Cedric Robinson (guide)

Robinson was born on 17 February 1933 at 4, Market Cross, in Flookburgh, Cumbria (at that time in Lancashire).{{cite web |title=Oral history interview with Cedric Robinson, Queens Guide to the Sands in Grange |url=https://www.recordingmorecambebay.org.uk/content/catalogue_item/cedric-robinson |website=Recording Morecambe Bay |publisher=Morecambe Bay Partnership |accessdate=26 May 2019}} His family were fishermen, and he spent much of his time out on the sands picking cockles with his father. He was appointed in October 1963, as the 25th Guide. He later reminisced: "It was the officer of the sands that mentioned the former guide was retiring – I had never thought of it before but after he had called round with the details I decided to go for it".

The shifting course of the River Kent and the fast moving tides make the task of leading a safe crossing of Morecambe Bay a challenge. Robinson would set out a safe route the day before a crossing, marking it out with laurel "brobs", branches stuck in the sand as markers which would survive being underwater at high tide. On some occasions walks had to be cancelled because of heavy rain in the previous days leading to a dangerous flow of water, or because of severe weather on the day of the walk. As an example, in 2017 the charity Galloway's Society for the Blind had to cancel two walks planned for a weekend in September which were rescheduled from an earlier weekend in the year when they had also been cancelled.{{cite news |last1=Addison |first1=Mike |title=Sight charity Galloway's forced to cancel flagship fundraising walk across Morecambe Bay for a second time |url=https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/15561535.sight-charity-galloways-forced-to-cancel-flagship-fundraising-walk-across-morecambe-bay-for-a-second-time/ |accessdate=26 May 2019 |date=27 September 2018}}

Robinson led many parties across the sands, most commonly from Arnside to Kents Bank, often with a large group of up to 600 people raising money for charities. During his time as guide the walks he led raised over £1 million for charity.{{cite news |last1=Fletcher |first1=Joe |title=Change of the guard at Morecambe Bay as Michael becomes Queen's Guide |url=https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/17597989.change-of-the-guard-at-morecamabe-bay/ |accessdate=26 May 2019 |work=Westmorland Gazette |date=28 April 2019}} In 1985 he guided Prince Philip across the sands in a horse-drawn carriage, and on a later occasion took Rick Stein across the sands while being filmed for television.

He published several books about his life and work, some of them illustrated by his wife Olive (1925–2021).{{cite news |title=Death Notices & Obituaries: Olive Robinson |url=https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/announcements/deaths/deaths/19507930.OLIVE_ROBINSON/ |access-date=9 September 2021 |work=The Westmorland Gazette |date=12 August 2021 |language=en}}

Robinson's retirement was announced in April 2019. It was Lord Cavendish in his role as chair of the Guide Over Sands Trust who visited the 86-year-old Robinson and suggested that it was time to retire: "'At the age you've got to, Mr Robinson – Cedric,' he said, 'we'd like to take the responsibility away from you and we would like you to choose a new guide'". He chose his successor, Michael Wilson, a 46-year-old fisherman from Flookburgh, and would have a continuing ambassadorial and advisory role.{{cite news |last1=Pidd |first1=Helen |title=Sands of time run out for Queen's Guide to Morecambe Bay |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/apr/12/sands-of-time-run-out-for-queens-guide-to-morecambe-bay |accessdate=26 May 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=12 April 2019}}

Cedric Robinson died on 19 November 2021.{{cite news |title=Cedric Robinson: Queen's Guide to Morecambe Bay sands dies |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-59354012 |access-date=20 November 2021 |work=BBC News |date=20 November 2021}} His wife Olive had died in August 2021.{{cite news |last1=Pidd |first1=Helen |title=Man who guided people across Morecambe Bay for 56 years dies aged 88 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/nov/20/man-who-guided-people-across-morecambe-bay-for-56-years-dies-aged-88 |access-date=20 November 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=20 November 2021 |language=en}} The Guide Over Sands Trust's announcement of the news of Robinson's death ended with the words: "Now Cedric it is time to rest your sandy feet and keep an eye on us from up there." A longer tribute was published by Dickon Knight, Clerk and Agent of the trust, on 1 December 2021.{{cite web |title=The Guide Over Sands Trust |url=https://www.guideoversands.co.uk/ |website=www.guideoversands.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202111450/https://www.guideoversands.co.uk/ |archive-date=2 December 2021}}

