Open day will commemorate Angle RNLI's 150th birthday

The station owes its launch to the generosity of a prominent North of England philanthropist Titus Salt junior, of Bradford. He donated £420, which was allocated towards the cost of a stone-built lifeboathouse at Angle Point and the first lifeboat Katharine, built in London at Woolf’s Shadwell yard.

The new lifeboat was sent by train to Milford Haven, where she was formally named by the Countess of Cawdor. Afterwards, the lifeboat crossed the Haven Waterway, with colours flying, to her new boathouse.

A century-and-half later, the station is equipped with a £2.7 million state-of the-art Tamar class all weather lifeboat Mark Mason and a £41,000 D-class inshore lifeboat SuperG II.

The open day runs from 11am to 3pm on Saturday. Angle Regatta is also being held that day and at 6pm the all weather lifeboat will be launching to lead a parade of veteran lifeboats into Angle Bay to the delight of the regatta crowds, who will be lining the shore outside the Old Point House Inn.

The historic lifeboats will be headed by Angle’s former Watson class lifeboat, Richard Vernon and Mary Garforth of Leeds, which served at the station from 1957 to 1987 and is now owned by Bevis Musk.

She will be joined by the Pentland, also a Watson class lifeboat built in 1957, and which served at Thurso (1957-1970), Mumbles (1974 to 1985) and Workington (until 1990). She is now owned by Angle RNLI’s Deputy Launch Authority, the Rev Mike Brotherton, retired Royal Navy Chaplain.

Also in the line-up will be the Liverpool class lifeboat, The Chieftain, which was built in 1948 and was stationed at Barmouth from 1949 to 1982.

Visitors to the open day will have the opportunity to meet Angle lifeboat volunteers, tour the £1.2m boathouse and see the all weather and inshore lifeboats.

RNLI souvenirs will be on sale, there will be a cake stall, activities for children and various competitions. Volunteer crew members will operate a barbecue near the entrance to the station and refreshments will be served in the crewroom, with its spectacular views over the Milford Haven Waterway.

To celebrate the station’s 150th anniversary, there will also be three days of music at the nearby Old Point House Inn. On Friday (August 10), from 6.30pm, After the Fire will take the stage and will also be appearing the following evening from 6.30pm. Abba tribute band, Dream Abba, will be the top attraction on Saturday evening (August 11) from 7.30pm to 9.45pm. On Sunday afternoon (August 12), from 3pm, Dunvant Male Voice Choir will be appearing. They will be followed at 5pm by singer Becky James and at 6.30pm by Candy Skulls. Throughout the three days, Bristol Dave will also be entertaining.

Visitors to the open day and the Old Point House Inn are reminded that between 6pm and 8pm on Saturday (August 11) the high tide may make the shore road inaccessible for a time.

Note to editors:

RNLI media contacts: For more information please telephone Ted Goddard, Angle RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, on 01437 763675 or email [email protected].

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity 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 146,000 lives.

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