For those in peril on the sea...

This amazing bronze sits on a stone plinth high above the small fishing harbour of St Abbs on the Berwickshire coast in Scotland. It shows a fisher wife and her children staring out to sea in the vain hope that her husband will return intact.

On the night of 14th October 1881 a huge storm blew up over southern Scotland - a storm that claimed the lives of 189 fishermen from this small stretch of coastline. That figure is worth repeating: 189.

The small coastal town of Eyemouth alone lost 129 men. A fund to give the widows some financial security was immediately set up, and the huge sum of £50,000 (approx £5m at today's rate) was quickly raised.

Deep sea fishing is still the most hazardous occupation in the UK when the probablity of occupational fatality is studied - perhaps worth bearing that in mind next time you grumble about the cost of haddock!