Conservatives enjoy Exmouth RNLI station tour

Members of the East Devon District Council Conservative Group were treated to a guided tour of Exmouth’s RNLI station on Saturday (10 October), including an in-depth look at the South West’s first Shannon class lifeboat – the R and J Welburn.

They were shown around the lifeboat station by Coxswain Steve Hockings-Thompson and members of his volunteer crew. They started their visit by admiring the exterior of the building, which is an iconic modern landmark on Exmouth’s seafront, currently the subject of an ambitious regeneration programme.

The group – pictured outside the main boathouse – spent two hours at the station just off Queen’s Drive, inspecting the Shannon, which went into service at Exmouth in 2014. They also saw the Shannon’s smaller, more nimble partner the D class inflatable George Bearman, as well as learning key details about the station’s operation.

Afterwards Councillor Andrew Moulding, EDDC’s Deputy Leader and Chairman of Exmouth Regeneration Programme Board, said: “We were all excited and fascinated to see behind the scenes of the lifeboat operation and especially the Shannon, which is just bristling with new technology.

“Exmouth has had a lifeboat station for over 200 years, but things were so very different all those generations ago. The fusion of the very latest cutting-edge equipment with the ancient art of seamanship and life-saving skills should be an inspiration to us all.

“The RNLI is a service that we tend to take for granted and I reckon many of us drive past the lifeboat station without giving a second thought to its vital importance for the safety of seafarers and casual water-users alike.

“We’re proud to have this spectacular building in such a prominent position on Exmouth seafront and we’re all the more determined to see further improvements along Queen’s Drive to provide the right blend of 21st century development, building a bright future on the foundations of the resort’s proud maritime heritage”.