Rye Harbour RNLI man pulls first pint at opening of refurbished pub
The volunteer manager of Rye Harbour RNLUI lifeboat station was given the honour of pulling the first pint at the reopening of a local pub following a £200,000 refurbishment.
And to mark the occasion, the Chief Executive of Shepherd Neame, presented a £500 donation to the Friends of Mary Stanford Lifeboat House. The boathouse is a permanent reminder of the tragedy in 1928 when Rye Harbour’s Mary Stanford Lifeboat capsized in heavy seas with the loss of all 17 crew.
Jonathan Neame presented the cheque to Jacqui Stanford, founder and chairman of Friends of Mary Stanford Lifeboat House.
The pub, overlooking the River Rother, reopened after being closed for five weeks during the refurbishment. Local dignitaries and residents were also invited to the launch celebration.
Richard joined the crew at Rye Harbour in 1968, and his years of dedicated service were recognised by the RNLI in 2013 with the presentation of a Bar to his Gold Badge, the second highest award made by the charity.
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