Nine singers from Sussex are celebrating life at the top of the charts with the Fishwives Choir.

The women from Hastings are members of the choir comprised completely of Fishwives, inspired by the military wives choir.

Sussex singers Jackie Milton, Toni Adams, Toni Early, Tracy Edmunds, Deirdre White, Amanda Apps, Barbra Bollen and Sharon Andrews all feature in the choir’s recent single.

When the Boat Comes in/Eternal Father has gone straight to number 1 in the UK Vocal chart.

The single, which was released on August 24, has been five years in the making and was the brainchild of Jane Dolby from Essex.

Following the tragic death of her husband Colin who was lost at sea in 2008, she set about creating a choir with the aim of releasing a “one off single”.

All of the proceeds from the record will go to The Fisherman’s Mission.

Mother-of-four Mrs Dolby was supported by the charity after her husband Colin got caught in a freak storm.

His body was missing for almost a year, leaving the family struggle with money.

She said: “The children and I could not have survived without the mission’s practical and financial help, love and ongoing support.”

The choir features 38 women from all over the UK who came together in the last week of April this year to record their song.

Sussex member Mrs Milton said: “We saw the choir being advertised in the local paper and with all of us being from local fishing families we decided to join.

“With such a great distance between all the girls it is hard to meet up regularly.

“Jane is always thinking of new ideas though and I am sure she has something else up her sleeve for the future.”

The Sussex Fishwives will be at the Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival on September 14 and 15, where they will be selling copies of their single.

To find out more about the Fishwives choir visit their Facebook page which is www.facebook.com/ TheFishwivesChoir