by Rebecca Hannant
The family that runs a popular travelling funfair has boosted the campaign to get Withernsea’s war memorial clock chiming once more.
Storey’s funfair donated all of its takings between 5pm and 6pm on Friday, April 5, to the St Nicholas Church war memorial clock appeal. It means that long-awaited repairs to the clock are now expected to start later this month.
Appeal organiser Darrin Stevens hailed the Storeys for giving back to the community, saying that in recent years they had also donated money for a defibrillator at a local pub.
And, last year, they paid for the sign on the town’s seafront beacon to be replaced.
Not only did the hour’s rides raise a total of £646, the Storey family rounded it up to £1,000.
The appeal also received £20 from Withernsea residents Hazel Totten and Joshua Ward, 17.
Rev Mandy Marriott, Paul Enright-King and Withernsea resident Claire Windas also donated £10.
Storey’s staff and volunteers also gave their time towards the appeal.
Darrin added: “Without those helpers we wouldn’t have raised that money.”
The committee is now looking to gather the remaining funds in time for the start of works on the clock, which will be undertaken by timepiece experts Smith of Derby.
In the meantime, Darrin is keen to stress the importance of the clock and its historical relationship with the town.
He added: “This Remembrance clock was paid for by the people of Withernsea after the Second World War. It cost £532, which in today’s money would be about £29,000.
“It is only right we have it working again for the 80th anniversary of the end of the war next year. We also hope to hear it chiming again for D-Day’s 80th anniversary this year.
“I’ve got loads of clocks in my house. I think their ticking is the heartbeat of my house. Shouldn’t the clock be the heartbeat of our town?”
