Clear Waters (Polluted Sea)

A discussion with Freddie Drabble (Sons of Neptune) and Steve Crawford (Surfers Against Sewage)

with The Rev Richard Walker

 

The Rev Richard Walker (of St Mary’s Church) will be chatting to Freddie Drabble (leader and co-founder of the Sons of Neptune marine conservation group) and Steve Crawford (our regional representative of Surfers Against Sewage, the environmental protest organisation).

How can the world, our country, and our town achieve clear waters – for us, for nature and for the future? Come along and hear their discussion and maybe ask some questions of your own.

 

This matters to all of us!

 

Freddie Drabble

The Sons of Neptune formed in Scarborough in 1983 - this unlikely contingent of businessmen and professionals becoming a leading influential force in UK environmental matters.

Originally regular sea bathers, their first-hand experience of pollution in the water combined with their opposition to a proposed long sea outfall, became the catalyst to their establishment as a pressure group. Their pioneering 15-year campaign brought the issue of coastal pollution onto both the national and international political agendas, resulting in fundamental changes in EU law regarding the disposal of sewage in British and European inshore waters. 

A resident of Scarborough since the age of five (in fact VE Day in 1945), Freddie qualified as a solicitor in 1964, embarking on his professional career a year later, practising as principal or senior partner in the town for over 40 years.

 

Steve Crawford

Surfing school owner and instructor Steve Crawford is the Scarborough and North East’s regional representative of the environmental protest organisation Surfers Against Sewage, a role he has held for 13 years.

‘I've been aware of the problems of sewage pollution for a long time. I first remember seeing brown stripes snaking around the headland in Newquay where I was going surfing and realised that meant - I was surfing in a giant toilet,’ he stated.

One of the longest standing SAS members (since the early 90’s) he regularly works to raise awareness of sea pollution through beach cleans, via the media and in school talks.