Legend: Favourite's First Move

Harry Hurford-Janes gave the Trust a set of cartoons dating from 1952 when he had Favourite hauled into his cottage garden. Until recently, these damaged photographic negatives remained in an envelope, but cleaned and scanned we have an illustrated story of Favourite's first move. The artist is possibly John Golding, but we would value firm information on this. (Please click to magnify the cartoons)

Purchased for £100, Favourite was to be moved up the steep beach into the garden beside Favourite Cottage. At that time, the garden merged gently into the beach, but the 1953 sea wall had been agreed and would have prevented the move. Plans were made, assisted by the group of local 'experts' shown to the left, who congregated to watch and offer advice. Can anyone recognise these characters?

May 2005

The first attempt involved a winch and dogs (greased planks placed under the hull). Ropes were obtained and labour engaged. But disaster struck as the winch was pulled out of the ground. Naturally, problems had been predicted by the onlooking experts, but there was some debate as to whether the exact nature of the disaster had been forseen.

A couple of weeks later a number of tractors and a lorry with a motor winch were engaged by Hurford-Janes and Favourite was hauled safely into his cottage garden. The sea wall was completed but only the next winter - February 1st 1953 - the sea overtopped the wall, which had to be raised still further with the wave wall we see today.

Whether Favourite was involved in smuggling is not known. Smuggling was mainly an activity of earlier times, although then rife judging by the number of coastguard stations including the Coastguard Cottages at the end of Nelson Road. The final cartoon romantically celebrates the landing of spirits and other contraband during a foggy night.