Morris Dancing and Brass Band Music at Whitstable RNLI

On Saturday the Whitstable based Dead Horse Morris Men and the Broomdashers ladies team who have been supporters of Whitstable RNLI for many years performed outside the station accompanied by their friends from other Morris teams. It was certainly a very colourful scene which drew many spectators and helped contribute to station funds and all at Whitstable RNLI are very grateful for their continued support over the years.

Appropriately for a Morris team based in a seaside town and who regularly perform at the station ‘Dead Horse’ are named after a sea shanty. 'Dead horse' being a naval term for the first month of a sailor's work aboard ship.

Then on Sunday the musical theme continued when the 1^st Whitstable Scout Band who have also been keen supporters of the station performed two hours of varied brass band music which featured something for everyone.

They are the district’s longest established brass band having been formed in 1919 and writing on their social media site the band reports “What a fantastic afternoon of music-making outside the RNLI Whitstable Lifeboat Station today”

“A huge thank you to everyone who came along to support us. It was wonderful to see so many people enjoying the music in the sunshine whilst supporting the incredible work of the RNLI and the brave volunteers who are always ready to answer the call”.

Everybody at Whitstable RNLI would like to thank both the Morris dancers and the Whitstable Scout Band for their support over the years. This weekend was certainly memorable for the colourful and musical scene outside our boathouse.

In addition to all this activity at Whitstable RNLI the station’s volunteers have had to launch on two calls over the weekend.

On Friday afternoon the lifeboat was launched to investigate a report of a person in the water at Herne Bay Harbour. The coastguard helicopter and the Herne Bay Coastguard Rescue Team where also attending.

However the lifeboat was ‘stood down’ when it was reported that the casualty had been recovered from the water by friends and was being treated by an ambulance crew.

Lewisco was launched again on Friday at 7.54pm following a report of two males attempting to swim ashore off The Long Beach to the East of the harbour. They had been reported as taking refuge on a barge moored offshore.

As the lifeboat was leaving the launching carriage two persons were observed wading ashore but the lifeboat continued to the barge to confirm that there were no persons onboard and Dover Coastguard subsequently reported that the casualties were safe onshore.

There has now been 33 calls for the volunteers at Whitstable RNLI so far this year.

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

• Chris Davey, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI South East, [email protected]

• Julie Rainey, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for London and South East England, 07827 358256, [email protected]

• Sam Haddad | Regional Communications Manager South East (job share) [email protected] Tel: 01202 137713 

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

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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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