Lifeboat named after 1960s model

The widower of 1960s actress and model Julie Alexander has named an RNLI lifeboat in her honour.

Robert Breckman fully funded the £285,000 lifeboat in honour of his late wife, who was known for playing glamorous roles including Rosalie Dawn in The Pure Hell of St Trinian’s (1960), and other credits include Hello London (1958), Operation Bullshine (1959), Dentist in the Chair (1960), The Terror of the Tongs (1961) and A Matter of WHO (1961).

The boat is stationed at Tower Lifeboat Station in London – the busiest of the RNLI’s 238 stations. The inshore Atlantic 85 RIB was christened Julie Poolie, Robert’s pet name for his wife.

Julie and Robert were married in 1979 and she died in 2003. During the naming ceremony, some of Julie’s ashes – along with those of the couple’s beloved pet pug, Brian – were scattered by Robert into the River Thames, accompanied by several red roses cast by friends and family.

Robert said: “This lifeboat is the best of its kind, I am assured of that, and the crews who will use it deserve nothing less. I’m happy that it will be joining the RNLI fleet and helping the RNLI’s crews keep the waters around the UK and Ireland safe.”

RNLI Deputy Chair Janet Cooper OBE said: “We are very grateful to Robert who, by funding this lifeboat, is allowing us to continue our vital lifesaving work – we owe a great debt of gratitude.”