Bench at St.Helen's Duver, Gordon Attrill

On the lovely Duver of St.Helen you can find this bench.

This bench was placed by Gordon Attrill at a nice spot overlooking the Solent. Gordon Attrill was very much at home on the Solent, being the last ferryman sailing between St.Helens and  Bembridge. 

                                                      Gordon Attrill

Gordon Attrill was one of the eight children of Henry and Rose Attrill. He got used being on the water because his father or older brothers would row him to Bembridge to attend school. During the Second World War he has been very heroic which gave him the Arctic Star medal from the Russians. After the war he took over the foot passenger's ferry from his father which he had to stop in the early 1990's.

With his brother Mike he started the boat building firm H.Attrill & Sons in 1947 which was based on a piece of land rented from the Southern Railway. Later the land was bought.

After the death of father Henry he took over his boat rental firm till his retirement. He converted the wooden boat Snipe for own use and spent most of his time fishing. He lived from 1920 till 2009 and was never married.

A pity the sight from the bench nowadays is a bit hampered with the life saving unit, but I'm sure Gordon Attrill would have approved. It's for a good cause.