The Rotary Club of Flint & Holywell were honoured to receive a visit from Peter Robinson and his wife Jan, at their weekly meeting at The Springfield Hotel, Pentre Halkyn.
Peter gave a most interesting talk on The History of The Rhyl Lifeboat from its beginnings in the middle of the 19th Century when the lifeboat was little more than a small open fishing boat, “propelled” by four oars through its various reincarnations leading up to the most recent immensely powerful jet turbine powered craft now in service.
Peter has been a member of the RNLI in Rhyl for many decades now and served for a long period as Coxswain. Indeed he is not the only member of the Robinson Family involved with The Lifeboat, his son Calum is also a current crew member and his wife Jan runs the Lifeboat Shop in Rhyl. The Rotarians listened intently to Peter’s vivid recollections of his own “rescues” and also about past tragedies including one when the entire crew of a Rhyl Lifeboats was lost in a vain attempt to save others.
Peter brought with him a moving film showing actual rescues, some of which were found to be deeply disturbing, especially where those included irresponsible parents taking their small children out to sea with no equipment and not even life jackets!
The Club President Steve Blakesley thanked Peter on behalf of his members for his superb interesting and most moving talk. The Rotary Club has been consistent supporters of The RNLI both financially and practically, and each year Rotarians have managed the gates to the local Flint RNLI’s 5th November