News Archive 2000

Clacton on Sea

EASTERN REGION

28 December 2006

News Archive Files for 2000

Horse Race Night

On Saturday 11th November the Clacton branch of the RNLI held its annual Horse Race Night at Highfields Holliday Park. Almost 200 guests enjoyed a nine race card following a susage and chip supper. The evening raised a total of £1,567.07 many thanks to those who donated raffle prizes.

The Horse Race Night has been held for the last 14 years and has raised a total of £16,500

Station Press Officer 15/11/2000

RNLI Recipe Book

Chloe handing Rob Smith Cheque for £145

Clacton branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution has brought out its own vegetarian recipe book.

The brain child of Margeret Wright of Sudbury the book contains 54 recipes contributed by T.V. chefs, Lifeboat station and Margaret's own family. First sales have already raised £145 which will go to sponsor Clacton crewman Darren Nicholson on a 400km South African cycle ride "The South Caper 2000" organised by the RNLI.

Orders for the book are coming in daily and should shortly reach £1000

The photograph (left) shows Margaret's daughter Chloe making the presentation of £145 to station Hon. Sec Rob Smith.

The RNLI Recipe Book

On Sale now

Only £3.00

To Order Tel: 01255 813411

Station Press Officer 15/10/2000

Clacton's Boys Brigade

On Friday the 29th September, Clacton's Lifeboat station received a visit from No's 1 and 2 Company of Clacton's Boys Brigade. One of the Brigades aims for the year 2000 is a national fund raising to provide for inshore lifeboats for the RNLI. Each Company was ask to try to raise £200.

By holding many events including coffee mornings, a sponsored hike and "fill a Smarties tube with change" the Clacton Company have already reached £220.

During their visit the boys were shown around the lifeboat and boathouse by members of the crew.

Station Press Officer 07/10/2000

Romford Buffs

			The Romford branch of the R.A.O.B. (Buffs) have been raising money for the RNLI for the past year. They have held raffles, dog race evenings and other events to support the charity chosen by their Chairman Ernie Porter. On a visit to Clacton Lifeboat station on Saturday 16th September 2000 a cheque for £828.46 was accepted by Rob Smith, station Hon. Sec, on behalf of the Institution.

Station Press Officer 06/10/2000

Help in Mozambique

Lifeboatmen and women are being selected for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's new Rapid Response Unit. Fifteen volunteers and five staff are on 24 hours standby to go to Mozambique to help with flood relief work. This mission, anticipated to take place within the next 2-3 months, (Feb-March 2001) will be the first for this unit. A second team of fifteen will be on 14 days notice to relieve the first and other volunteers will be selected to take a place in the rapid response unit in due course. The teams for Mozambique will be led by RNLI training inspector Ian Canavan (35), who was in charge of the eight staff and volunteers who spent two weeks there in March 2000.

The forecast floods in Mozambique are predicted to be worse than those that happened earlier this year (2000). The British Government's Department for International Development has requested help from the RNLI and will pay for the equipment and deployment of the teams.

Volunteers at the RNLI's 224 lifeboat stations in the UK and Republic of Ireland, who met an established criteria, were asked if they wished to volunteer for the Rapid Response Unit, which the RNLI decided to set up following its involvement with flood relief in Mozambique in March 2000. This expedition highlighted the need to have specially equipped and trained teams ready to respond to emergencies at home and abroad at short notice. In a telephone survey, which followed soon after the mission, 70% of RNLI supporters and the general public expressed support for the RNLI providing similar overseas help in the future. The RNLI has assisted with flood relief work abroad in East Pakistan and Bangladesh in the past.

The RNLI has also been involved with flood relief work throughout the UK during the last few months, using teams from local lifeboat stations and inflatable lifeboats. Similar lifeboats will be used abroad because they can be deflated, packed and re-inflated on arrival.

One of the volunteers is Pete Richards (34) a fireman from Clacton Lifeboat Station.

RNLI Headquarters 19/12/2000

Boathouse Opens after Painting

Clacton's RNLI boathouse on the pier has been closed to the public for the past few weeks while repainting has been carried out. It is hoped to re-open for the half-term from Tuesday 24th to Friday 27th of October 2000 in the afternoon from 1:30 to 4pm.

Having the boathouse open for the summer has proved very popular with several hundred visitors coming to see the lifeboat, and look at the history of the station.

