A VOYAGE to the tip of Scotland last week commemorated a tragedy 50 years ago in a village that shares a name with one here in the Forest.

Angela Carswell, George Watkins and his daughter Ceri visited Longhope, on Hoy in Orkney, where they represented their own Forest village of the same name at the 50th anniversary commemorations of the Longhope lifeboat disaster, and presented villagers with a cheque.

Angela said: “The lifeboat was launched from Longhope, on Hoy in Orkney, on March 17, 1969 to go to the aid of a Liberian cargo ship.

“The TGB was laun-ched into the notorious Pentland Firth that night in a force nine gale, accompanied by heavy seas and visibility reduced by driving rain and snow, to go to the aid of the Irene drifting without power near South Ronaldsay.

“The lifeboat was launched on its fateful mission at 8pm and the last contact it made was via radio at 9.28pm and it was last sighted by the lighthouse keeper at the Pentland Skerries a few minutes later.

“Ironically, the Irene was grounded on rocks at 9.15pm and the 17 crew members were rescued from the land at Breeches Buoy, by the Coastguard team.

“The upturned lifeboat was located the following day by the Thurso lifeboat and taken to mainland Scotland and the bodies of seven of the eight crew were recovered.”

The two villages have had links ever since, as the Forest village raised money and sent clothes and toys for the seven widows and eight children who had lost their fathers.

Every birthday and Christmas, the children received presents until they reached 18 years of age.

The commemorative crowd then gathered at the Osmundwall cemetery, the site of the RNLI memorial.

Wreaths were laid, including one from Mr Watkins representing the Royal British Legion branch in Longhope, and Ms Carswell, representing the villagers, as well as many from the present day lifeboat crew on behalf of the families of the lost men.

“George handed over gifts for the present day coxswain, Kevin Kirkpatrick, who lost his own father, grandfather and uncle in the disaster,” Angela added.

“I presented Kevin with a cheque for £758, all donations from a recent fund-raising event held at Café Bonnies in the village hall.”

Kevin said: “Thank you for the donation. The generosity you and your village’s people have showed us over the last 50 years is nothing short of outstanding.

“Please pass on my sincere thanks to everyone in your Longhope.”