Newbiggin mural celebrates bravery of women who saved lives at sea
A mural celebrating the bravery of women who saved lives at sea has been unveiled in Newbiggin.
Following two years of fundraising, a vibrant mural highlighting maritime history has been completed by local artist Lewis Hobson of Durham Spray Paints.
The art piece, titled Pulling Together, is located on the back of the Co-op store and portrays the amazing stories of women who were awarded for saving lives by the RNLI.
Campaign organiser Angie Main said: “When thinking about a mural for the town, we started to uncover these stories about heritage and the bravery of women in Newbiggin.
“These were really, truly amazing women who we just feel really special about here.”
Newbiggin has an incredibly rich maritime history. It is home to the oldest operational lifeboat station in the country and is the only where women have been twice awarded for bravery at sea.
In 1927, when most of the regular crew were at sea, local women helped launch a lifeboat through heavy surf during a gale in aid of a foreign vessel.
And in 1940, women helped haul the lifeboat across difficult terrain in severe weather to reach a fishing vessel. The rescue saved the lives of many local fishermen, including relatives of the women involved.
“The design itself features real-life women from a photograph, in the lifeboat and saving lives at sea,” Angie added.
“The other part of the design is, again, real women from Newbiggin, looking out and kind of just thinking about bright futures.
“Women had a really important part to play in Newbiggin, whether that was domestic settings or in trade or civic lives. They really do prop up the community here.”
Thanks to the support of Newbiggin Town Council, the team at Co-op and the local community, enough funds were raised to complete the mural which was unveiled on Sunday, October 25.
Now, Angie has launched an appeal to raise funds for an information board which will tell the stories that inspired the mural.
"It’s been really moving but mostly celebratory,” Angie added. “It feels like something has changed in Newbiggin and that people are being a bit bolder and celebrating a bit more.”