Recognition

On Thursday of last week it was the annual RNLI awards ceremony at the Barbican in London. As usual, medals for gallantry were awarded by the President of the Institution the Duke of Kent. However, a lot of awards were also made to some of the many volunteers who work tirelessly to keep the Institution afloat.

Our very own Diana receive her gold badge from the Duke of Kent - a just reward for all her sterling work for The Swanage Guild where she has been Souvenir Secretary for many years. She is the mainstay of our fantastic team of helpers not only in the shop but also at various fundraising events in Swanage and the surrounding area with her souvenir stall.

She was accompanied by her husband Dan and also Ann and Robin Tiller.

Our recently opened shop is a fine example of what a can be achieved with a great deal of hard work by volunteers such as Diana. Please visit if you ever get the chance.

Well done Dianna!

Fred Crutchfield

In the 60's and 70's Eric Lydon, the licensee of the 'Old Ship Hotel', and a very gifted artist, painted several paintings of crewmembers of the Swanage Lifeboat. In time these paintings were re-hung in the bar at the Mowlem, owned by Hall and Woodhouse. Sadly this bar is no longer being run by Hall and Woodhouse and so the pictures have been passed to us for safe-keeping by the families of the three men depicted.

Fred shown here led an interesting and slightly unusual life. Born in 1908 he trained and began his working life as a solicitor in London. At the outbreak of the second war he joined the Navy and went to sea on Minesweepers off the East coast of England. The war would seem to have unsettled Fred's life somewhat as when hostilities ceased he resumed work as a lawyer but in Swanage rather than London. Working for a local solicitor Fred lodged initially with Ron Hardy who became Coxswain of the lifeboat on Bobby Brown's retirement.

Obviously this proximity to the sea and lifeboatmen re-kindled his interest in the sea and so Fred joined the crew (I haven't been able to find out exactly when). In due course he became reserve Mechanic on 6th May 1957 and served as such until 14th September 1963 when he was appointed Station Mechanic. He retired on 12th April 1970. During his time on the lifeboat crew Fred not only served onboard the Swanage lifeboat but was also spent time delivering other stations lifeboats around the coast for repair and refit.

Thanks to our Chairman Robin for his research. If anyone has any further details to add to this potted history of Fred please let me have them as I'd like to add to this.

AGM

So, last nights AGM was everything I expected. Robin stood and spoke for a while, so did Neil, as did Diana and Martin and also Steve our Divisional Lifeguard Inspector (and was the most grown up looking Lifeguard I've ever met...he even had shoes and long trousers on)!

It is, more seriously though, our time of year for thanking people and making presentations and awards. Last night we said farewell to Gordon, one of our long-serving DLA's and also Myra our long-standing treasurer (34 years I think). Farewell and thank you to you both.

And then afterwards we had a pint and played some 'shove ha'penny' (no really, we did).

A.G.M.

It's our A.G.M. tonight at the Pines Hotel in Swanage. This is a fairly reflective occasion where our Chairman Robin Tiller, our Treasurer, our Coxswain and various others will spend time talking about the year gone past. Perhaps because of it's backwards-looking nature, many of the crew find it a fairly baffling event. You see, most of us are more accustomed to looking forwards than looking back. By our nature we are inclined to train for the next shout rather than dwell on those from last year. We're more interested in planning next years fundraising than analysing last years.

Still, we all turn up year after year...it might be something to do with the bar?!

SOS

Last Saturday was the RNLI SOS day at Harman's Cross. It was a small affair but well set up and well attended. Rob was there holding fort with an old 'D' class lifeboat (interestingly the firstone ever to be produced in orange rather than grey fabric).The guild ladies were out in force with there mobile shop selling all the usual goodies.And of course the great and the good, our Lifeboat Operations Manager Neil Hardy and Chairman Robin Tiller (and there better halves).My two girls enjoyed the whole thing. Sadly I don't think it was the attraction of the lifeboats but rather the combined pleasure of seeing Sarah and Becky.Ultimately these things are about raising funds but also raising awareness of what we do. So £1200ish was a welcome addition to the coffers and the event certainly helped raise awareness. A good show.