytham
Saturday 25 May 2013
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