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William Cantrell Ashley was the New Quay
lifeboat from 1907 to 1948, and was the last sailing lifeboat in the
RNLI. After retirement from the lifeboat service, it went to the
Outward Bound Sea School at Aberdovey where it was renamed
'Outward Bound'.
The new boathouse was built in
1992 to accommodate the Mersey class life boat 'Frank and Lena Clifford of
Stourbridge'.
New
Quay Lifeboat Station News:
NEW QUAY
FUND RAISING EVENT- 'SHAVE OUR SCALPS'.
Seven RNLI
volunteers from New Quay are preparing to brave the
winter with no hair - to raise funds for a charity close
to their hearts. RNLI volunteers Ceri Knapgate, Simon
Rigby, Gary Hartley, Nathan Enright, Steve Hartley, Tim
Harrison and full time RNLI mechanic Ben Billingham are
to go bald to raise around £500 for the RNLI.
Supporters are expected to turn out in their droves to
witness the fundraisers face the clippers on Saturday 28
January at the Penwig Hotel, New Quay.
Ben says:
'We were struggling to come up with an acronym to get
involved with SOS Day this year, 'Shave Our Scalps'
seemed to be a fun way to raise some cash. We've since
heard about others organising 'Soap Our Saloons' car
wash, which may have been a more sensible option!'
The crew are distributing sponsor forms in the local
community and hope to raise around £300 in sponsorship,
with an extra £200 during the event.
The New Quay crew will be joined by RNLI supporters
across Wales who are getting fit and creative ready for
RNLI SOS Day which falls on 27 January. Money raised
during SOS Day will help buy vital lifesaving kit for
crews in 31 stations across Wales, to help keep lifeboat
crews safe.
Earlier this month the RNLI launched an appeal to raise
they £185,500 to provide new lifejackets for its
volunteer crews from Flint to Penarth. There is still
time for individuals, clubs, groups or organisations to
register their interest and hold an SOS event to help
fund the new lifejackets.
RNLI staff at Divisional Base in St Asaph will be joined
by lifeboat crews around the Welsh coast in challenging
themselves to run, cycle or row faster than a Tamar
class lifeboat. They are calling on people around the
coast to Race the Tamar, which takes a mere 25 minutes
to travel eight miles across stormy waters. Teams of two
to eight can take it in turn to run, cycle or row eight
miles in the fastest time possible.
Welsh branches of Yorkshire Building Society have
pledged their support and will be taking part in SOS
themed events on the day itself. Amateur radio groups
across Wales are getting involved and will be getting
involved in SOS Radio Week running between 21 - 29
January.
RNLI
HONOURS EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE OF SEVERAL MEMBERS OF ITS
NEW QUAY VOLUNTEER TEAM
Four volunteer members of the RNLI in New Quay, with
a combined service of almost 150 years, are shortly to
be honoured for their dedicated contribution towards the
work of saving lives at sea.
Mervyn Thomas, who joined in 1967 will receive an
inscribed Statuette. Mervyn was originally a shore
helper and tractor driver who became a second mechanic
and later a full time mechanic between 1975 and 2002,
when he retired but continued as a volunteer Deputy
Launch Authority until the present day. Said Mervyn,
"The letter telling me of my award came out of the blue
and was a really pleasant surprise. I have always
enjoyed my time with the RNLI in whichever capacity and
the comradeship is second to none".
Alun Griffiths became Treasurer when he moved to New
Quay in 1985 to be manager of the local branch of
Natwest. Following retirement he continued in the same
voluntary post and his valuable contribution will be
recognised by the presentation of the RNLI's Gold Badge
in May.
Recognised also for their reliability and long service
by the award of the bar to their Long Service badges are
Trevor Evans, who was a lifeboat crew member from 1968
and switched to shore crew on retirement from that role,
and Rees Tom Jones, who joined the crew in 1976 and is
presently a Deputy Second Coxswain.
Lifeboat Operations Manager Roger Couch commented,
"These are all worthy recipients, having kept up the
tradition in New Quay of giving long and unstinting
service as volunteers to the cause. Lifeboat and shore
crews are well used to responding at all hours of the
day or night whatever the weather and conditions and
have a strong sense of public service".
HOLIDAY PARK RESIDENTS DONATE GENEROUSLY TO THE NEW QUAY
RNLI
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The residents of Wide
Horizons Holiday Park near Aberaeron were busy
during the summer months holding quiz nights,
bingo and other events to raise money for
charity. Owing to their admiration for the work
of the volunteer lifeboat service, they decided
to present the proceeds totalling £660 to the
lifeboat station at New Quay. Lifeboat
Operations Manager Roger Couch commented,
"We are so grateful to the residents for their
generous donation which we shall put to good use
in equipping and training our volunteer lifeboat
crew. We have 26 dedicated crew men and women
and a further 17 officials and launch personnel.
All are unpaid volunteers and the resources
required for them to provide a first class sea
rescue service prove to be very costly. We do
not qualify for government funds of any kind
which is why the fundraising efforts of the Wide
Horizons residents and many other contributors
are so important".
