William Riley of Birmingham & Leamington

Welcome to my pages dedicated to the Upgang lifeboat, William Riley of Birmingham & Leamington and the "Whitby Historic Lifeboat Trust" After so many years have passed since the Rohilla tragedy I had not given any thought that any of the six lifeboats involved in the tragedy might still exist today, it therefore came as a pleasant surprise to learn about the William Riley. The William Riley was the Upgang lifeboat hauled six miles over land to a point on top of the east cliff adjacent to what remained of the once proud liner. The lifeboat was then lowered down a 200 ft perpendicular cliff by hand in a manoeuvre that would be almost unlikely today, even with today's technological advances. With the failing light and the unabated sea conditions it was deemed too hazardous for the lifeboat to be launched straight away much to the disappointment of all those present

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The lifeboat was spotted in 2005 on an Internet auction website ebay although in a visibly poor state. A private deal was and agreed the lifeboat was removed from the auction. The buyer initially wanted the lifeboat transported Newbiggin, Northumberland where it could be restored alongside another ex - lifeboat. However, contact with interested people in Whitby revealed an incredible level of enthusiasm for seeing the lifeboat returned to Whitby for restoration.

A meeting of interested parties was held with sufficient numbers to form a trust to oversee the restoration of the lifeboat.

It would likely be quite a task at cost to have the boat fully restored and would certainly require a band of willing supporters. With my obvious interest in the Rohilla I was invited to become a trustee and I was only to happy to accept the invitation. The restoration of the lifeboat could only be done if a suitable base was found? The photograph to the left shows the boat in a poor state and is a clear example of the daunting task that lay ahead of any restoration. The content of the original index page has been split into two individual pages as it was becoming quite extensive, the second page holds information about the William Riley as an RNLI lifeboat.  I recently put together a short video presenting the boat and some of the progress made during the restoration, it is not intended as anything but an opportunity of seeing the challenges faced by the volunteer workers.

* Fundraising Ventures *

The former lifeboat had its first major fundraising venture in 2008 recreating the journey undertaken by the Tynemouth motor lifeboat "Henry Vernon" in 1914 to the wreck of the Rohilla. This was followed by yet another fundraising row, this time in Scotland, the aim being to raise in excess of £5000, with a more realistic figure to be raised. Details of both fundraising events can be found on my fundraising page. Since its restoration the boat has undertaken many fundraising events and had appearances in many parts of the country, during all this time it has actively sought to raise funds for the RNLI and the trust believe that its endeavours have raised in excess of £25.000. Given how far the boat has come from the almost derelict condition it was found in it has proved to be more successful than anyone could have imagined.

I have added five pages related to the fundraising row from Scarborough to Whitby including four gallery pages. I have also added a page detailing the record held for the boat within the RNLI which provides a history of the lifeboat movements. The fundraising exploits continue unabated and with the information growing I have had to divide it into specific pages that include 2008 and a television appearance and 'Royal Visit'. The William Riley was just as busy in 2009, as a guest at the Bradford RNLI Branch special celebratory flag day amongst other things.

In 2010, the boat enjoyed yet more successes including its participation in the Thames Great River Race in September it first outing on such a venture, the aim this time though was to raise funds for the St. Catherine's Hospice. The race is a spectacular boat race up London's River Thames attracting around 300 crews from all over the world and appeals to every level of competitor from those who enjoy fun, fancy dress and charity stunts, to serious sports men and women who like to win. The spectacle of the race makes for a great fun day out for both competitors and spectators alike.

Teams from the Fishermen's club have competed in the race every year and have won some of the top prizes, but it is the first year they have been able to take the William Riley. The training in the William Riley was different to other boats as the crew were not used to the short pull technique needed. Fishermen's club captain, Barry Brown, said it is the first year the Fishermen's crew has raised money for the St. Catherine's Hospice and are pleased to be able to support the local cause. Also in September, a team of 40 rowers raised almost £5,000 for two good causes in memory of a Scarborough diver who tragically died in an accident off the coast near Hartlepool.

In April 2011 I was contacted by a BBC researchers looking for information about the wreck of the SS Rohilla which was chosen to be included in an episode of the BBC Coast series. I responded to the e-mail with my background and was pleasantly surprised as things progressed. The William Riley was the lifeboat brought overland and lowered down a 200ft perpendicular cliff in an effort to affect the rescue of those aboard the stricken ship. I hope to be able to add some reports and photographs after the culmination of the two day filming, in the meantime however, you are welcome to browse a feature reproduced here which I submitted to the Whitby Gazette about how the Rohilla is to feature on the Coast series.

** News **

I have just finished creating my latest page which I aim to update as the William Riley carries on its ongoing fundraising adventures use the link to access the 2012 developments. The former Upgang lifeboat has already completed one fundraising venture and has another 'Royal' engagement scheduled.

My last opportunity to photograph the boat was when the 'BBC' was here to film for its Coast series and the inclusion of the SS Rohilla tragedy. With the help of a few close allies we managed to capture a wealth of photographs surrounding the filming here in Whitby. It was a really busy two day schedule and the culmination of around five and a half month consulting with the BBC. Being so closely involved allowed us to get close to the action, although the bulk of the photographs and video we captured must remain closed until the episode airs I have added a little taster from the many stills we have.

The Whitby Historic Lifeboat Trust had its own website, however it was not an inspiring success and is no longer online, if you wish to contact the trust direct you are welcome to do so using one of the following two e-mail addresses below.

Peter Thomson (ex Chairman)

Dave Charlton (Treasurer)

In the meantime if you have any questions, queries or suggestions relating to the William Riley pages here, please do not hesitate to contact me using the link below. Likewise if you have any suggestions or ideas for the website I would like to hear from you.

I have added a better link to my sitemap below and updated it to reflect the new pages and therefore help browsers locate a specific page, if you have any problems you are welcome to use the search facility on my main index page which searches all the pages throughout this website including those of my other sub domains.