A Thousand Miles Apart Nigel Hallworth 2009
Chorus : (and after every three verses except the last )
A thousand miles apart – Cornwall and Orkney
A thousand miles apart – Longhope and Penlee
Launch again boys, Put to sea again boys
To the sea,
That’s where I must go
Go where the wind blows
Pray for me
That I come home safely to thee.
Susan and Sadie and Girl Sybil
Daisy and Doona, Louise and Hazel
Plucked from the seas men who thought they would die
By the crews of the boats of the RNLI
Ben Barves and Gava and Silver Dolphin,
Anthony Stevenson, Emu and Trim
Plucked from the seas men who thought they would die
By the crews of the boats of the RNLI
Ivan Ferrer, Valle de Butron,
Golden Corn, Slipalong and Lead On
Plucked from the seas men who thought they would die
By the crews of the boats of the RNLI
Conqueror trawler of one thousand tons
Two days after Christmas aground she has run
Plucked from the seas men who thought they would die
By the crews of the boats of the RNLI
Trawler Strathcoe, aground in the geo
Nine in a motor boat – Apollo
Plucked from the seas men who thought they would die
By the crews of the boats of the RNLI
Yet one more shout in the dead of the night
Trawler Ross Puma aground off Hoy
The storm was too fierce for the breeches buoy
Yet were 15 men saved from their hopeless plight
Eight men of Longhope and eight of Penlee
Gave men back their lives that were claimed by the sea
Daniel Kirkpatrick, son of Orkney
Trevelyan Richards, of Penlee
Coda .. to the tune of the first 2 lines of the chorus
T. G. B,
Solomon Browne
Ship’s in peril again boys
Irene and Union Star ……
Then, when it was planned in 2009 for the Perraners community singing group and the Stamp and Go Shanty Singers from Perranporth to travel to Orkney (as quests of the Stromabank Pub Choir of Hoy ) I discovered that the same story had unfolded a few years before in the islands when the Longhope lifeboat was also lost with all hands.
Daniel Kirkpatrick of Orkney was a famous and successful lifeboat coxwain, as was Trevelyan Richards of Mousehole.
So the idea came, to write a song with the names of many of the boats and ships saved and assisted by both men and their crews over the years.
As a small boat sailor myself I know what it's like to be frightened at sea.
The dramatic and famous recue of the crew of the trawler Strathcoe, for which Daniel Kirkpatrick was rewarded with a silver medal from the RNLI contrasts with the simple record entry relating to the Solomon Browne's assistance to; " nine in motor boat Apollo ".
The occupants of both vessels probably thought they were going to die... but they didn't.
