London Manx Society 2024 annual lunch celebrated RNLI’s 200th Anniversary and the important part played by William Hillary.
The event had Stephen Wheatley, volunteer with Tower Lifeboat Station, as guest of honour and speaker, he was accompanied by fellow crew member Al Kassim.
Stephen talked about the important contribution made by William Hillary in the RNLI’s foundation and the history of the organisation, and of the important work of the RNLI in saving lives at sea and also on inland waterways and rivers.
These include four along the River Thames at Gravesend, Tower, Chiswick, Teddington and Tower.
London Manx
Stephen and Al are both volunteer crew members at London’s Tower Lifeboat Station on the River Thames in the heart of London.
Tower is the RNLI’s busiest station with a crew at the station 24/7, 365 days a year.
They talked of their motivation in joining the RNLI as volunteer crew. The river’s cold temperature, rapid pace and changing tides make it incredibly dangerous.
Speed is of the utmost importance and anyone in the water must be reached within minutes, especially given the constant heavy traffic from passing watercraft of every kind.
Last year Tower RNLI hit the incredible milestone of 10,000 lifeboat launches – the first lifeboat station to reach that number.
Tower RNLI station
After the highly appreciated and interesting talk, Stephen and Al were given a framed print of the dramatic oil painting, ‘The Wreck of the St George‘ to hang at the Tower RNLI Station.
The picture depicts the 1830 rescue, in which William Hillary was involved, of the ship St George which had foundered on the Conister Rock in Douglas Bay.
During the London Manx event funds were raised for the RNLI and the Manx Fishermen’s Evening Hymn, Ellan Vannin and the Manx National Anthem were sung.
The London Manx Society is always keen to welcome new members and contact information can be found here.
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