Fishing Festival

Fishing Festival - Bell Wharf and Victoria Wharf in Old Leigh Town

Get hooked on our annual Leigh Fishing Festival, showing the importance of the area as a busy fishing centre and working port.

Leigh Town Council works in partnership with fishermen to organise the event, which aims to:

• Increase public awareness of the fishing and cockling industries and related seafood activities in Leigh
• Illustrate to the public how the fishing industry and the port works
• Give members of the public the opportunity to meet and talk to fishermen and learn about the different vessels and methods of fishing
• Benefit businesses involved in the fishing and cockling industries

During the day visitors have the chance to see currently working fishing boats which will be moored from the wharves together with Endeavour, the restored Dunkirk ‘little ship' which rescued allied forces during the Second World War and now used for community and educational purposes.

Subject to weather conditions, a local Fishing Boat lands a catch during the Festival. The catch is blessed, followed by a sale of the fish caught. The boats attending the Fishing Festival illustrate the different types of vessel used for fishing for flatfish and shellfish. Other organisations participating in the event give information, provide leaflets and help residents and visitors understand the marine environment in which Leigh exists and the problems faced by commercial fishermen and associated activities.

There is much opportunity to taste locally caught cockles, other seafood and to buy fish from local businesses and Essex grown oysters from the West Mersey Oyster Company.

Other activities throughout the day can include: -

• A demonstration of traditional marine skills, such as net mending and sail making, together with demonstrations of knots and splicing
• Sea Scouts and rangers events: sailing, rowing and swimming
• Sealife Adventure in Southend displaying a rock pool with local crabs and starfish
• Marine rescue boats from the RNLI, Coastguard Marine Rescue Unit & The Essex Police Marine Unit attending
• Various representatives from Southend-on-Sea Borough Council present to explain the environment around the estuary, food safety, and other aspects of the regulations to ensure that fish is brought safely to your table. Displays and leaflets explaining what they do for the public and to assist the fishing industry
• Beach and Sea Safety trailers from the RNLI and the Port of London Authority
• Sea shanties
• Seascapes from a local artist
• The Fishermen's Chapel of the New Road Methodist Church opens for visitors viewing with refreshments between 10.00am and 2.00pm and usually a Fishermen's Service held at 11.00am
  
• The Jubilee Sailing Trust promotes their charity which enables people of all physical abilities to share the challenge and adventure of tall ship sailing

Other organisations who exhibit at the Fishing Festival include: Kent and Essex Sea Fisheries Committee, Southend Natural History Museum, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Essex Wildlife Trust, Environment Agency, London Port Health Authority, Shellfish Association of GB, and Endeavour Trust.

The event is informal and friendly, with plenty of information and activities for all the family.