Angle Lifeboat Station

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News 2008

15th December 2008

A relief Tamar class RNLI lifeboat arrived at Angle Lifeboat Station yesterday, (15 December) to test the new re-profiled slipway. The new slipway is part of a major project to adapt the boathouse in preparation for the arrival of Angle’s own state-of-the-art £2.6M lifeboat in Spring 2009.

RNLI engineers, inspectors and senior personnel were present to ensure the Tamar was able to launch and recover safely and effectively from the new slipway.

Colin Williams, RNLI Divisional Inspector for the West says:

‘We are all very pleased that the launch and recovery trials at angle went without any problems. We have now proved that the recent extensive modifications carried out at Angle to allow a new larger lifeboat to operate from the RNLI boathouse, have been completed in good time ready to accept the new lifeboat due in March 2009. This lifeboat station is one of the five major slipway boathouse projects required within Wales to allow us to upgrade the all-weather lifeboat fleet on our coastline with larger and faster boat.’

The RNLI recently announced the London-based Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons donated £1.6M towards the new lifeboat. The windfall was a significant boost to fundraising efforts, which RNLI supporters began so effectively at grass-roots level in Birmingham and Wales. The £1.6M donor will have the right to name the new lifeboat, during a ceremony, which will take place in June, 2009.

Major works at the Pembrokeshire boathouse are nearing completion. The project has included raising the floor of the crew room to make room for the boat, which is much bigger and faster than the current Tyne class lifeboat.

A vintage tractor run has raised over £3,000 towards training volunteer crew members for Angle’s new RNLI Tamar class lifeboat, which is expected to go into service early next year.
The run - from the Highgate Inn, Hundleton to the Point House inn, Angle - was held in memory of tractor enthusiast Lloyd Richards, a lifelong supporter of the RNLI.
The event attracted 32 vintage tractors from all over south Pembrokeshire, as well as Fishguard, Llandissilio, Crymych, Clynderwen, Cardigan and Carmarthen.
The money raised - £3,060.57 - was handed over to Angle lifeboat station at a presentation evening at the Highgate Inn. The cheque was received from Mike James, one of the organisers of the run, by Angle’s lifeboat operations manager, John Allen-Mirehouse.
Mr Allen-Mirehouse said the RNLI relied heavily on donations such as this and, on behalf of the lifeboat station and crew members, he paid a warm tribute to everyone associated with the run.
Among those present was Mr Richards’ seven-year-old grandson, Jack, who was accompanied by his parents, Martin and Joanne Richards, as well as fellow tractor enthusiasts and Angle lifeboat station personnel.
Jack, a pupil at Angle School, is the proud owner of a Ferguson FE 25 tractor restored for him by his late grandfather, of Pembroke and formerly of North Studdock, Angle.

By Ted Goddard

The anonymous donor of £1.6M to complete the task to foot the bill for a £2.6M Tamar class lifeboat for Angle has been revealed as the London-based Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons. And to mark the occasion the Grand Master of the Order of Mark Master Masons, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, recently visited RNLI headquarters at Poole. Prince Michael was taken out to sea on board one of the Tamars and experienced at first hand the capabilities of this latest class of all-weather lifeboat designed by RNLI’s in-house teams.
The £1.6M donation was a significant boost to fundraising efforts, which RNLI supporters began so effectively at grass-roots level in Birmingham and Wales.
The RNLI £1M Tamar Lifeboat Appeal for Angle brought in nearly £400,000 since being launched in 2006. The unexpected windfall of £1.6M from the Mark Master Masons came as a welcome boost to the RNLI, which will fund the remaining £600,000 cost of the £2.6M lifeboat
from other donations made to the charity.
The donation will help ensure Angle gets a lifeboat capable of reaching casualties faster, helping the volunteer crew save more lives at sea.
Angle’s new Tamar is expected to arrive on station early next year.

*Prince Michael is pictured in this group during his visit to RNLI headquarters at Poole.

By Ted Goddard

6th October 08

The Trent Class Relief Lifeboat Edward Duke of Windsor is on station from 9:00 Monday 6th October until 14:00 Wednesday 8th of October, whilst The Sir Galahad is taken to Pwllheli by the Angle crew to be cleaned and anti fouled.

Coxswain Paul Butler (pictured on the left)and Mechanic Steve Phillips (Holsey) (on the right)from Fishguard Lifeboat Station will remain on station for the duration.

Crew members Simon Cookson, Roger Strawbridge, and Alun Hollis, join the Lifeboat for the journey home.

26th September 08

Angle RNLI awards ceremony

Four members of Angle lifeboat station have been honoured by the RNLI with silver statuettes and gold long service badges.
The awards were presented by Angle’s lifeboat operations manager, John Allen-Mirehouse, at a ceremony at the village’s Point House inn on Friday (September 26th).
A silver statuette, in recognition of his valuable support to the RNLI, was awarded posthumously to Lieutenant Colonel John Bulkeley MBE, of Bosherston .
Colonel Bulkeley was station treasurer for many years and the award was received by his widow, Susie, who was accompanied by one of their three daughters, Camilla, a flight lieutenant in the RAF.

Also awarded a silver statuette by the RNLI was Angle’s deputy launch authority and member of the station committee, Jeff Stringer, who served in the lifeboat crew for many years.
Jeff had received his award at a Wales presentation ceremony at Tenby lifeboat station in the summer.

Gold long service badges were received at the Point House by veteran lifeboat crew members, Frank Penfold and Julian Hammond.

Also present were lifeboat coxswain Jerry Rees and crew, station committee members, families and friends.

*Colonel Bulkeley’s daughters, Camilla and Lucy, ran in the Dale half-marathon two days later in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, which gave so much care and help to their late father.
They are also planning to take part in the 4 Desert Challenge to raise further funds for Macmillan. Over the next year, starting this month, they will run 150 miles over seven days in each of the following deserts: Sahara, Africa; Gobi, China; Atacama, South America, and Antarctica, and are aiming to become the first sisters to complete the gruelling challenge.

By Ted Goddard

19 Hour shout in a force 8 gale

Angle Lifeboat was involved in an 19 hour shout on Friday 8th August, after a french trawler "Mustang" became entangled on an under water cable 55 miles out in the Irish sea.
Divers were also sent to the scene on an RAF helicopter from Chivenor, but with a gale force 8 blowing and rough seas it was decided to wait until daylight to try to free the trawler.
A Fishery protection vessel "Tyne"on patrol in the area, arrived at approx 7:00 and stood off incase assistance was required.
At 7:40 Rosslare Harbour Lifeboat arrived on scene to take over the watch so that Angle Lifeboat could return to station to refuel and rest.
During this time another French trawler had managed to tow "Mustang" off the under water cable and proceeded to tow her towards Dunmore East, escorted by the Fishery patrol vessel. (Rosslare Harbour Lifeboat returned to station.)
Dunmore East Lifeboat then took over the tow to take the trawler safely into Dunmore East.
Coxswain Jerry Rees praised his crew of seven saying morale was high and they were "as good as gold" during the long ordeal. "it was no problem we had hot cans and corned beef to keep us going and battened the hatches down when it got rough."

to see more photos and read about other shouts click here