Lytham In Bloom have provided a very public reminder of the tragedy in the form of a wicker lifeboat man, dressed as in 1886, sitting on a bench in Market Square.
The volunteers of Lytham In Bloom, who maintain so many of the plants and garden spaces around the town with beautiful displays, felt they could help to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the worst disaster in RNLI history. This was when 27 volunteer lifeboat men lost their lives in the Ribble Estuary in December 1886, while attempting to save the crew of the German barque Mexico.
The German vessel’s crew of 12 were saved by the Lytham Lifeboat, but tragically the St Anne’s and Southport Lifeboats were both overwhelmed by the sea. All 13 volunteer crew of the St Anne’s boat and 14 out of the 16 manning the Southport boat lost their lives in the disaster.
Lytham In Bloom commissioned artist Helena Mellenchip, a talented local wicker sculptor, to build the life size figure, with sponsorship from Evolve Energy Supplies of Lytham. Helena has already produced many outstanding works on view in the grounds of Lytham Hall, so is well known locally as well as further afield. It took her about a month to make the model which is superb and much admired by passers-by who are therefore reminded of the sacrifice of the lifeboat men of 1886.
The figure called ‘Charles’, after the Charles Biggs, the Lytham Lifeboat that carried out the rescue, was unveiled to the public on 26th August 2026 by sculptor Helena and Helen Igoe from Lytham Heritage Group, a descendent of Thomas Rimmer, a member of the lifesaving Lytham crew on the night of the disaster. He later transferred to the St Anne’s Lifeboat as coxswain to help form a new crew to replace those lost.
The Lytham St Anne’s Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) MOAM was brought round from her boat house with her crew to support the Lytham In Bloom volunteers at the unveiling ceremony. Charles should last outside in the weather for a number of years although in the depths of winter he will probably be taken indoors to help preserve him longer.
