Coast to coast

The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society was founded in February 1839 as a result of the tragic loss of a fleet of fishing boats on the north Devon coast in October 1838. Since then the society has become one of the largest national maritime charities. Today, the society’s main purpose is to provide financial support to individuals and their dependents who are in need, and who have worked at sea in the Merchant Navy and fishing fleets. Each year the society organises a photo competition to showcase the UK’s coastline and its associated people and industry. AP Editor Nigel Atherton was part of the judging panel and helped to whittle down nearly 1,000 entries to determine the winners of the four main categories – Ships and Wrecks, Industry, People and Recreation, Coastal Views – and of course the overall winner. Chris Herring, a professional photographer from Norfolk, scooped the prestigious title this year. We speak to Chris and some of the other category winners and highly commended photographers