St Ives RNLI are presented with a model of their former Mersey class lifeboat
The volunteers at St Ives lifeboat station were honoured to receive a model of their former Mersey class lifeboat The Princess Royal. The model, which was made by local man Michael Trimming, was presented to the station by Mrs Wallis.
The lifeboat was owned by her late husband and she wanted to donate it to the station where it can be on display for visitors to enjoy.
Mrs Wallis says;
‘When my husband sadly died, we decided to donate the lifeboat to the station. My husband was born and bred in St Ives, he would wish for it to be here. I’m totally delighted it’s in the museum. It’s the way it should be.
‘People are interested in the lifeboats and the history, is important to the local people of St Ives and it would have been important to my husband as well. He belonged here and it’s showing part of the history of the station.
‘My grandson Joe absolutely loved his grandad and shadowed him everywhere and helped him with all his model boats. When he was very ill he was very attentive to his grandad right up until the last. He loved him and this is like his legacy.’
The lifeboat model will reside in the station museum for visitors to view.
Michael Trimming, who made the model lifeboat says:
‘The model took me approximately seven months to build. It is a fibre glass hull and superstructure. Everything else I put on it myself. Jo’s husband came to see me and he wanted the lifeboat so I sold it to him.
‘It’s great to see the model lifeboat here. It’s wonderful and how it should be. I worked very hard on all my lifeboats, I have five of them. They take me five to seven months a time to build and if they are just stuck in my garage there is nobody looking at them. I like to see people enjoy my hard work, and that’s what it’s about, that’s why I do it.’
Rob Cocking, RNLI Coxswain at St Ives says;
‘It’s fantastic to see the lifeboat on display and we’re very grateful to Mrs Wallis for her kind donation. Many of our current crew, served on The Princess Royal so it’s a great tribute to a lifeboat that served us well.’
On 13 May, the St Ives inshore lifeboat crew were tasked to assist a broken down jet ski at Gwithian beach. The crew towed the jet ski back to Hayle harbour.
Notes to Editors
3 Photos attached
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Michael Trimming, Mrs Wallis, Robin Langford 1st Mechanic, Robert Cocking Coxswain, Paul Lebas Navigator
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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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