James B Graham / Lizzie Porter rescue centenary 2022

The children have been learning about the rescue of the James B Graham which ran aground on Castlehead Rocks in 1922 - 100 years ago this year.   Thelma, from the Holy Island archives, had been into school to tell the children all about it and show them photos of the crew and the men and women who helped launch the Lizzie Porter lifeboat during a terrible storm and as the tide was on the way out.  Thelma's mother was one of the women who was up to her neck in the sea helping to launch the heavy lifeboat.
 
The children have been writing newspaper reports about the rescue and on Thursday 7th April we went to Holy Island to re-create the rescue.  The weather wasn’t the best we’ve had, but it did add to the authenticity of the re-creation of the launch of the Lizzie Porter lifeboat in a storm!  The children enjoyed playing the parts of the James B Graham crew and the rescuing villagers.  We were fortunate enough to meet up with Dick Patterson and Thelma Dunne who both have ancestors that took part in the rescue.  Dick also taught the children an excellent sea shanty which they very much enjoyed learning.
 
The children have produced some lovely work linked to this rescue and this will go on display on Holy Island in the near future.  We hope you get a chance to go along to the old lifeboat station and see it.