An oak panel carved with a fanciful oared vessel, brobably copied from a 16th to early 18th-century representation of Classical Roman ship. It bears an inscription on the back: 'This piece of wood was given to Gerald Higginbotham by the Hall Porter of the Imperial Hotel, Blackpool, taken from a plank from the wreck on the seashore.' A cutting also pasted on the back identifying it as part of 'The last of Nelson's Foudroyant'.

'Foudroyant' was Nelson's flagship during the most controversial period of his career, at Naples from June 1799 to June 1800. It narrowly avoided being broken up in the 1890s when bought and converted by the philanthropist Geoffrey Wheatley Cobb as a boys' training ship. To offset the costs he sent it under tow on an exhibition tour to various seaside resorts. At Blackpool on 16 June 1897 it dragged its anchors and went ashore on the beach, hitting and damaging the North Pier. Attempts to refloat it failed and after it started to disintegrate in winter gales in December, it had to be broken up. This eventually required explosives, during which a lady visitor on the pier died from being hit by flying debris. Much of the timber was saved and recycled over many years into souvenirs and furniture, including (from 1929) the boardroom panelling of Blackpool Football Club. This appears to be such a piece, possibly from similar interior decoration at the Imperial Hotel, at a so far unknown date. [PvdM 4/24].