Events

Her Majesty The Queen officially opens the state of the art Lifeboat training college here in Poole.

A very proud day for Poole when the RNLI patron and the RNLI president and the Duke of Edinburgh came to view the world class training facility and survival centre and officially open it. Coxswain Jonathan Clark lined up with 232 other Coxswains and helmsman from all over the country for the first time in the RNLI's 180-year history to have a unique photograph taken.

He stood proudly at the end of the line and as the Queen moved on made a quick dash to get back to the station and onto the Poole ALB with the other crew ready to escort her Majesty who was on the Severn class boat "Annette Hutton". The training boat was in the depot that week with the Castlebeertown Lifeboat Crew from Southern Ireland who were due to sail it back at the weekend after the Royal approval!.

The ILB Crews also took part of the flotilla our ILB "Friendly Forrester"with Paul Singleton as Helmsman and crew Holly Phillips and Gavin McGuinness and the training ILB from the lifeboat college had John Vine as Helmsman, Richard Skerman and Mike Fearn as crew also escorted Her Majesty from the Lifeboat college along the quay and around to the Marine Camp. On route the ILB was then tasked to a broken down speedboat at the entrance of the harbour, arriving on scene they secured a tow and took the stricken vessel onto Redcliff yacht club

The royal trio then posed for a unique photograph with all the 233 Coxswains and Helmsman from every lifeboat station in the country it was quite a stirring site to see a sea of Guernsey's and white hats all stood to attention.

The Poole Crew were also involved behind the scenes on land (and one in a pool!)at the college for the special day.

Amy Veasey ILB instructor at the Lifeboat college had a staring role in the preceding's she was in front of the B-class inshore lifeboat that did a capsizing exercise in the survival centre's massive 4-metre deep pool, the wave machine was started by another of our crew Mike Haw,he pressed the right button and the self- righting demonstration display began.The Queen watched on as the B-class began tip over and Amy clung on and disappeared underneath.It seemed an age until the crew emerged as a balloon on the boat inflated and sure enough it self-righted. Amy and the three over instructors climbed back onboard to an impromptu round of applause from watching colleagues,this did produce a smile from the Queen.

Andy Elton in his new job as Mechanic Coxswain at the Lifeboat head quarters was down on the quay side making sure that the "Annette Hutton" ON 1277 was looking its best for the Royal passage. Again the Queen had a rye smile as she stood on the deck of Severn Class lifeboat ready to depart, started up and omitted a cloud of black smoke the crowd cheered and laughed and waved her away.

Anne Millman was up in the press Office in the main buildings doing an important job of manning the phone and Anne-Marie Clark, our press Office got the chance to work alongside the Headquarters press officers (she took notes on how the professional do the job!) she had a great view of the event by escorting the visiting media, so they could get the best shots of the royal party.