Vintage Views with Aled Jones: An image of the 1936 Bridlington Sea Angling Festival
A vacant room was nearly impossible to find
During the 1930s, sea angling and local competitions grew in popularity along the Yorkshire coast, sponsored by the Bridlington Angling Association.
These competitions were not confined to the beaches and piers, and so dozens of motor and sailing cobles took participants out on trips. It was a highly lucrative sideline for our local fishermen.
While nearby Scarborough gained major fame in the 1930s for big-game tunny (tuna) fishing (the British Tunny Club was formed there), Bridlington's competitive anglers focused more on catching prize-winning cod.
In 1930, a 735 lb tunny was captured off Scarborough by a Mr Fred Taylor. A fish that size must certainly have put up a fight with the struggle lasting for several hours!
This vintage 1935 RPPC is a joy. A Yule card produced as advertisement for the annual Angling Festival to be held the following year, it carries the message: “With the compliments of the President and Committee of the Bridlington Sea Angling Festival. Please book this date now: 1936 Festival, Sept. 14th-19th inclusive.”
The festival regularly drew large fleets of boats packed with competitive men and women. Since its baptism (1920s), it had been a source of tourist attraction as hundreds of elite match anglers from across the land took part in each year’s event.
Over the period of six days that the festival was held, a vacant room was nearly impossible to find!
Our retro photo image depicts motor and sailing cobles identical to the ones used to take competitors to the Bridlington cod banks.
The large purpose-built motor vessel Princess Marina is moored in the left background. She was built in 1928 in Great Yarmouth and arrived here in 1935 to run leisure excursions. Despite being hugely popular, she remained at Bridlington only until 1948 after which she ran at Whitby.
Remarkably, she continues today with Thames River cruise of Reading, still named Princess Marina, and was named National Historic Ship of the Year in 2022!
After nearly a century, it’s amazing to think how many have sailed on her, the thrills they enjoyed, and the memories they took back home with them. Long may she voyage!