Shelley the Lifeboat Labrador (18 page)

These were always fun evenings and it was often the case there was a shout back at the lifeboat so we missed out on that.  There always had to be enough crew back in Shoreham in case this happened, so those that went to these functions were the more social members!  I always tried to take Shelley as she got plenty of attention and did help raise funds by performing her crisp opening trick.

Another time we went to a pub in Brighton only to find it was full of drag artists – we had to laugh – mind you it really was a fun evening and they got up to some outrageous antics.  One could say that having a broad mind did help - with us all getting involved with the spirit of the evening both drink and fun wise.  They raised a great deal of money and we later invited some of them for a trip on the lifeboat.  From time to time we did take those that helped and supported us out for a trip.  If there was a call whilst out there we tried to drop them off somewhere or they had to enjoy the shout with us. It was one of the hazards of accepting our kind offer.                                                     

I was still seeing Brenda and she came with me to several of the crew dinners and functions that were held.  Lifeboat crews do enjoy a good social life and it is all in the interest of raising funds for the station.  There was the annual dance which was held at the local community centre followed by those that wanted to going onto another crew member’s house for a few more drinks.

Brenda as I said earlier had become a very good friend of mine and we were looked on as a partnership.  The age difference was about 16 years between us, her being older which was good as she kept her eye on me.   She was pleased with my association with the lifeboat and felt it was good for me supporting me whenever she could at events associated with it.

The crew dinner was always excellent entertainment with specially invited guests and I recall on one occasion Princes Alexandra attending one.  Thanks to Lady Mary her lady in waiting; it again was one of those low key affairs that was kept under wraps.  This way it did not involve the local council members so making the evening a truly memorable and enjoyable event without all the fuss that can sometimes happen when a member of the Royal Family is present.  Not only that she chatted to us all knowing many of us - even asking after Shelley!

Next day I remember getting a phone call early one morning from a very agitated Harry asking me to pop up to his house.  On arrival he took me down to the foot of his garden and to my surprise there was a Spaniel dog with several puppies.  He was not sure what to do with them.  A call to the RSPC and they were taken away and their owner was found. He was a local vicar who had lost her several days before.  The RSPCA reckon she must have been in the garden for a while until she had given birth. All were re-united and lived happily ever after.  Harry was offered one of the puppies for company but he declined preferred to meet up with his pal Shelley as and when he could.                                                                                                                            

I got involved on one call by accident and that was when a large coaster had got into trouble near Newhaven.  I arrived at the boathouse early following the maroons going off and proceeded to open the boathouse doors.  As I was doing this the crew arrived. Being short of crew, Coxswain Ken Everard, asked me to get ready and get on board. I was very much taken by surprise but did as requested and we launched down the slipway out of the harbour into a very rough sea with winds gusting force 11.  It took a while to get down to the stricken vessel and in the meantime Newhaven Lifeboat had launched as well the Newhaven tug.  A line was eventually put onto the vessel by the tug after we had tried several times in a very confused sea and she was towed away from the cliffs to a safer area. We were at sea for several hours and eventually went into Newhaven to change crews which included me.  I escorted Geoff Tugwell to hospital in an ambulance as he had knocked his head badly. Getting back to the boathouse eventually in the early hours where we waited for the lifeboat to return. It was felt Geoff should have a night in hospital so an eye could be kept on him!

On reflection it was a call that a more experienced crew member should have been chosen, but time was important and we had to launch.  I have to admit I did not enjoy it and it was perhaps the worst experience I have ever had on a boat to this day. It was very rough indeed, it was night and the seas were over the lifeboat a lot. On board we were being thrown all over the place with water coming into the wheelhouse and going out the other side.  We did get a letter of appreciation from the RNLI for what we did.  I could have done better but once again Ken Everard said to me “John you must remember when I asked you went and there was no apprehension – you did a good job and that is what I expected of you and why I asked you on board.”

I got back to my flat early that morning a little battered and tired and was greeted by Shelley like a long lost child.  For some reason she was a lot more protective to me that morning than she had been before.  Perhaps she had been concerned for my safety.  Not being married I now know how some of the crews wives must have felt when their other halves took to sea. On the lifeboat that evening we were unaware that several of the crew and their wives had been looking at us below the Newhaven cliffs having driven along from Shoreham.                                                                                       

Like any organisation crew members did pass away and we always made sure they had a good send off.  The coffin was always draped with the RNLI flag and selected pallbearers carried the coffin – these were nearly always the closest friends or family of the deceased.  They were moving occasions with lots of memories and some nice words always said.  This was then followed by a visit to a family member’s house or to the Yacht club where there was always a mini wake.  Tradition is so much part of the RNLI and that is what makes it stand out over many other organisations.  People do not often realise that it is a charity and all are volunteers.  I like many, would dread to think what would happen if it was run by a Government department.  I am glad to say this is not the case nor, I hope, will it ever be.                                                                                         

End of Chapter 24

GROWING A LITTLE BIT OLDER – CHAPTER 25

Growing older is an option in life we all have to face and for dogs their life span is a lot shorter than ours, seven years in a dog’s life is equal to one of ours meaning Shelley was in her late sixties.  Mind you she did not show it and was very active indeed. 

