Boat sculpture wins Berwick Rotary prize

The enormous efforts of its creator, Lee Mace, have now been recognised by Berwick Rotary Club.

Members have awarded him the club’s Jubilee Trophy, which is given annually to a person who has made a significant contribution to the town and/or area.

Lee is the youngest person ever to have received the Jubilee Trophy and it was presented to him by club president Chris Hardie.

Chris said: “Lee started building The Boat out of driftwood some two-and-a-half years ago as a personal project and it has grown both in size and popularity to become one of the best loved features in the town.”

When asked if it was a Viking boat or a pirate ship and, indeed, what it was called, Lee said, with typical modesty, ‘It’s just The Boat!’

It was noted that Lee’s dedication to this art/craft installation is such that, when he recently returned from an extended trip to New Zealand, one of the first things he did was to visit The Boat to continue work on it and ensure its future.

Berwick Rotary Club wholeheartedly congratulates Lee on getting this award and, more particularly, on creating something that gives so much pleasure to many people.

The Boat can be found on the northern side of the Tweed, in the shadow of Berwick Castle. It has proved a particularly popular draw for photographers.

The club has also named the winners of its small and large business awards and they will be presented with their prizes in the near future.

The small firm award goes to WR Skelly and Sons, which established a family butchers’ business more than 250 years ago and is still going strong on the corner of Marygate and Walkergate.

The butcher, which has been open since 1760, is believed to be one of the oldest businesses in the town. It was established in Tweedmouth and moved to its current pre mises in 1880.

The large business award goes to Tustain Motors, the Vauxhall dealership located on the town’s Ramparts Business Park.