The picture shows Roger Couch receiving the
cheque for £660 from a group of the fundraisers
at the holiday park. |
QUAY WEST LADIES RAISE
OVER £1,000 FOR LOCAL RNLI LIFEBOAT STATION
During the
summer, 5 ladies from Quay West Holiday Park
have been fundraising for the RNLI by holding
weekly table top sales comprising various items
donated by family, friends and visitors.
By the end of the season Cheryl Latham, Sandra
Jewell, Ellen Murphy, Bernice Smith, and Maggie
Ingrams had collected an amazing £1,110.00
through their efforts. One of the ladies
remarked, "We are full of admiration for the
work of the local RNLI volunteers and are also
grateful for the support of everyone who
contributed to and bought from us and for the
kind assistance of the management and staff of
Quay West. Lifeboat Operations Manager Roger
Couch commented, "What a fantastic result from a
neat bit of teamwork. We are grateful for such
financial support as the cost of maintaining our
services is huge. By the very nature of our
operations, our volunteer crews have to be well
trained and provided with high quality and high
cost equipment". |
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The picture
shows left to right Bernice Smith, Cheryl Latham, Ellen
Murphy and Sandra Jewell presenting the proceeds to New
Quay RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, Roger Couch.
Maggie Ingrams was unable to be present for the
photograph.
RNLI NEW QUAY BENEFITS FROM GOLF DAY DONATION
On
Friday, October 21st, 2011 Roger Couch, Lifeboat Operations Manager,
accompanied by Coxswain Daniel Potter and Station Mechanic Ben
Billingham, received a donation of £850.00 from Mrs Brenda Grainger, to
be shared equally between the New Quay and Tenby lifeboat
stations.
Mr and Mrs
Grainger, who have a house in Rock Street, New Quay, are long standing
members of New Quay Yacht Club and are keen supporters of local causes,
especially the RNLI. Their son, Matthew, has organised a charity golf
day for a number of years at a golf club in Shropshire, where he lives,
and this year decided to donate the proceeds jointly between the RNLI
stations at New Quay and Tenby.
Roger Couch
said, "It is most gratifying that the RNLI has been chosen for this
generous donation. We are a charity which relies exclusively on
donations and legacies to pay for the huge cost of developing and
building the lifeboats and training and equipping our volunteer crews.
Fund raising is more difficult than ever in the present economic
climate and this gesture by the Graingers is much appreciated".
October 2011 -
RECENT
PRESENTATIONS TO THE NEW QUAY RNLI
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The RNLI
lifeboat station was the scene of two
presentations, gratefully received last weekend.
The first was the presentation of a signed print
from an original painting of the Lusitania by
Mrs Margie Clark, daughter of the Hon Audrey
Lawson Johnston, the youngest survivor when the
ship was sunk by a German U boat off the Irish
coast with the loss of almost twelve hundred
lives in May, 1915. Mrs Lawson Johnston, who died
aged 95 in January this year, became a lifetime
fund raiser for the RNLI with a particular
interest in the New Quay station. In 1994, she
donated twenty six thousand pounds for the
acquisition of the inshore lifeboat, the Amy
Lea. Her daughter, Mrs Clark, continues to take
a great interest in the New Quay RNLI and the
picture will be displayed prominently at the
station. The above photograph shows Mrs Clark
presenting the picture to Roger Couch, Lifeboat
Operations Manager, and Ben Billingham, Station
Mechanic. |
The second
involved Mr John and Mrs Mary Evans who live at Peniel
but have a house in New Quay. John is a keen member of
New Quay Yacht club, regularly sailing his yacht Sunbird
2,and a keen supporter of the RNLI. They decided to
celebrate certain notable birthdays by asking for money
in lieu of presents, following which they donated £270
to the RNLI New Quay funds. The money will be spent on
equipment for use in the first aid training of the
volunteer crew.
NEW QUAY RNLI
CHIEF IN PLEA OVER LIGHTS IN THE NIGHT SKY
Roger Couch, Lifeboat Operations Manager at New
Quay, made a plea to members of the public regarding
lights in the night sky after the all weather lifeboat
was called out on a fruitless search late on Saturday
night.
The lifeboat, along
with Cardigan's inshore craft was called by the
Coastguard at 9.30pm to investigate reports by members
of the public of a possible distress flare in a sea area
off Aberporth. Coxswain Daniel Potter and his six person
crew searched diligently for several hours until stood
down when it was realised that this was a genuine false
alarm.
Roger Couch commented: "The light observed was likely
to be a chinese lantern, many of which are released near
our coastline up and down the country and are mistaken
for distress flares. I would like people to act
responsibly and bear in mind that the fruitless searches
which result are very costly to our organisation, a
charity which relies entirely on public donations and
legacies for its funding. It can also divert us from
providing cover for real life maritime emergencies".
SEA SUNDAY SERVICE AT THE RNLI
NEW QUAY LIFEBOAT STATION
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The New Quay RNLI Lifeboat Station was packed on
Sunday, July 31st for the annual Sea Sunday service. Taking the service
was the Reverend Matthew Baynham, pictured, who is Priest in Charge of
New Quay church with Cross Inn and Llanina and is also Chaplain to the
station.
