Fishing folk and the history of Bridlington harbour – new exhibition at Sewerby Hall

‘Individuals: At Sea –The Harbour That Forged Them’ launches at Sewerby Hall and Gardens on Saturday 21 September and runs until Sunday 10 November.

The exhibition is a combination of the history of Bridlington harbour written by Janice Smith, curator at the venue, together with a series of portraits of local members of the town’s fishing community by artist Leanne Broadbent, and photographs of the time.

Leanne’s grandfather was local fisherman Leonard Broadbent - the inspiration for the exhibition.

The exhibition also includes an installation to celebrate 200 years of the RNLI and marine conservation by pupils of Bay Primary School in Bridlington.

Janice Smith, curator, said: “We are celebrating the fisherfolk of this part of the east coast and commemorating Leanne’s grandfather.

“Leanne’s series of portraits feature local people who made their living on and volunteered to serve around the sea at Bridlington.

“This year also celebrates 200 years of the RNLI, arguably the seafarers’ emergency service.”

The show explains the harbour and town date back to before Roman times, how it became known as a safe landing for the Anglians of Holland and Germany, a significant trading post during the Tudor period and the strategic importance of the bay during the English Civil War in the mid-1600s.

Leonard Shaw Broadbent was born in Hull on 29 March 1924. When he was young, the family moved to Bridlington, where his father was an inshore fisherman working on the coble Frances.

Aged 18 in 1942, Leonard – known as Len – enlisted and joined the Royal Navy. He was involved in many troop landings including the Allied invasions on Sicily, at Salerno on the Amalfi coast and naturally the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy.

After the War, Len married and had two sons, and later became co-owner of the coble Frances with Roy Broadbent, taking parties from the harbour to fish in Bridlington Bay and off Flamborough Head.

Visit www.sewerbyhall.co.uk for more information, opening times and admission prices.