I reckon that many people have walked past the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade Museum without ever going inside. I have lived in Tynemouth for nearly five years and have visited Tynemouth since I was a boy to see my best friend. It was not until recently that I ventured inside what is one of the best kept secrets for anyone interested in local history or all things maritime. I love history and I like reading about it but there is nothing better than the first hand verbal history that comes from those who actually take part in the events. Billy is one such character, he has seen many events in his time as the caretaker of the museum which is still an active station manned by volunteers.
Billy 52/100 '100 Strangers' © Anthony Dorman
Billy is great, loads of stories and funny anecdotes from the history of the TVLB to his time hunting crocodiles in Australia. I have visited the museum a number of times since my first trip in which Billy happily took part in my '100 strangers' portrait project. After some communications with the TVLB I was invited to take some images of the museum interior this weekend which I will be posting very soon. The people of Tynemouth are quite diverse and always interesting. They will always be a feature of this blog as they are part of what makes the area so interesting.
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