Former fire chief provides picture of early Lyme lifeboat after RNLI appeal

A FORMER Seaton fire chief has answered a lifeboat crew’s call for help – after reading about it in The Herald.

Last month Lyme Regis RNLI officials appealed for a photo of one of the country’s oldest lifeboats.

They wanted to trace any pictures of the William Woodcock, the lifeboat which was first stationed in the town in 1866, so that they could display it at an exhibition during this year’s lifeboat week, when the RNLI will be marking 150 years of service in Lyme.

And the appeal has turned up trumps – thanks to Midweek Herald reader

Alan Peach, of Homer Lane, who was Seaton’s fire chief from 1990 to 1997.

He called lifeboat press officer, Richard Horobin, when he found a postcard depicting the William Woodcock.

He said: “The postcard had been part of a collection by my daughter, Jeanette, so when we found it after reading the appeal we were only too delighted to help.”

The postcard shows a pen and ink drawing of the lifeboat during a dramatic incident when it was towed by a team of horses to Seaton because it was too rough to launch at Lyme Regis.

Mr Horobin said: “We are delighted to have the postcard but would be doubly pleased if anyone has a photograph as well.”