Representatives from Exmouth and Teignmouth RNLI were invited to the 2011 Dawlish Air Show AGM on a wet and windy 15 December at The Manor House, Dawlish. A volunteer from each station received a cheque for £100 following public relations exercises during this year’s show.

Attendees were shown a short film of “behind the scenes” footage from the 2011 air show and organisers gave an insight into all the effort that was generated to put on a large-scale annual event.

Chair, Kevin Wills presented 13 cheques to local organisations and charities which had supported the event and offered their services free of charge. Together with the 2 donations to the RNLI, the British Legion, Friends of Dawlish Hospital, local ATC and Sea Scouts services were honoured.

Don Hodgkinson, Chair of Exmouth RNLI guild and Tony Watson, Lifeboat Press Officer and Administrator at Teignmouth RNLI both received £100 for the stations’ involvement on the day.

Two Exmouth lifeboatmen who have connections with Withycombe Raleigh primary school, visited 90 foundation unit children on Thursday 1 December to give a talk about their volunteer work.

The visit was organised by Caroline Sansom, a teaching assistant at the school and also wife of Mark Sansom who has been a volunteer lifeboat crew member for 13 years. Being the wife of a lifeboat crew member is not without sacrifice, especially when the pagers go off at all times of the day and night, so when Caroline asked her husband Mark to come and give a talk he was more than happy to give something back. He visited the children with ‘Stormy Stan’ the RNLI mascot who delighted the youngsters in his colorful outfit – played out by fellow lifeboatman Chris Sims whose son Mathew is also in the foundation unit at the school.

Devon-based author, Sylvia Murphy hosted volunteer crew and officers of Exmouth RNLI at the book launch of her latest novel about Trinity, a life-saving, sea-faring cat. 10 per cent of the book cover price (55p per book) will be donated to the charity that saves lives at sea.

At the book launch of Trinity: the Lifeboat Cat on the evening of 15 November at the Pavilion, Sylvia signed copies of her books for the volunteers and old friends from the Exmouth sailing community. Marketing her own work, her books are available on Amazon and through national wholesalers. Sylvia has written 15 books and this is her fifth cat novel.

Volunteers from Exmouth lifeboat station awarded winners of a colouring competition during their weekly achievement worship. 30 year one pupils were given sheets to colour in at the end of their visit to the boathouse on 4 October.

The visit included an hour-long tour of the two Exmouth lifeboats: the all-weather lifeboat Margaret Jean, the in-shore lifeboat George Bearman and the changing rooms. The pupils had been learning about sea safety in class and their visit enhanced their understanding of the role of the RNLI in their community.

Exmouth’s new Deputy Launching Authority, Brian Abbott has received an award for donating over 75 pints of blood in his lifetime. The retired motorbike engineer who once worked with Barry Sheen throughout the 1970s, turned from racing bikes to yachts. Joining the RNLI in May, he is now helping save lives in two different ways.

In a prestigious ceremony at Bovey Castle on Dartmoor National Park on 20 October, Brian joined around 70 Donors of Excellence from across Devon. The presentation followed an evening of dinner, photographs and speeches by Steve Sugden, Head of Donor Services and Rebecca Whitley from Scarlett’s Story, illustrating the importance of blood donations to save lives.

Brian is about to donate his 78th pint of blood in his 65 years, at the Pavilion in Exmouth on 9 November. He began donating in the early 1970s when a close friend suffered extensive injuries in the Isle of Man Time Trials, needing 16 pints of blood. His friend still continued to race bikes and won the British Championships. Talking about the experience, he comments: ‘My blood type’s the same as my attitude – be positive!’

On Saturday September 24 at 1.30pm, 7 month old Molly India Stott was baptised on board the all-weather lifeboat Margaret Jean watched by proud father Roy Stott and wife Alice. Family and friends gathered on the lifeboat for the ceremony, which follows an old naval...

A group of pirate enthusiasts went on the rampage on Monday 19 September, fundraising for the RNLI. This was the third Exeter Pirate Day, held appropriately on International Pirate Day.

Organiser of the event, Cap’in Queeg, AKA Mexie Mex, (real name Curt Nicol), had been planning the event for nearly a year through posters, a website and a Facebook group. A list of the 15 venues taking part in the pub crawl were published, along with the times of arrival. The website encouraged interested participants to join them en route, to dress and talk like pirates.

On Sunday 18 September, the Jurassic Coast Mini Club were greeted by volunteers of Exmouth RNLI at the boathouse. 70 minis took part in the 2011 “Classic Jurassic” Mouth2Mouth rally between Weymouth and Exmouth to raise money for the RNLI.

The sight of the colourful cars brightened up a somewhat drizzly and overcast day, as they arrived at the station at 3.30pm. The lack of beach goers and parked vehicles on the seafront presented an ideal opportunity for an impromptu photo shoot in front of the lifeboat station.

On Wednesday 24th August, twenty eight passengers and three crew on board a 54 foot angling boat were stuck at sea when the boat suffered engine failure.

Exmouth RNLI lifeboat station marked the occasion of one of their volunteer retiring with a BBQ and presentation at the boathouse on Friday 5 August 2011. Volunteer Don Hodgkinson has stepped down after 10 years as a Deputy Launching Authority. Don is currently the...