Our previous attempt to reach the Channel Island of Alderney in March by air was aborted due to inclement weather and poorly aircraft. The island is notoriously tricky to reach with the slightest hint of bad weather and so on our re-visit we decided to take the small ferry from Guernsey. St Peter Port We left Gatwick on a warm sunny Friday evening to get to Guernsey where we stayed overnight in St Peter Port. On Saturday morning the weather was sunny but chilly as we headed d

Our journey to the beautiful Channel Islands began on Thursday afternoon with a short 45 minute flight from Gatwick Airport to Guernsey. We took a bus to the hotel situated in the center of St Peter Port and got ourselves settled. We headed out to have a look around the town and walk around the Harbour, popping by the Lifeboat Station and to see the lifeboat moored alongside the jetty. We also spotted two former lifeboats moored in the Harbour. SSR53310 is the former Mersey C

When Helen and I started on this incredible challenge we knew very little about the history of the RNLI. As we learnt more, it became apparent during the 200 th anniversary year that we needed to find our more about its “Founding Father”, Sir William Hillary. Indeed Allan’s original plan was to finish the challenge on the Isle of Man where Sir William resided for much of his life. That plan changed but we still wanted to absorb the history of the Institution during our visit

At the start of the second day on the Isle of Man, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at our B&B before checking out and heading North. The Isle of Man is of course famous for its TT races and so it was an experience to drive the mountain route on the race track up to the town on Ramsey. We enjoyed some fantastic views on the way as the weather had cleared. "When I Grow Up" Ramsey Lifeboat Station At Ramsey we parked opposite the Lifeboat Station and, as we were a little early,

After an aborted attempt to reach the Isle of Man in October last year, thanks to Storm Amy, we finally arrived on an evening flight from Gatwick to the Irish Sea Island on the 20 th  February and settled into our comfortable accommodation in Port St Mary. Our plan for the weekend was to visit the five RNLI Lifeboat Stations on the Island and experience some of the history of the founding of the Institution. Port St Mary Lifeboat Station Our first visit of the weekend was to

In April we travelled down the east coast of England with the intention of visiting all the stations from Cullercoats down to Skegness. Unfortunately along the way we were unable to visit Humber  Lifeboat Station due to the restriction withing the Port of Grimsby – Security said No!! Humber Lifeboat Station Following further arrangements with Coxwain Sean “Chezzy” Cheston, we made the special journey up to Grimsby to finally meet the crew and complete visit number 182. After

On this amazing challenge with the RNLI, we have also been trying to piece together the various agencies involved in keeping us all safe...

After a very comfortable night and hearty breakfast at our lovely B&B we headed 5 minutes back into Stornoway and to the marina where the...

We stayed just outside of the port town of Ullapool located on Loch Broom and the gateway to the Hebrides. The drive up the evening...

After a delicious breakfast, on our 6 th  day of visits in West Scotland, we took the short 10 minute drive from our accommodation to the...

Our plans for the day had been disrupted slightly due to a change in ferry assignment from vehicle to foot passenger only from Tobermory...

From our  base at the wonderful Kirkland House B&B, we headed south and along the west coast road of the Kintyre peninsula arriving at...

Our B&B was just a short 20 minute drive to the small port of Cloanaig, so it was a relaxing start with a hearty breakfast. The sun was...

Largs Lifeboat Station When we arrived at the station, a little earlier than scheduled, we could see that their B-Class was out at sea as...

Oakhill Cafe & Deli After a long and tedious drive north due to bank holiday traffic we stayed overnight in Carnforth, Lancashire. The...

During our visits to Cardigan and Mumbles Lifeboat Stations in Wales, we experienced our  first launches on service or “shouts”. Whilst...

The RNLI came up with an ingenious fundraising idea several years ago called “Launch a Memory”. It is a way for us to remember a loved...

Our final day of visits to Wales was another eventful one. We headed south to the county of Glamorgan and the beautiful Gower Peninsula...

Our third day in Wales started drizzly and a little windy after some overnight rain. However, another amazing breakfast from our lovely...

On the second day of our long weekend in west Wales we visited three stations on the Pembrokeshire coastline. St Davids Lifeboat Station...