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Writer's pictureAllan & Helen

Somerset

Following a wet and blustery day and 3 fabulous visits in South Wales, we headed back over the Severn Bridge to visit 3 more stations in Somerset. Now I am not great with heights and driving over a very large bridge in a storm was not my idea of fun but keeping eyes on the road and a firm grip on the wheel we made it across.

Our first stop was Portishead just 8 miles to the west of Bristol with a long history as a fishing port and busy industrial area.


Portishead Lifeboat Station

Much of the area where the current Lifeboat Station is located is private waterside accommodation surrounding a lovely marina. Finding some roadside parking, we took a short walk to the station where we found the crew preparing to launch their Atlantic 85 boat.


We took our evidence photo before being welcomed to the station by several crew members. There was a buzz of activity and banter and we soon settled in chatting with everyone as they prepared to launch on exercise. We learned about the history of the station, its previous locations and where the boats launch at various tide states. We were taken on a tour of the station followed by a photo with the crew just before they launched.

Photo: RNLI/Helen Lazenby

The Portishead Lifeboat Station is the newest RNLI station having been adopted in 2015, technically making this station number 238! The original inshore lifeboat station was established in 1971 in nearby Pill on the river Avon. This closed after 4 years service in 1974. Between 1995 and 2015 an independent lifeboat trust took over the rescue services in the area and was based adjacent to the Yacht Club to the west of the current boathouse.


The lifeboat station was built on the site of the the former Masonic Lodge at the entrance to the marina. Together with a large launching ramp the station was now able to accommodate their Atlantic 75 Class ILB and subsequently the current Atlantic 85, “My Lady Anne” (B-884).


After a lovely cup of tea, some fig rolls and a long chat with Lifeboat Press Officer, Helen. We joined the banter as the crew helped put up a Christmas Tree in the wind and rain and bid farewell to an amazing crew and station.


Thank you to every one of the amazing team at Portishead for their hospitality and generosity.



 

Weston-Super-Mare Lifeboat Station

Just a short drive down the coast lies the seaside town of Weston-Super-Mare. A favourite holiday destination, the Weston seafront is dominated by the 1904 Grand Pier. Just north of this impressive structure is a smaller pier which was home to the Lifeboat Station until 2014. Birnbeck Pier is a unique structure being the only pier in the country which links the mainland to a small rocky island. The pier was opened in 1867 and was popular  with holiday makers and a stopping point for paddle steamers including the famous PS Waverley.


During the war the pier was taken over by the Admiralty and used for secret weapons development including the testing of Barnes Wallis’s Bouncing Bomb. The pier was closed in 1994 and is now a derelict structure. There are now works starting to restore the structure and to build a new Lifeboat Station whilst restoring the old boathouse. This is expected to be completed by 2028.


The two RNLI Inshore lifeboats are now housed in temporary accommodation close to Marine Lake and are launched into the harbour. They currently have an Atlantic 85 “Douglas Murray” (B-830) but this is undergoing some maintenance. The boat we saw was a relief B Class called “Alexander” (B-875). They also have a D-Class “Adrian Beaumont” (D-832). Unfortunately we were unable to meet any crew but we did pop into the huge shop to chat with the volunteers in there and to purchase a pin-badge.



 

Burnham-on-Sea Lifeboat Station

Our final visit of the weekend was to Burnham on Sea. After a cup of tea and a chat with some friends who live close to the station we made our way to the boathouse where we met Lifeboat Operation Manager, Matt and Press Officer Mike.


The Burnham lifeboat station was established in 1836 running until 1857. The RNLI reopened the station in 1866 and built a new boathouse near  the railway station in 1874. The station closed again in 1930. Reopening again in 1994 as an independent station, the RNLI resumed ownership in 2003, building a new boathouse on the site of the 1874 station, for the Atlantic and D Class lifeboats.


When we visited, Burnham had a relief Atlantic 85 “Malcolm and Mona Bennett-Williams” (B-865) and their D-Class “Burnham Reach” D-801. These are both launched from a long Jetty some 150 metres down the road from the boathouse.


Thank you to Matt and Mike for a warm welcome and a lovely chat.

 


 

Another amazing weekend despite the weather and the challenging drive home. We have now visited 99 lifeboat stations which leaves us with just one more to reach another milestone. More about that at the end of the month.

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