Wreck of Sirene and Sea Wall 1892, photo from Grundy's collection
Below is some information on four shipwrecks in Blackpool, taken from this website: http://rmhh.co.uk/blackpool.html
1755
The Fylde Coast had its share of Shipwrecks in the old days, and being sparsely populated it was a common thing for the inhabitants to help themselves before the Coast Guards or Excise Officers could get to the wreck.
A ship named "The Travers" was wrecked on the coast, it had a cargo of Lace, and there was "Travers Lace" in homes all over the Fylde for years after.
1779
Owing to there being a bad summer and poor crops, food was scarce. During the autumn, a ship was wrecked on the Coast which, among other articles, was carrying a cargo of peas. This was raided and helped out the food supply and the wreck became known as "The Pea Soup Wreck".
1839
A ship called "The Crusader" was wrecked at South Shore, and a few Marton men were sent to Prison having been caught taking silk from the wreck.
1892
Wreck of "The Sirene" against the North Pier, the crew managed to climb onto the Pier to safety. (Pictured above).
Ideas for School Project
1. Ask the class to illustrate a shipwreck story with line drawings and then create a print, using a piece of shiny silver card and the shell of a biro. Scratch deep marks onto the card with the biro and then wash over the card with ink or watered down acrylic paint. Place a piece of white card over the silver card and press down (use a printing roller if possible). Peel off for the finished print.
This idea was inspired by Contemporary Artists - Daniel Arsham (image below)
2. Film or record the children re-enacting the shipwreck as if they were survivors or locals. Fill in the missing gaps in the stories, like where the ships were going, why it crashed, what happened to the survivors and how tasty the pea soup was.
