The Luckiest Sailor - Hull Song

Luckiest Sailor was written by Linda Kelly and is usually sung by Linda and Hazel, [Hissyfit] however the singer here is Mick McGarry from his CD Raggy Lad
In January 1968, what is sometimes referred to as the Triple Trawler Tragedy befell the Hull Fishing Fleet. The St Romanus, the Kingston Peridot and the Ross Cleveland, sank within a few weeks of each other with one lone survivor and the loss of 58 crew members.
Linda’s husband, John, was a 20 year old ‘deckie learner’, an apprentice deckhand, at that time, and a crew member on the Kingston Peridot. It had been a good year for fishing that year and shortly before he was due to sail he received a tax demand from Her Majesty’s Inland Revenue. Unimpressed, he decided that he would give the next sail a miss. It was the Kingston Peridot’s last voyage.
The ‘Ruckerback' was a style of suit much favoured by fishermen. Often in bright colours, they were single breasted with a belted and pleated back. There were lots of tailors on Hessle Road at that time, including Feinsteins where John had his suits made. The ‘Stricky’ refers to ‘The Strickland Arms’ on Strickland Street, a small pub which still exists today.
Taken from The Yorkshire Garland Group. www.yorkshirefo...