2008 Round Up

After the completion of the restoration and the official unveiling the trust moved onto its first true fund raising venture and perhaps one of the biggest challenges the trust may face for many years to come. The fundraising row from Tynemouth to Whitby was staged over a number of legs alternating support rowers, backed by a group of charity fundraiser's, the Ales Angels. It's arrival back in its true home port last July was a pleasing addition to the lifeboat weekend activities check my fundraising page for more specific information.

On the 27th July the boat almost received a notable royal visitor during the development of the Newbiggin maritime heritage centre. The Oakley class lifeboat "Mary Joicey" often mentioned in the trust newsletter Rubie, was going on display and as a restored boat the William Riley proved an ideal stable mate. The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward was due to visit the town, however the timing did not fit in with getting the William Riley into place in time.

Shortly afterwards the boat and its band of supporters were heading towards Cullercoats. The BBC were filming an episode of its hits series Coast recreating an overland launch, hauled by women to the wreck of the "Lovely Nellie". Changes to the topography of the area meant the boat could not be taken down to the sea to be launched, it was also inadvisable to pull the boat up the steep slope from the boathouse. The chosen option was to utilise the links, and a spreader bar was made to make pulling the William Riley easier. Although a cold day three local female rugby teams and two shire horses played their own role in the making of the episode. Coast returned to our screens in July at its usual slot of 8.00pm on BBC2, the episode featuring the William Riley was broadcast on the 1st September.

The boat was then taken into the Magnay & Yates workshop for the gunwale to be repainted and re varnished in time for the Dunbar bi-centenary. The serving Trent lifeboat was accompanied by the "Reaper" a popular visitor to Whitby. The William Riley, her crew with shipped oar's was an important part of a parade along the high street, it was admired by all those who had the opportunity to inspect her.

2009 Round Up

During the winter months the boat returned to the Magnay and Yates (now renamed Stanegate Restorations & Replica) workshop in Haltwhistle for a final top coat of paint, with a filler coat added to remove the weave effect from the fibre glass. The removal of the weave effect is to make the finish look as if it were just painted, a shame really as I liked the weave texture. The William Riley is destined to be used for display purposes, both static and practical aimed at raising much needed funding for the RNLI, from this aspect it is set for a very productive career, one perhaps longer than its RNLI service. Aside from the more generic fundraising events the William Riley was already committed to a number of fundraising efforts this year.

June heralded the start when it appeared at the Bradford RNLI Branch special celebratory flag day. The event was arranged to mark 150 years of fundraising in the city for the lifeboat charity. The former lifeboat located in the Centenary Square in the city centre, along with RNLI displays and collectors. The boat's next appearance was at the annual lifeboat weekend here in Whitby on the 20th and 21st.

July was scheduled to be a rather busy month starting with an appearance at South Shields and the Catherine Cookson parade on the 4th, the Rubie newsletter made mention of a "photographic opportunity next to Original, the Greathead boat displayed on the sea front" although I am not sure if the William Riley was present at the parade? The boat then went off to Fleetwood around the 16th for a week where it was planned to be on display at the Great Eccleston Show on Saturday the 18th along with RNLI stalls. Its next arranged event was part of the Fleetwood Transport Festival on the 19th where it was going to be pulled through the town in the Mayoral procession. The highlight of the trip was no doubt the 150th Lifeboat Weekend , where a whole host of events with something for everyone was arranged.

Whitby To Scarborough Row

On Wednesday 29th July the boat was going to be rowed from Whitby to Scarborough to be part of its lifeboat weekend on the 1st August. The plan was for volunteers including some from our local rowing club (Fishermen’s Amateur Rowing Club) to row the boat. The rowing club crew are practicing for a 22 mile long row on the Thames next year, when they hope to take the William Riley with them, rowing against the tidal flow, they expected to be on passage for 8 hours. As it was though the journey was cancelled due to poor weather, it had been raining most of the morning but it was the strong wind that prevented its departure.

The return to Whitby took place on Saturday August 1st departing from Scarborough Harbour at 1330hrs, about ½ hour before high water with plans to arrive at Whitby 1830 hours. The weather forecast was for more rain but with less wind. The lifeboat required 10 rowers, a Bowman, one qualified coxswain and an assistant coxswain, and for safety reasons the boat had to be accompanied by a safety boat capable of pulling the 2.5 ton 34ft former lifeboat.

The rowers were drawn from the Scarborough Rowing Club, the Sub Aqua Club and some of the Scarborough Lifeboat crew. My wife and I went through to see the boat off on a day when the weather was constantly changing, we arrived to see the boat transfer to a pontoon nearer the pier where a small crowd had gathered. It was a pleasant day and we were pleased to see the boat off and then arrive back at Whitby later that day, which are reflected in four gallery pages associated with this event.

The 8th August marked Whitby's swingbridge centenary and posters throughout the town had the boat listed as being part of the celebrations, on the day however, there was no sign of the boat. With such a unique chance to present the boat to the public it seems inconceivable that the trust would not have met its obligations missing what was undoubtedly the perfect opportunity to maximise the boat's public relations presence. The swingbridge celebrations were presented allowing the trust ample time to plan this years events for the boat.

August was quite possibly the busiest month for the William Riley with the main event listed being another ambitious 'Ales Angels' row, the newsletter reported the row as going from Fort William to Inverness. During the Scottish coast to coast fundraiser in aid of the RNLI and other charities, the Angels, rowed across the 60 mile long Caledonian Canal to Inverness with help from volunteer RNLI crew members from Mallaig, Loch Ness and Kessock at different stages. The aim was to raise upwards of £5,000 with support through the three days from a group of cyclists from Whitby Rugby Club. This event in particular did not feature in the Gazette until sometime afterwards (April 2010) a report of which is to follow shortly.

The boat was expected back in Whitby for a day in Filey on the 16th, with the boats final appearance in August on the Bank Holiday weekend when the boat visits Seahouses to be rowed out to the Farne Islands.

William Riley Centenary

2009 marked a significant milestone for the William Riley, her Centenary and with the boat failing to show for the swingbridge celebrations I expected the trust might have had other plans to commemorate the event, it did though pass without event? The boat was dedicated on the beach in 1909 and it was suggested when I was a trustee that it would be nice to do likewise this year. It would have been nice to mark the re-dedication and perhaps see Mrs. Goodwill in action once again as the lifeboat was dedicated by the wife of the sitting MP in 1909.

It seems odd to me as the most popular events the town experiences have now taken place and as such the trust has potentially missed any opportunity to maximise public relations? I learnt that the trust was planning a 'talk' to mark the boats centenary after coming across a small A5 poster of the presentation. Given such little promotion there is no wonder there was but a handful of people present.

September sees a long double booking, a request for display at Poole open weekend on the 5th / 6th and the Southampton boat show on the 11th to the 20th.

2010

The use of the boat for fundraising has not slowed and although there has not been a major 'Ales Angels Row' it has been a busy as ever including the fruition of the 'sponsor an oar' scheme. I am hoping to update the William Riley's progress soon.