Press Officer Mel Winger 16/10/2000

Concorde Talk

Concorde has been used as a very successful fund raiser for charities, notably Live Aid, when Phil Collins used it in order to perform at both the London and Philadelphia venues during the same concert.

Thanking Roger for his talk, David Snell congratulated him on the superb quality of the aerial photography used to show this unique aircraft at its best. As a momento of the evening Roger was given a presentation photograph of Clactons two Lifeboats by Senior Helmsman Rob Bradbrook.

The evening ended with a raffle, many thanks to all those who donated prizes. A total of £1296.00 was rased for the RNLI.

Station Press Officer 15/08/2000

Flag Day - 29th July 2000

Clacton branch of the Royal national Lifeboat Innstotution would like to thank all those people who contributed to its Flag Day collection. A total of £1612.66 was raised on the day, Saturday July 29th 2000.

We would also like to thank the people who helped this year by selling emblems in Clacton town center and also Holland and Jaywick.

Station Press Officer 15/08/2000

Bungee Jump

The bungee jump and fun day held at the Sailor Boy public house, St. Osyth beach, on 17th June 2000 raised £916.00 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Many thanks to all who took part and to Ken and Frankie Horn for organising another great day.

Station Press Officer 15/08/2000

The 1st Holland on Sea Beaver Colony

Last year as their Caring Challenge for the year 1999 the 1st Holland on Sea Beaver Colony collected used postage stamps for the RNLI their hard work resulted with them managing to fill two black dustbin sacks with these stamps, which they packed into a large cardboard box, they decorated the box in red, white and blue paper and stuck on pictures of lifeboats the final touch being a very large yellow box and gift tag.

Clacton RNLI on hearing what the Beavers had done invited the whole Colony to visit the Boathouse and see the then new boat just after it's naming ceremony. During this visit they presented the box to Rob the senior helm.

A letter was received informing us that the stamps had raised £40.00 towards the continuing effort of the Clacton RNLI to save lives at sea.

We are still collecting stamps which we will pass on at a later date.

As a Beaver Colony to take a close interest in the work of the RNLI.

Celia Merryweather 29/07/2000

Lifeboat Stations Open Day

Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of June 2000 is open house at Clacton Lifeboats. The Atlantic 75 on the pier and the D Class on the West Promenade will be on show from 11 am to 4 pm. The public are invited to come along and meet members of the crew and committee and see the Lifeboats close up.

Dated 21/06/2000

New Press Officer

After many years of first class service press officer Mervyn Manson has stepped down. I would like to thank Mr. Manson for all his help and wish him all the best in the future. And as from April 2000 our new press officer Mel Winger has taken over the post

Dated April 2000

Reserve Lifeboat at Clacton

A reserve Atlantic 21 is to be moored off Clacton Pier while modifications are made to the slipway, this should take about three weeks. A second D-Class lifeboat has also been put on station to assist as a launch boat

Dated 30/03/2000

New Souvenirs Page Starts Soon

The new RNLI Souvenir Catalogue is on line from the 24th March 2000

Dated 24/03/2000

Air enthusiasts pay respects to downed wartime pilot

Albert Scott, chairman of the Ease Essex aviation Society, hand the wreath to lifeboat coxswain Rob Bradbrook.

Final respects have been paid to a wartime pilot by a group of air enthusiasts.

American pilot Raymond King died in 1945 when he was forced to ditch his Mustang fighter into the sea at Clacton.

Minutes later he was brought ashore unconscious by lifeboatmen but was dead on arrival at hospital.

To mark the 55th anniversary of the death East Essex Aviation Society, based at Point Clear, handed over a wreath to Clacton lifeboatmen to lay at sea at 3PM last Thursday - the exact time he crashed.

At the same time flowers were laid on a memorial to the pilot in Clacton's Albany Gardens by members of the society. As a teenager the society's current chairman Albert Scott watched events unfold. He said "It was quite a pleasant experience to have both the tributes from the lifeboat crew and ourselves at the same time.

"I am sure when the relations know the full story of what we did they're going to be very pleased."

Flight Officer King, 22, was based at Wattisham in Suffolk and had to return back after a combat mission to accompany a stricken colleague when his own plane developed engine trouble.

Flight Officer Raymond King. Age 22

For more information on the Essex Aviation Society Click here for a tour of St. Osyth

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