We were both invited to Bob McGowan’s 40
th
party in Bodiam which was an opportunity not to be missed.  Bob as I mentioned earlier was one of the Daily Express senior staff reporters and we had become good friends. Bob’s wife Pauline had put a lot of effort in planning the party.

The party was being held at Bob’s house which was way out in the country and a lot of people were invited.  Graham was still alive then and I stayed over with him and Sally.  We arrived (Shelley included) and were made very welcome at their house.  As was normal our arrival was later rather than earlier at the party due to the detour beforehand to several pubs which Graham insisted on. The party was in full flow and there were a lot of Bob’s Fleet Street colleagues which gave me the opportunity to meet some of the top names that filled the papers with its images and stories.

In a funny way I think Bob was a little worried about the home front turning up as they could be a little riotous and one never knew what to expect. I am glad to say initial worries were overcome and all went well.  Shelley had a brief wander then went into the kitchen where she fell asleep woken from time to time by ‘The Rolling Stones’ at full volume who happened to be Bobs favourite group.

About 11-30 a police car arrived and a female officer came to the door with two male officers and asked to see the person running the event as there had been a complaint regarding car parking!  All seemed fine until the female officer proceeded to take her clothes off and do a strip-o-gram in front of Bob.  It had been booked by his colleagues in London. It was one of those acts that had a bit of class rather than the coarseness that some others have. Bob is very outgoing and accepted it in his stride (but I did notice a little embarrassment).

He went to the Falklands to cover the conflict for The Daily Express sailing down with the Parachute Regiment spending the duration of the war there.  His stories were sent back to the U.K under difficult circumstances to the newspaper on a regular basis.  Not many reporters were there to cover the events so it became a bit of a journalistic conflict within itself trying to get the features to the relevant papers.  I remember sitting with him one evening listening to just what happened. He also had this large trunk full of all his press cuttings and photographs along with a massive collection of Zippo Lighters. The name Max Hastings was not allowed to be mentioned in his house as a result of some news gathering incidents in the Falklands.

When back home he sat down with colleague Jeremy Hands and wrote the best selling book ‘Don’t Cry for Me Sergeant Major’ followed up by its sequel ‘Try Not to Laugh Sergeant Major’.  The initial book was about the conflict and centred on the Parachute Regiment. It was full of harrowing stories yet managed to contain an element of humour which gave it the advantage over other books written on the subject at the time.  The follow up book was on life with the Parachute regiment following the conflict back in the U.K.

The party went on until the early hours and we all departed in good spirit having enjoyed some excellent food, drink and good company.  It did however amuse me later when Bob phoned me and asked for some pictures from the party.  It appears that one of the top photographers from the Express had a few drinks too many and his images were not up to scratch. Mine were to be Bob’s reminder of the evening! It was also to become my career later in life which at the time I was unaware of.

Next day we all met up again at lunch time for more fun in one of the local pubs resulting in Shelley and I having to stay over yet another night.  Good intentions go amiss when in the Bodiam area.                                      

I had, for many years, been trying to get them to visit Shoreham and one day I had a call from Bob to say that they would be coming for a drive to Brighton with Graham and would meet me at my flat.  I was looking forward to it but with some apprehension. They said they would be there at 4pm. It was more like 7pm when they arrived having stopped for liquid refreshment in Brighton.  I had laid on some food for them and a few bottles of good wine. However; the pub beckoned so we went there for three hours returning back to my flat where they then decided to eat.  Graham was in one of his fun moods and was about to throw my television out of the window when Sally suggested it was not a good idea.  (For some reason Graham had a love of doing this or pretending to).  All eventually went to plan and they left about 1 a.m. having calmed down a little. I did feel sorry for Sally having to drive them back!

I went to bed happy, but in the morning when I woke up was horrified to find sickly foam all over the bedroom floor and continuing into the lounge and kitchen.  Unbeknown to me, my guests had given Shelley a few items of food in the kitchen.  In one of money saving moods I had purchased a large bag of sugar (which I had left on the kitchen work surface) and somehow or other Shelley had managed to get at this and chew her way into the contents. Together, this unusual combination of diet items had caused her to throw up all over the place.   She was far from well and a call to the vets was made and I was advised to give her lots and lots of water. It took three days for her to get back to normal during which time she felt very sorry for herself.

Animals will always look for food where they can and this in the past had been a problem for Shelley when on the beach.  Dead seagulls and fish were not a problem as far as she was concerned and it was something I had to live with.

Chris Fox and I were invited to Frome in Somerset one weekend by a friend of mine Sam Mitchell whom I had known for a while having met her when she was a nurse in the navy based at Plymouth.  There was going to be a do held at Longleat in aid of the RNLI and she thought it would be nice if we both went down as crew members wearing the relevant gear.                                 

Sam was good fun and had also asked some of her friends from near by Yeovilton Navy Air Base.  It was an event run by the local Frome branch of the RNLI and they hoped to raise funds for one of the local lifeboat stations so some crew members also came along from Dorset coast.  A lot of money was raised and we were well looked after to such an extent it got a little embarrassing however knowing what evenings like this could be we entered into the full spirit of it.