Shout, Sea Sunday, new sculpture, new lifeboat – Appledore RNLI

On a beautiful hot sunny Sunday 12 July, Appledore RNLI held its Sea Sunday and Rededication Service for its new Shannon class lifeboat, Ruth and David Arthur, soon to become North Devon’s only all-weather lifeboat. Due to start at 3.30 in the afternoon, Appledore Band were playing whilst people arrived and took their seats. Well over two hundred people filled the lifeboat station and the roadway outside. The inshore lifeboat was poised on the slip to take the crew to the new Shannon for an on-water display following the service. The band stops playing. Bob Meller, Lifeboat Operations Manager stepped up to the podium to introduce the service and Lifeboat Chaplain, John Kidd. Before he could say a word, as if on cue, the bleeps took over. With nearly all the volunteer crew at the station that was a lot of bleeps, all bleeping at the same time. A rapid change of plan occurred. The crew rushed into the changing room to change from their finery to dry suits or high vis. and with the lifeboat on the slip already for launch, they were off in record time. The band resumed their playing whist the service was put on hold.

Within ten minutes of the pagers going off the lifeboat was on scene off Saunton Sands, the shore crew returned, and the service at the station was resumed.

Again, as if on cue, just as the service ended, so did the shout. With the casualty safe and well, the lifeboat returned to station just in time to pick up the all-weather boat crew to take them to the deep water moored Shannon for the on-water display.

This gave time, as scheduled, for the Appledore Village Association, locally known as the AVA, to ask the Coxswain Simon McCarthy to unveil a sculpture they had gifted to Appledore RNLI.

Last year Appledore celebrated 200 years of having its first RNLI lifeboat. Lifeboat No. 1, The Volunteer, arrived in Appledore on the 28th February 1825. It was the very first RNLI lifeboat to arrive at a Station anywhere within the UK. The RNLI crew are very proud of this lineage, the new Shannon being its 12th main lifeboat, as is the whole village.

To have a lifeboat manned by volunteers for over two centuries is quite an achievement. To honour and celebrate this, the AVA commissioned Appledore’s own Architectural Ceramicist Maggie Curtis to sculpt a memorial roof tile of ‘The Volunteer’.

Maggie’s research into every detail was exhaustive. She contacted lifeboat museums, RNLI Heritage, boat builder historians and many more sources resulting in a full set of roof tiles, with some of the lifeboat men even wearing old Appledore Ganseys.

The band then resumed playing and the BBQ lit. Ruth and David Arthur was launched and, watched by a crowd of hundreds, carried out an extensive on-water display demonstrating just how fast and manoeuvrable the lifeboat is and the shallowness of the water she can take, even resting her bow right up the slipway. Crash stops, figures of eights, turning on a sixpence, and much more showed how suitable she will be to save lives with North Devon’s dramatic and varied coastline.

As Bob Meller, Lifeboat Operations Manager, said: ‘It was a beautiful service, a dramatic display by the new Shannon and we thank everyone who joined us, those who took part and helped, the crew and their families, our Fundraising Guild, Appledore Band, the AVA and Maggie Curtis, and not least our West Country donors. We believe the Ruth and David Arthur will be the perfect lifeboat to suit our needs at Appledore’.

Note to Editors:

KEY DONORS OF RUTH AND DAVID ARTHUR:

David Leslie Arthur

‘Ruth and David worked hard together. While there was a light in the sky they were working on the farm 24/7.

‘Ask about their connection with the sea and the RNLI, well I don’t think they ever had a holiday and the nearest they got to the sea was in their blue Robin Reliant three-wheeler looking over the cliffs as Portreath, eating a pasty.

‘But David always said, in his own words, “they boys who go out in lifeboats don’t get paid so they deserve good gear”, so this is why Ruth and David decided to leave their legacy to the RNLI. A legacy that will benefit the lifesavers that Ruth and David so admired for years to come’. Written by Bryan Arthur, cousin of David Arthur.

David’s generous bequest to the RNLI was made in remembrance of his wife Ruth.

Eva Mary Cooper

Eva’s early life was at sea. Her grandfather was in the Navy and then became a Coastguard.

Eva was born in Bull Point Lighthouse, Mortehoe, and as her father was stationed at different lighthouses with his job, Eva, her mother and brother Rob moved with his as he was transferred to different Lighthouses, which included St Annes Head, The Needles and Lowestoft.

Eva would regale the family with stories of long walks to school and. As she became a young adult, of encounters during the Second World War of her time in Wales at Pembroke Dock when it was bombed and she had to dive for cover. Eva shared many adventures in her life when she met and marries Cecil (Duff) who was a pilot in the RAF and part of the crew involved in the Berlin Airlift.

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Niki Tait, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI South West, [email protected]

Emma Haines, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for South West England, 07786 668847, [email protected]

Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for South West England, 07920 818807, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

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.

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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.