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Tableaux of "The Last Stand"

Photo Credit: Reproduced by kind permission from The Brian Slee Collection

The "Trimmers Shovel Race"

Photo Credit: Reproduced by kind permission from The Brian Slee Collection

Sunderland Echo 22nd July 1912

NOTE: The Seaham Regatta was an annual event from the mid 1860's. One popular race at the Regatta was the "Trimmer's" Race. Dock Trimmers scrambled around the hold of ships levelling off the coals as they were loaded into the hold to "trim" the ship. It was a back-breaking job. The first event in the 1884 programme required teams of trimmers to race against each other but using shovels instead of oars. The photograph above shows the children depicting the adults racing in the Seaham Regatta. Following the success of the Seaham Carnival it was decided to revive the Seaham Regatta which had not been held for fifteen years. (Fred Cooper)