About 18 months ago Radio 4 carried two inspiring programmes by the splendidly named Horatio Clare about the Thames Lifeboat Service . I meant to make a note of them at the time, but did not get around to it.
Like many others I had never heard of this service, associating lifeboats only with the sea; after this programme I also knew of lifeboat stations at Chiswick and Teddington, staffed largely by volunteers from all walks of life, men & women, who are brave & dedicated. It was also captivating to hear of the thought & ingenuity which goes in to designing & providing all the equipment which they need to operate safely & speedily in these conditions.
The Queens visit to the Tower Lifeboat this week jogged my memory. The occasion provided some great pictures; it is good to see that the Queen usually looks so happy when we see her these days – anni horribili well & truly behind her it seems. Maybe it’s just a touch of the Jenny Josephs, but I particularly loved that hat.
And, as a bonus, the sponsored link on the Google search informed me that I too can get to look around the Thames lifeboat, But Visitors By Arrangement Only.
I am beginning to get fed up of hearing about broken Britain. Some bits are, of course, but most bits are not. I am starting to make notes of examples that I see every day, and the lifeboat volunteers make a great start. As Valentine Low noted in The Times, it's not all bankers in The City.
