Blackpool Lifeboat Station

Blackpool Lifeboat Station is located in-between the North and Central Piers in Blackpool, a seaside town on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, England. A lifeboat was first stationed at Blackpool by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1864. The station currently operates a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, William and Eleanor (B-867), and two smaller D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboats, Blackpool Endeavour (D-864) and Phyllis Rowan (D-862). History The Rev. R. Redman wrote to the RNLI in London in January 1864, requesting a lifeboat station for Blackpool, with his request endorsed by coastguard officer Capt. L. Barstow, RN. The Inspector of Lifeboats, Capt. J. R. Ward, RN, then visited the town in February of the same year, and fully supported the request. It was formally agreed to establish a lifeboat station at Blackpool, at a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 3 March 1864. At the same meeting, the donation of £250 was acknowledged, received by the Institution on 18 February 1864, for a lifeboat to be stationed at Blackpool. The lifeboat was to be named Robert William, in memory of the late R. W. Hopkins of Preston, Lancashire, the donation being the gift of his widow and daughter. It was also reported that the £100 cost of the carriage was gifted by Miss Atherton, of Kersal Cell, Salford. A 33-foot 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (10) oars, was constructed by Forrestt, of Limehouse, London, and transported along with its carriage to Blackpool free of charge, by the London and North Western Railway. The first launch of the lifeboat took place on 20 July 1864, in front of an estimated crowd of 20,000 people. Rev. Redman was appointed Honorary Secretary, Robert Bickerstaffe (Coxswain), John Swarbrick (Second Coxswain) and Will Parr (Bowman). A location for a boathouse was found on Lytham Road, just off the promenade, and was built by Forshaw Bros. of Preston, at a cost of £193 14s 7d, offset by a donation of £100 from Sir Benjamin Heywood, Bt. Blackpool lifeboat Robert William was launched into gale-force conditions on 26 February 1880, when the schooner Bessie Jones of Fleetwood, on passage from Glasgow to Liverpool, was driven onto Salthouse Bank, carrying a cargo of steel railway rails. The lifeboat was shorthanded, and took two hours hard rowing to get to the vessel. After rescuing the four crew, the lifeboat headed for St Annes, at one point ending on her beam ends on a sandbank, but made it safely ashore. Coxswain Robert Bickerstaffe was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal. The promenade was widened in 1904, and the lifeboat had to be taken half a mile, pulled by hand, before reaching the only slipway. However, it was only in 1930 when a launch and recover tractor was provided to Blackpool, which was of great benefit moving the boat, and launching on soft sand and shallow water. In 1936, it was decided to send a new motor lifeboat to Blackpool. This boat required a new bigger boat-house, which was constructed alongside Blackpool Central Pier. The Liverpool-class lifeboat Sarah Ann Austin (ON 800) was delivered to the station in June 1937. She was fortunate to arrive at all, as a fire had consumed Groves and Guttridge's boat builders yard, and three other new lifeboats, only 15 hours after she was launched. Blackpool received the first of its D-class inshore lifeboats in May 1965, with the first services in June of the same year soon proving it to be a valuable new asset. In 1975, it was decided to withdraw the All-weather lifeboat from Blackpool. A B-class (Atlantic 21) was placed on trial between 1975 and 1979, but at the time, it was felt that the Atlantic 21 didn't fit the requirements at Blackpool, and so instead, a second D-class was placed on service at Blackpool in 1979. However, in 1992, a B-class (Atlantic 75) (B-700) was trialed for 2 weeks and felt to be much better suited to the station. Rotaract 1 (B-718) was placed on station in 1996, with the two D-class boats being retained. With the need for a larger boathouse, and concrete degradation being found in the 1930s boathouse, a new building was commissioned in 1996, located along the promenade, to house all three boats and launch tractors, with a visitor centre and souvenir shop. It was constructed by F. Parkinson Ltd, and formally handed over to the RNLI in September 1998. Station honours The following are awards made at Blackpool RNLI Silver Medal Robert Bickerstaffe, Coxswain – 1880 Robert Bickerstaffe, Coxswain – 1887 (Second-Service Clasp) William Reuben Parr, Coxswain – 1940 RNLI Bronze Medal Thomas Edward Rimmer, Mechanic – 1940 Keith Horrocks, Helm – 1988 Philip Denham, Helm – 1988 The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum Stuart Cottam, crew member – 1988 Terence Rogers, crew member – 1988 Robert Browell, crew member – 1988 Alan Parr, crew member – 1988 A Letter of Thanks signed by the Director of the Institution PC Pat Jackson – 1988 Scroll awarded by The Liverpool Shipwreck Association Keith Horrocks – 1980 Peter Canham – 1980 A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution Keith Horrocks, Helm – 1981 Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) Keith Horrocks – 1999NYH British Empire Medal Dorothy May Charnley, Shop Manager – 2022NYH Roll of honour In memory of those lost whilst serving Blackpool lifeboat. Crewman had his foot crushed by the carriage wheel during launch for an exhibition display on 17 June 1880, and later died from his injuries. William Rimmer, crewman (27) Blackpool lifeboats and tractors Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list. Motor lifeboats All-weather lifeboat withdrawn 1975, replaced with B-class (Atlantic 21) Inshore lifeboat. Inshore lifeboats B-class D-class (No.1) D-class (No.2) Launch and Recovery tractors See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats Notes References External links Blackpool RNLI Lifeboat Station