
Lifeboat Sculptures cruise into Whitstable Harbour
Two somewhat unusual lifeboats could be seen in Whitstable Harbour last Sunday but they might have had a bit of a problem staying afloat!
They are the work of husband and wife team Robbie and Libby Packman of Faversham who work under the name of The Toolbox Artist and The Workshop Widow producing works of art and sculptures made from old tools.
Robbie Packman, a lorry driver by profession said ”We were asked if we could build some lifeboat models to mark RNLI 200 for the Heritage tent at the Kent County Show held at Detling in July and we made representations of a 1886 rowing lifeboat and a Trent class lifeboat”.“The rowing lifeboat is built from a collection that includes old pliers, dies, reinforcing rods, spanners and other scrap materials mounted on an old anchor whilst the ‘Trent’ class also uses pliers and spanners but features old garden forks to represent the wheelhouse”.
“It all started a few years ago when I started creating boot scrapers to pay the electric bill, and was soon asked to create other things and,after losing me to my workshop, it wasn't long till Libby joined in (hence the name Workshop Widow) and she taught herself to weld!”
“We have now displayed our work at several locations and every day we are in the workshop creating more, so much so that the house and garden are now overflowing with our creations”.
“The Trent lifeboat took about 20 hours to make whilst the 1886 lifeboat was about 25 to 30 hours whilst creating other sculptures and proper work. Both lifeboats started with a chalk line on the bench and once we get started it just seems to happen. We raised £286 for RNLI funds at the Kent Show and we are now looking for a suitable new home for them”.
Robbie and Libby can be found on www.toolboxartist.co.uk
Notes to editors
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Whitstable RNLI Lifeboat Station was established in 1963 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and is one of 237 lifeboat stations around the shores of the UK and Ireland. The volunteer crews provide a maritime search and rescue service for the Kent coast. They cover the area between the Kingsferry Bridge on the Swale, in the west, around the south-eastern side of Sheppey and along the coast through Whitstable and Herne Bay to Reculver in the east and outwards into the Thames Estuary.
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The station is equipped with an Atlantic 85 lifeboat named Lewisco, purchased through a bequest of a Miss Lewis of London who passed away in 2006.
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She is what is known as a rigid inflatable inshore lifeboat, the boat’s rigid hull being topped by an inflatable sponson. She carries a crew of four people.
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RNLI media contacts
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Chris Davey, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, Whitstable Lifeboat Station.
07741 012004/ [email protected] -
Julie Rainey - Regional Communications Lead : 07827 358256
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Hatti Mellor - Regional Communications Manager :07724 801305
For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
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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