It has been a busy weekend and so we are publishing 2 parts to our Suffolk and Norfolk trip.
Having now visited nearly all of our "day trip" stations, this was our first weekend away and we planned to travel up the Suffolk and Norfolk coasts from Aldeburgh to Hunstanton.
Aldeburgh Lifeboat Station
Our first stop after an early start was at Aldeburgh in Suffolk. We arrived at the Lifeboat Station just as the shop was opening. We chatted to the lovely shop manager for a while before Charlie arrived. Charlie is a legend! He has been volunteering for the RNLI for over 50 years in Aldeburgh and had some stories to share. He very kindly showed us around the station where they now have an Atlantic 85 called Howard Bell (B-899). Outside the station is their pride and joy, Freddie Cooper (12-34). This was our first sighting of a Mersey Class and there are only 4 in operation now. Thank you Charlie for taking the time to share your stories and show us around.
Southwold Lifeboat Station
Our second stop for the day was Southwold. The 45 minute drive took us through some lovely Suffolk countryside. Southwold was extremely busy with the warm weather and start of the school holidays bringing out the holidaymakers. We managed to find a parking spot close to the Lifeboat Station and the Alfred Correy Lifeboat Museum which was unfortunately closed.
I was aware that many of the RNLI volunteers were at a nearby Maize Maze open day so we were unable to meet anyone here. We managed to spy the Atlantic 85 through the window. Their boat is called Annie Tranmer (B-868). We grabbed our required photo and headed towards Lowestoft, stopping at the shop in the town to purchase a pin badge.
Lowestoft Lifeboat Station
The town was busy but we parked up and took the chance to eat our packed lunch on the promenade before heading to the station. The shop was open and we were welcomed by some lovely volunteers whom we chatted with for a while. The Lowestoft boat is moored adjacent to the station in the marina. It is a Shannon Class called Patsy Knight (13-05). Photo and pin badge obtained we headed off to our 4th visit.
Great Yarmouth & Gorleston Lifeboat Station.
We had arranged a time to visit the Great Yarmouth station and we were bang on, which was a bit of a fluke in planning. We were just taking the photo with the bears when Coxwain, Andy, arrived and introduced himself. He very kindly took time away from his gardening to show us around the boathouse. They house their Atlantic 85, John Rowntree (B-925) inside and launch via a crane called a Davit. Adjacent to the boathouse is their Trent Class, Samarbeta (14-10). Andy, explained that it is possible to sail up the River Yare onto the Norfolk Broads and back down the River Waveney to Lowestoft meaning that Gorleston was on an island.
Whilst Samarbeta is still used at Great Yarmouth, it was replaced with a Shannon Class called George & Frances Phelon (13-44) in 2023. It is moored on a temporary pontoon whilst works to modify the existing gantry are being carried out. This is one of the RNLI’s Legacy Lifeboats. The legacy of Mrs Frances Phelon fully funded the build of this lifeboat and she asked that it be named after herself and her late husband. Names of thousands of donors that left money in their Wills adorn the RNLI 13-44 decals. Below is the boat before it left the ALC in Poole for delivery to Great Yarmouth and a link to the information about this Legacy Lifeboat. A huge thankyou to Andy and the ladies in the shop for showing us around and for their welcome.
Happisburgh Lifeboat Station
Our final stop for the day was Happisburgh, a 45 minute drive from Great Yarmouth. We stopped for a cuppa and a cake at a fabulous little tea room called Poppylands in Horsey. If you find yourself that way, take time to pop in. It is like stepping back in time with fantastic displays and artifacts from the Second World War. https://www.facebook.com/poppylands
Now, if you do not come from Norfolk you may be forgiven, like us, in assuming that Happisburgh is pronounced the way it is spelt. How wrong were we. Our poor pronunciation was corrected earlier in the day when we were chatting to the shop manager at Aldeburgh. It is actually pronounced Haisburgh. The P’s are silent!
Happisburgh have a D Class boat called Russell Pickering (D-813). We could not see it as it was tucked away in its boathouse. We grabbed our photo and headed off to our B&B.
Suffolk & Norfolk Part 2 covers our journey on Sunday 21st.
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