Matthew
in his address spoke of the close contact over centuries between the
local community and the sea and also the valuable work locally and
nationally of the RNLI volunteer service and the national contribution
over the years of the Mission to Seafarers. The collection raised
£200.00 to be shared equally between the two charities.
Following the service, delicious refreshments, provided by the ladies
of the three churches, were served.
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LAST LIVING SURVIVOR OF THE LUSITANIA
DISASTER AND BENEFACTOR OF NEW QUAY LIFEBOAT STATION DIES AT 95
New Quay's lifeboat station heard
the sad news this week that one of its benefactors, Mrs Audrey
Lawson-Johnson, had died in Northamptonshire at the age of 95. Mrs
Lawson Johnson was the last living survivor of the sinking of the
Cunard liner, the Lusitania, by a German U-boat on 7th May, 1915 off
the Irish coast. The ship had sailed from New York on the 1st May with
1959 passengers and crew aboard aware of the risk of likely U boat
activity in the Irish Sea. When torpedoed, the ship sank within 18
minutes with the loss of 1198 lives. Mrs Lawson Johnson, then a three
month old baby, was saved when her nanny grabbed her from her cot and
placed her in one of the few lifeboats which managed to launch
successfully. Her parents and the nanny were also saved along with a
brother but two elder sisters perished.
Throughout her life Mrs Lawson-Johnson took an great interest in saving
lives at sea by becoming an active fundraiser for the RNLI. In 2004 she
and her family began a close relationship with the RNLI at New Quay by
raising £26,000 and presenting the station with the D class inshore
lifeboat, the Amy Lea, named after her mother. The naming and
dedication ceremony took place on the 7th May that year on the 89th
anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania and in Mrs Lawson-Johnson's
89th year.
Roger Couch, Lifeboat Operations Manager at New Quay commented, "This
is very sad news for us after our close relationship with Mrs
Lawson-Johnson and her family. She funded the acquisition of the Amy
Lea, which continues to perform well and it is such acts of generosity,
combined with the support of the public at large, which enables the
RNLI, as a charitable organisation, to do its vital work".
New Quay and Aberystwyth RNLI
practice their first aid skills - New Quay and Aberystwyth RNLI
volunteer lifeboat crew joined together on Thursday 24th June to
practice vital first aid skills that will help save lives at sea. Both
RNLI lifeboat crew had a chance to practice their first aid skills
after they received official training beginning of the year. The New
Quay all-weather lifeboat crew and Aberystwyth’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat
crew practiced dealing with simulated burns, that could have resulted
from an explosion on board, possible poisoning and sea sickness. New
Quay inshore lifeboat crew had the task to practice dealing with burns
as a result of a possible explosion ashore round a campfire.
Sailing
Around Mainland Britain - The ILB 'Amy Lea' launched on
exercise during the evening of Wednesday 9th June with Ben Billingham
and Kelvin Watters on board, to meet the Wayfarer sailing dinghy
"Viper". Helmed by Fran Gibbert and assisted by some 40 volunteer crew
she is sailing around the coast of mainland Britain to raise money for
the RNLI and the Shining Life Children's Trust. They have now been
sailing for 26 days, stopping off in various places, and on the 9th
June sailed up from Fishguard into New Quay overnight. The pictures
show the "Viper" off the coast and with the ILB giving her some help
onto a mooring off the main pier in New Quay.
Fran has her own web site where her progress around the coast can be
followed together with her blog giving some interesting details of the
many legs of the journey.
www.fransbigadventure.com
Visiting Lifeboat - A surprise visitor came into
the harbour on Thursday 3rd June - "THE ALWAYS READY" is a Liverpool
class lifeboat built in 1933 by J Samuel White, Cowes, Isle of Wight.
She is of double diagonal construction, mahogany on oak and has a
Lister diesel engine model 1PWS4. She was built as the Runswick
lifeboat and operated there until 1953. In 1934 the name was changed to
"ROBERT PATTON THE ALWAYS READY" after the loss of the Coxswain in a
rescue. Sold out of service in 1954, she became the Sharpness pilot
boat until 1978. After several owners she was bought by her present
owner in 2007 and has since undergone a major restoration. The pictures
show her together with the New Quay lifeboat " FRANK & LENA
CLIFFORD OF STOURBRIDGE".
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Tractor for Launching the ILB - The station received a new
piece of equipment on Wednesday 19th May - a New Holland 'Boomer 2035'
tractor which is taking over the ILB launch and recovery role from the
old Honda ATV. The tractor will be a more robust and reliable vehicle,
particularly on the slope of the beach and in soft sand, where the ATV
had a severe weakness. The tractor will also be utilised by the shore
crew at low tides to assist the recovery of the Mersey class lifeboat,
by transporting and moving the heavy skids. The picture on the right
shows the new tractor. |
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Exercise
with the helicopter:
Both New Quay Lifeboats had the annual helicopter exercise on Saturday
8th May with the RAF helicopter Sea King 169 from Chivenor that took
place off New Quay bay. The crew carried out a total of nine lifts and
the helicopter landed afterwards on the New Quay football field and
joined the lifeboat crew for lunch and a debrief in the Penwig hotel.
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