Look where I have been today....

An amazing visit to New Brighton Lifeboat Station - all thanks to Heather Little who is one of the RNLI fundraisers (or Philanthropy as they like to be called).  I met Heather back in April at The Alternative Boat Race, a charity event organised by Heather and her fellow colleagues in "Philanthropy" at the RNLI.  She mentioned that she would be visiting the New Brighton station tonight and would I like to come along!  So accompanied by my "first mate" Hector we met the volunteer crew (yes folks they don't get paid for saving lives at sea) and also a lovely lady called Susan who had arranged for the ashes of her recently deceased father, Captain Gerald Rolph to be scattered on the River Mersey.

Tonight was practice night for the lifeboatmen and they went out twice as can be seen from my collage.  Notice that the lifeboat is launched using a tractor and massive trailer as this is the fastest and most effective way of getting the boat in the water at any time.  At New Brighton they also have a hovercraft because at low tide there are quicksands around the coastal area which are extremely dangerous and the hovercraft is the only way to reach people quickly.

The RNLI is an amazing organisation, totally voluntary and I know of no organisation in the world quite like it for saving lives at sea so if you are looking for a great charity to support this is the one...

Ps - my extra photos are of the boat I sponsored for the Alternative Boat Race which was named after my own boat Quasar in the hope she would win the race and then I would be able to name a new Shannon Lifeboat - sadly she came nowhere on the night but Heather kindly delivered her to me this evening...

PPs - a little video showing the lifeboat being taken out from the station this evening is shown here