Robinson was appointed MBE in the 1999 Birthday Honours, "for services to the community in Cumbria".{{cite news |title=Queen's Birthday Honours: The Full List |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/queens-birthday-honours-the-full-list-1099582.html |accessdate=26 May 2019 |work=The Independent |date=12 June 1999}} The University of Cumbria awarded him an honorary fellowship in November 2013, "In recognition of his outstanding service to the community and significant contribution to supporting charitable causes, both locally and globally."{{cite web |title=Honorary Fellowships 2013 |url=https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/about/organisation/honorary-fellows/2013/ |publisher=University of Cumbria |accessdate=26 May 2019}}

A street in Grange-over-Sands is named Cedric Walk{{cite web |title=Cedric Walk |url=https://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?x=340495&y=477341&z=110&sv=cedric+walk&st=6&mapp=map&searchp=ids |publisher=UK Streetmap |access-date=2 December 2021}} Zoom to largest scale of map to see in Robinson's honour, and in 2016 a bronze plaque with an impression of his feet was installed there and dedicated by Patrick Kelly, the Archbishop of Liverpool.{{cite news |last1=Bent |first1=Lloyd |title=Grange honours Queen's Guide to the Sands Cedric Robinson |url=https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/14408252.grange-honours-queens-guide-to-the-sands-cedric-robinson/ |access-date=2 December 2021 |work=The Westmorland Gazette |date=6 April 2016 |language=en}}

• {{cite book|title=Sand Pilot of Morecambe Bay|year=1980|first1=Cedric |last1=Robinson|first2=Olive|last2= Robinson|isbn=978-0715379158|publisher=David & Charles}}
• {{cite book|title=Life Around Morecambe Bay| year=1986 |first1=Cedric |last1=Robinson |first2=W.R.|last2=Mitchell|isbn=978-0852068656|publisher=Dalesman}}
• {{cite book|title= 40 Years on Morecambe Bay|year=2003|first=Cedric |last=Robinson |isbn=0-9544002-2-4|publisher=Great Northern Books}}
• {{cite book|first=Cedric|last=Robinson|title= Between the Tides: The Perilous Beauty of Morecambe Bay|year=2007|isbn=978-1905080335}}
• {{cite book| last=Robinson| first=Cedric| date=2009| title=Sandman: The Autobiography of Cedric Robinson - The Queen's Guide to the Sands| isbn=978-1905080625| publisher=Great Northern Books}}
• {{cite book| last=Robinson| first=Cedric| date=2013| title=Time and Tide: 50 Golden Years on Morecambe Bay| isbn=978-0957295162| publisher=Great Northern Books}}

• Cross Bay Walk

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book| last=Sutton| first=Lindsay | title=Sands of Time: Following in the footsteps of Cedric Robinson on Morecambe Bay | date=24 May 2019 | publisher=Great Northern Books | isbn=978-1912101108}}

• {{cite web |title=Oral history interview with Cedric Robinson, Queens Guide to the Sands in Grange |url=https://www.recordingmorecambebay.org.uk/content/catalogue_item/cedric-robinson |website=Recording Morecambe Bay |publisher=Morecambe Bay Partnership }} Audio files and transcript of 16 minute interview

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Category:1933 births

Category:2021 deaths

Category:20th-century English male writers

Category:20th-century English non-fiction writers

Category:21st-century English male writers

Category:21st-century English non-fiction writers

Category:British fishermen

Category:English autobiographers

Category:Guides

Category:People from Cartmel

Category:Members_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire