2 Newbiggin Lifeboat Station - 2

OCTOBER 2005 VOl.2:42

NEWBIGGIN’S 154TH Newbiggin YEAR OF LIFESAVING Lifeboat Station

hours. As I was locking up one of our Lives Saved Since 1851 635 + 4 shorecrew came running down to advise DOGS that a small open boat had broken down and had drifted onto rocks at Church Launches Since 1851 539 Point. It was also reported that there This Month’s Headlines might be a person in the water. Minutes later the lifeboat was launched and was Weather for October 2005 Exercises soon on scene. The casualty a 16foot Services Boathouse Repairs open boat with two persons on board was Volunteers Day First Aid indeed in shallow water and a third man TW20H was in the sea, standing on a submerged Weather for October 2005 rock. A tow was made ready then the lifeboat was veered down towards the October began with mild even warm casualty. With the casualty secured conditions with some dry weather for a alongside the lifeboat the person in the change. By the middle of the month we water swam back to the shore. The were into periods of heavy rain, thankfully casualty was brought clear of the rocks some of which was overnight. By the and the occupants transferred into the middle of the month the wind swung lifeboat. The journey home was achieved around to the south east bringing on without incident and the occupants once rough sea conditions. Of note the 27th of checked were released to return home. the month was an exceptionally warm The lifeboat was recovered, refueled and day for this time of year with washed down by 1900hours. temperatures hitting the dizzy heights of 18 degrees, indeed these unseasonably Boathouse Repairs and Maintenance warm conditions continued until the end Works of the month. During the month work began on the Exercises programmed repairs and maintenance work. In order to get things moving a Exercises were held on the 2nd, 13th and security container was hired in and all 23rd. display material and loose fixtures and Services fittings were removed from the station for There was one service call during the refitting at a later date. Minor repair works month with details as follows; began to the boathouse doors whilst inside there was painting. The works Thursday 6th October, 2005 continued throughout the month. I had been down at the boathouse for a Volunteer day few hours in the afternoon to carry out some planned maintenance and with that Volunteers from the station took part in a done left the station for tea at about 17.00 volunteer day during the month. Work on the former Newbiggin Lifeboat got a real 2 Newbiggin Lifeboat Station - 2 - boost recently with the first Volunteer Day The Mary Joicey Maritime Trust aims to on this important vessel. Volunteers from secure funding for a new visitor the Mary Joicey Maritime Trust were experience for Newbiggin where the Mary joined by employees from Nothumbrian Joicey lifeboat will be one of the main Water as part of their ‘Volunteer for a display items. Day’ scheme which provides free labour There is a lot of work going on behind the to community projects. scenes to develop the project and further The day involved a variety of tasks news will be released in 2006. including cleaning down, scraping off old First Aid Training paintwork, woodwork repairs and Eleven volunteers from the station began painting. a series of evening first aid training During the afternoon pupils from sessions this month. The RNLI Instructor Newbiggin Middle School also came Trevor Stephens is carrying out the along to take part in the event and after training over a period of six weeks and is an introduction on what was required they part of the planned programme rolled out rolled up their sleeves to do their bit. to all stations. The training looks at all Their efforts were rewarded with the aspects of first aid including resuscitation presentation of Certificates of Merit in and fractures. recognition of their efforts. TW20H The day was heralded a great success by the Mary Joicey Maritime Trust Chair Our station tractor was taken away for a Richard Martin who promised that similar week during the month to the North events are planned for 2006.He added Divisional Base at Teeside to undergo its ‘the concept of the volunteer day and 12month maintenance work. During its indeed the basis of this whole venture is absence it was replaced by relief tractor to allow volunteers to get involved in new TW19H. opportunities and develop new skills in the process’. The volunteer day would not have been possible without the support of Lord Tool Richard Martin

Hire, Blyth, Metro Painting Contractors, st RTM Group Services and International 31 October, 2005. Paints. During the latter part of 2005 apprentices from the Swan Hunter Shipyard at Wallsend began work on the refurbishment of the lifeboat launching carriage for Mary Joicey. The track system on the carriage had become seized after many years of standing. Members of the Trust stripped down the tracks and they have been taken to Swan Hunter for refurbishment by the apprentices. Mary Joicey was the last offshore lifeboat to be stationed at Newbiggin and was succeeded in 1981 by the smaller faster Atlantic 21 class inshore lifeboat. Mary Joicey returned to the region in May 2005 following a 24year exile and after spending many years outdoors on display in a Reading park.