The Headscarf Revolutionaries: Lillian Bilocca and the Hull Triple-Trawler Disaster

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Public outcry of the situation died down and life went on. The city of Kingston-Upon-Hull marched on. It relied on the fishing industry at sea and on-shore to live. The tragedy lived on in the family’s heads as their loved ones sailed off once more. A colourful march through Hull city centre was done in honour of the Headscarf Revolutionaries today. Lavery largely resists analysis, describing events with impassioned objectivity. The book is meticulously researched and his admiration for Lil and the campaign is most revealed by his commitment to understanding the community he’s writing about and describing events as fully and accurately as he can. He saves his analysis for the afterword: The eyes of the world were on the Hull fishing community – and the politicians and owners knew it. The women were delighted with the news of Eddom’s survival and the promises from MPs. Hull’s mural depicting Lillian Bilocca, who led a campaign to improve safety conditions on board North Sea trawlers

The heroic story of these women in the face of tragedy highlights the fact that change comes from the populace.

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In an early interview with me, her fellow campaigner Denness (1937-2017) recalled how, at King’s Cross, platforms were empty and that she, Bilocca and Blenkinsop were the only “real” passengers on the train: Christine Smallbone, the sister of the Ross Cleveland skipper Philip Gay, had met with the managers of Hellyer Bros., the ship’s owners, on the morning of the 5 th. Lavery’s book records her impression of the firm’s offices: ‘“Look at this big room, beautiful big polished oak or walnut table…really really big…beautiful carpets…that’s how the trawler owners live…nice…comfortable”’. The extent to which the trawler owners’ profits were prioritised over the safety of the trawlermen, some of whom were as young as 14, was no secret in Hull. But with the British media gripped by the story of the missing trawlers, the Headscarf Revolutionaries made it a national issue. I am going over. We are laying over. Help us, Len. I am going over. Give my love and the crew’s love to the wives and families…” There are times when history seems to erupt in chorus. Sometimes the cause of synchronicity is obvious, as in the World War that preceded uprisings and revolutions from Clydeside to Moscow, or the economic collapse that by 2011 had sparked revolts as diverse as the English riots and the Arab Spring. At other times, the connections are harder to explain: why was 1848 the year that modernity clashed with feudalism across much of Europe and Latin America? Why did 1649 witness the Ormee of Bordeaux and The Diggers’ colonies in England? Sometimes, it seems, there is simply something in the air. Gibbons, Trevor (4 February 2018). "Triple trawler tragedy: The Hull fishermen who never came home". BBC News. BBC . Retrieved 8 February 2018.

a b c d e f g h i Youngs, Ian (26 October 2017). "Why Hull fishwife is Maxine Peake's hero". BBC News . Retrieved 31 October 2017. IN what became known as the dark winter of 1968, four working-class women from Hull were cast into the eye of a storm the aftermath of which would save countless lives — but at great personal cost.Lillian Bilocca: Plaque for woman who revolutionised safety at sea". BBC News. 22 January 2022 . Retrieved 22 January 2022. Read next: How Hull Fishing Heritage Centre is helping ex-trawlermen as it moves to new home and plans huge four-day commemoration If I don't get satisfaction I'll be at that Wilson's house, private house, until I do get satisfaction in some shape or form. One ordinary fisheries worker decided to take things into her own hands. Losing a son herself in the tragedy she saw a need for change. The proposal from Hull City Council and the Hull Bullnose Heritage Group was favoured by local residents after engagement between all three parties.

While the government claim that climate activists are terrorist groups, they simply cannot label huge swathes of the population as “extremists”. The story of Billocca proves this. Described as an extremist at first by the opposition, they eventually had to listen to her and the 10,000 people behind her.

Prescott, a friend of Blenkinsop’s, called me when he heard the news. He said: “I’m so sad to hear of the passing of Yvonne Blenkinsop. She was a remarkable woman who with Lil Bilocca, Chrissie Smallbone and Mary Denness successfully fought to improve safety for seafarers after the Triple Trawler Tragedy. On the 4 th, the Ross Cleveland sank just off the north-west coast of Iceland. Miraculously, Harry Eddom, the sole survivor from the three trawlers, made it to shore. He was found on the 6 th. The same day, Bilocca, Yvonne Blenkinsop, and Mary Denness delivered the petition (now signed by over 10,000 people) to Harold Wilson’s Labour government at 10 Downing Street. They also delivered a list of 88 proposals outlining how to make the industry safer, all of which would eventually be adopted. This was the first of three tragedies to strike the Hull fishing industry in the coming weeks. The Kingston Peridot and the Ross Cleveland would soon follow in the disastrous footsteps of the previous tragedy. is the 50th anniversary of 1968 and among all the mass movements and great upheavals seen in that year, there were countless other events that year that made their mark on history. One of these is the struggle of the women of Hull to improve the safety of the fishing trawlers that their husbands, fathers and sons crewed in the dangerous northern waters around Iceland. The beginning of 1968 saw three trawlers sink in one of the most powerful storms that fishers had ever seen. 58 men lost their lives and there was only one survivor. Recently, local heritage campaigner Ian Cuthbert’s Headscarf Pride group had lobbied to get Blenkinsop recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. He is also campaigning for a statue to be built to the women.

As a young trade unionist and seaman I was in awe of what Blenkinsop and her Headscarf Revolutionaries achieved and was proud to campaign alongside them.

The Imperial Typewriters strike, 1974 - Ron Ramdin

Blenkinsop later accompanied Hull’s three Labour MPs to Parliament to mark the 50th anniversary of the campaign. She was met by Jeremy Corbyn — and former Labour deputy prime minister and Hull East MP John Prescott, who had fought alongside her in 1968.