Lifeboat, courts, Lit fest, taxis, dog thefts

New lifeboat.

Huge crowds greeted Scarborough’s new lifeboat as it arrived in South Bay. The new state-of-the-art Shannon class lifeboat sailed in at 1.15pm on Sunday.

The £2 million lifeboat has been funded by donations from the F W Plaxton Charitable Trust and will be named Frederick William Plaxton. She arrived at 1.15pm to add a sense of occasion, as her operational boat number is 13.15.

An RNLI fundraising appeal raised £200,000 towards the cost of a bespoke launch and recovery vehicle for the new lifeboat. The new lifeboat house includes a revamped shop and an exhibition space where those who visit can learn about the history of the lifesaving charity. There are also upgraded volunteer crew facilities with extra space for lifesaving training and an upto-date drying room for their kit. A sum of £10,000 came

from Proudfoots stores as the proceesd of the 5p plastic bag revenues.

RNLI Lifeboat operations manager, John Senior, thanked all those who turned out for the event. He said: “Our sincere thanks for taking the time to support the arrival of Scarborough’s new Shannon Class Lifeboat, the Frederick William Plaxton. There was a fantastic turnout and it was a great and memorable day. We hope you enjoyed it and many thanks for being part of it.” Scarborough RNLI’s coxswain Tom Clark, added: “Our volunteer crew can’t wait to start their new chapter of lifesaving with the Shannon. The state-ofthe-art vessel is 50 per cent faster than our current allweather lifeboat and this will ensure that those in need are reached even more quickly than before.”

The new lifeboat will be named during an official ceremony early next Spring.

Representatives from the Andrew McGeown Legacy Fund were also at the event, helping with bucket collections and promoting the Swim Safe programme, which they funded earlier this year.

Speaking on behalf of the fund, Tina Boden said: “Andrew’s legacy has captured the hearts and gratitude of so many in our community and I want to say thank you to each and every one of you that has fundraised or donated in memory of this great man.

“For us to be part of this historic day was amazing.”

Pictures: Ceri Oakes A piper adds to the sense of occasion 164701v Crowds lined the harbour to greet the new Shannon class Scarborough Lifeboat 164701a Crowds greet the new vessel 164701w Cadets stand proudly to welcome the boat 164701d Cheque presentation for £10,000 from Proudfoot to Scarborough RNLI. Picture by Dave Barry.

The lifeboat approaches the shore 164701y Sea cadets enjoy the event 164701c The vessel at sea 164701b Crew aboard the old Scarborough Lifeboat wave goodbye to the crowds 164701u