Lovely Mathew

It was mechanics work night down at the boathouse last night so I popped down to have a chat. I bumped into Matt and couldn't help but get the impression that he is slightly hurt by my regular digs at him. So I'm taking this opportunity to publicly apologise...sorry mate!

I had been planning to do a post about Matt and his cousin Chad in any case. Sadly Chad is having to take a step back from the crew due to his girlfriend being pregnant and wanting to move back to Poole to be closer to her family. Chad's not so much leaving the crew as taking a career break. We all hope that he will be back full-time in the near future but in the meantime, you (and of course Jane) take our very best wishes with you.

The reason I wanted to write a post about Matt and Chad was because I found this gem in the Lifeboat Journal archive:

Triple CHRISTENING, Swanage. Three grandsons of Victor Marsh, coxswain/mechanic of Swanage 37ft 6in Rother lifeboat J. Reginald CORAH were christened on board the lifeboat on Sunday August 28, 1983. The babies were Gary Marsh, whose three-year-old brother Alan was also christened on board the lifeboat and whose father is a member of Swanage crew; Matthew STEEDEN, whose father is another member of the crew; and James Chadwick, whose parents were home on two weeks holiday from Germany. Belinda, James's mother, was no doubt remembering her wedding in October 1980 when the lifeboat was called out twice, once during the ceremony and again during the reception.

A great story.

Of course I'd love to be able to say that I will never again take a dig at Matt. However...

Wednesday morning at five o'clock as the day begins
Silently closing her bedroom door
Leaving the note that she hoped would say more
She goes downstairs to the kitchen clutching her hankerchief
Quietly turning the backdoor key
Stepping outside she is free

She (We gave her most of our lives)
Is leaving (Sacraficed most of our lives)
Home (We gave her everything money could buy)
She's leaving home after living alone
For so many years (Bye bye)

(With thanks to Lennon and Mcartney)