Back in the 70’s a young Joe Longthorne was deeply honoured to be invited to perform at this event by Hull’s very own legendary Johnny Pattison .
A fundraising evening organised for the relatives of ‘The Gaul’, a Hull trawler which sunk in Feb 1974 with the loss of 36 of Hull’s fishermen.
The vintage poster, now part of Joe’s archive, was recently unearthed by a family member, we are told that the faint lines of biro under Joe’s name are from the pen of Joe’s very proud father Fred Longthorne.
This was one of Joe’s early professional engagements for a very special cause, always close to Joe's and all the Longthorne family’s hearts, being about fellow members of their community who lost their lives at sea ,working away in challenging circumstances and risking their lives simply to earn a living for their families back home on dry land.
‘The Gaul’ and it’s sinking at sea in February 1974 with the loss of 36 of Hull’s finest fishermen was described at the time by the president of the British Trawler Federation as "the worst ever single-trawler tragedy”.
Built in 1972 it was a modern vessel of it’s days and being a deep sea factory ship she carried two crews, fishermen catching the fish and the filleters processing and freezing on board.
On the night of 8/9 February 1974 The Gaul was lost in horrendous weather in the Barents Sea north of Norway. No SOS was ever received and it was not until 1997 that the ship was located.
The relatives of the 36 brave crew had to wait for 23 years without any news of their loved ones even the location of their final resting place.
Following the discovery of a wreck in the last known location in 1997 it was confirmed that this was indeed The Gaul and the last resting place of the 36 crewmen, may they rest in peace.
May we all take a moment to think about them and their families and remember a line in the famous hymn ‘ For those in Peril on the Sea',

The Gaul

Barents Sea where 'The Gaul' sunk.