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THE FISHING BASKETS OF EYEMOUTH
An interesting collection of fishing baskets in Eyemouth Museum and the nearby Heritage Centre including a scull painted blue which was a local custom. This contains the long line with its hooks and the grasses which were laid in to stop the line getting tangled once it had been baited with shellfish by the women and children of the family. This was used for inshore fishing from a small boat. The great line basket still has its great line and original hooks - this was baited out at sea with chunks of fish by the fishermen. The fishwife's back creel has a handle and is topped by a miniature scull. There is also a fender of cane and a general purpose basket.
This stretch of coast was the scene of a terrible disaster in 1881 when the fishing fleet put out to sea in calm weather; a violent storm blew up, drowning men from all these close knit communities. 129 Eyemouth men were lost and they were known as 'The Pickit Men'. There is a tapestry made by local people and here are commemorated the boat crews, often with fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, all drowned together. There is also a sculpture representing each individual.
