Sell-out Hunstanton tea party for charity that saves lives at sea
Friends, supporters and crew members from a Norfolk lifeboat station threw a tea party for the RNLI. Some 50 people attended the sell-out event at Hunstanton Sailing Club on Saturday 31 January.
They hope this year's event will bring in a similar amount - whilst declining to say how long they had spent in the kitchen.
'It was quite a few hours,' one of the trio shrugged as they took a breather from the kitchen to get some fresh air down on the Prom.
'But it's such a worthwhile thing and it was so successful last year.'
As tea was served at the £20-a-ticket do, the pots it was brewed in weren't the only ones on show.
For Hunstanton RNLI treasurer Jackie Merralls - known as the Queen of Betty's Pots down at the lifeboat station - was also dishing out her trademark fundraising staple.
Jackie did a talk on the work of Hunstanton RNLI, the roles of some of its crew and what it costs to equip them to save lives, which Betty's Pots all help towards.
'They take 5ps, other shrapnel, anything at all,' she said of her beloved recycled jars.
'We'd love you to fill them up and bring them back to Hunstanton RNLI, but you can also take them to any lifeboat station.
'Helmets for each crew member cost £350, so last year's tea party here raised enough to pay for two of those vital pieces of kit.'
After a round of applause, the dainty tea stands soon emptied. But Pru, Lesley and Julie were bustling away in the galley, where a fridge was packed with home-prepared deserts to launch a second wave.
The sailing club lounge was awash with smiles as supporters tucked in.
As the Anglo-American author Henry James once famously observed: 'There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.'
Even more agreeable when it's dedicated to the charity that saves lives at sea.
A breakdown of what it costs to equip and train at crew member for their life saving work can be found at https://rnli.org/about-us/how-the-rnli-is-run/running-costs.
The Henry James quote comes from the opening of his 1881 novel Portrait of a Lady.
Pictures from the tea party.
Please note credit: RNLI/Chris Bishop.
RNLI media contacts
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.