Pre the Big Issue and back in the day when the Min of Ag and Fish (MAFF) first began to exert control over the waves, a certain satirical magazine appeared on the top shelf of Barron's newsagents. Conceived, written, illustrated, printed and distributed by a select team of well-known Newlyn wannabe hacks, the 'Newlyn Needler' told of fishing life in Newlyn as it was or as it might have been.
Difficult, if not impossible at times to separate fact from fiction, the magazine took an irreverent look at the characters who plied their livelihoods in and from the port. Sadly, a few of those characters that may be represented or alluded to in some of the more tame yarns are now sat in the big wheelhouse in the sky, or in Brennan's case a gazillion miles away, way beyond the stratosphere - a copy of the Newlyn Needler has come to light and is now available in digital format is therefore dedicated to their memory.
Apologies made in advance for the numerous 'in' jokes contained herein - as they used to say, you had to be there. As a footnote to the Bessy story (as described in the book, The Swordfish and the Star by Gavin Williamson); a handful of officers from HMS Bulldog, who was carrying out a hydro-graphic survey in Mounts Bay at the time, were in the Swordfish that very lunchtime and witnessed the spectacle of Bessie attempting to drink the aforementioned yard of ale while suspended from the ceiling - unknown to Bessy, the ale was spiked with a huge helping of salt - one of the officers turned to another and said, "I say skips, if it's like this on a Monday lunchtime - what's it like in here on a Friday night??!" The knight in shining armour who came to Bessie's rescue just before his crotch turned into a scene from Towering Inferno was none other than Medallion Man himself - who can now be found running Plymouth Fish Market Plymouth & Sutton Harbour - good move Peter!
Issue One will go on-line a soon as someone finds a copy!
