MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Tourists “discover” piece of Lowestoft's maritime history

Don Bonner the informal Falklands guide and his passion horses

When a Suffolk couple embarked on a South America and Falkland Islands holiday the last thing they expected was to discover a piece of Lowestoft's maritime history, according to a piece published in The Lowestoft Journal, from Lowestoft, England.

David and Maureen Cargill, of Dunwich, enjoyed a wildlife and fishing holiday in the southern hemisphere and it was while they were visiting the Falklands that Mr and Mrs Cargill came across the wreck of a Lowestoft steam drifter. "The wreck was in Stanley Harbour and it was of the Golden Chance. "A notice nearby explains that the Golden Chance was built in Lowestoft in 1914 and was a steam drifter that deployed miles of vertical nets to trap the rich shoals of herring in the North Sea" said Mr Cargill. The couple was also able to meet Don Bonner who has lived on the Falklands for many years and was part of the crew that took the Golden Chance from Lowestoft on its 8,000-mile journey to its new home in 1949. The vessel had by that time been converted to diesel but the start of its journey was far from straightforward. "Don told us that the Golden Chance did not have the necessary license from the Board of Trade so had to be towed out of Lowestoft and in to international waters before it could continue under its own power," said Mr Cargill. The journey took 63 days and included visits to Lisbon, the Canary Islands, Brazil and Uruguay before reaching the Falklands. Don, who is in his eighties, told us that the Golden Chance worked in and around the Falklands for many years but now it is just an impressive wreck although it is part of Lowestoft's seagoing tradition on the other side of the world" said Mr Cargill. Mr Bonner was delighted to meet Mr and Mrs Cargill and told them he had fond memories of Lowestoft. "Don was able to recall Sparrow's Nest and the Globe Inn at Lowestoft," said Mr Cargill. After leaving Lowestoft Mr Bonner continued working as a seaman in the Falklands but then his career took a dramatic change. "For 20 years Don was the chauffeur to the island's governor Rex Hunt," said Mr Cargill. "He is a tremendously interesting man and it was strange to be talking to him about Lowestoft when we were so far from Suffolk," recalled Mr Cargill. The couple enjoyed their stay on the Falklands and was struck by how welcoming everyone was. "It is a fascinating part of the world and everyone was so friendly. "Of course there are so few people in what is an area the size of Wales and that has meant the area's wildlife have no fear of humans," said Mr Cargill. The couple was able to get relatively close to the area's abundance of wildlife and have many photographs of their stay. "We went at what was the end of the summer period in the Falklands so the weather was fine and warm. It was a superb holiday but finding a piece of Lowestoft's past made it even more special" he said.