Lyme Regis: High hopes £25k raised during Lifeboat Week (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Lyme Regis: High hopes £25k raised during Lifeboat Week

10:30am Thursday 2nd August 2012 in Lyme Regis

MORE than 50 events and activities were scheduled as part of Lifeboat Week, with the Red Arrows display team ending the week in style on Sunday.

Clear skies also meant that the Falcons could make their drop from 12,000 feet on to the beach in front of record crowds on Friday.

And the lifeboat itself was the star of the show at her official naming ceremony, complete with “christening” cake made by helmsman Brian Street.

Rob Michael, chairman of the Lyme Regis and Charmouth RNLI Guild, which put together the ever-popular week of events, said that the sunshine had made all the difference.

“It was a very busy week on all fronts and with so many shouts, some of the crew seemed to spend as much time at sea as they did organising the events.

“But that is what it is all about. And it does help as people watch the boat go out, to be able to say that is why we are trying to raise money.”

Mr Michael said that hopes were high that the final total of money raised for the RNLI this year could reach £25,000.

Every evening throughout the week there was live music in local pubs with other musical events in the performance area of the Marine Parade Shelters.

Youngsters were entertained with sand sports, crab fishing, treasure hunting, sand sculpturing, pavement art, a Teddy Bears’ picnic and the traditional Duck Race of all ages.

The Somers Day Parade, celebrating the life of former Lyme mayor and MP Sir George Somers, the wacky Bath Tub Race from Cobb Gate to the harbour and the firework display wowed the crowds as did displays by all the rescue services including Dorset Fire and Rescue and coastguards.

One of the many successful events during Lifeboat Week was the hot dog barbecue manned by the lifeboat crew on three days.

At the end of the week, the crew reckoned they had made a profit of more than £2,000 from donations to buy their hot dogs.

Organiser, crew member Neville Causley, said: “We all worked hard in the heat, but it was a great result. We are indebted to Caterfood who were very generous in supplying the products we sold.”