The RNLI took operational responsibility of the station in 1854, and is now celebrating its 200th Anniversary which fell on March 4.
The crews have been awarded 19 medals for gallantry in it’s 221 year history. Most recently, Coxswain Ian Johns was awarded the MBE for services to Maritime Safety in the New Years honours in 2012.
On Saturday March 9, the volunteers of Newhaven Lifeboat are inviting the public to join them in their celebrations.
Hosted at The Marine Workshops, Newhaven, tickets are £25 per person and include a welcome drink, food by Sussex's very own Humble Pie and music by local live band Double Tap.
Tickets to the ‘RNLI Newhaven 200th Anniversary Party’ are available on Eventbrite. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the crew, both past and present, and discover the history of the RNLI.
9. Crew, 2005
Newhaven Lifeboat crew of the ‘David and Elizabeth Acland', 2005. Featured top row, left to right: Joe Suttill, Norman Mayhew, Shaun Thomas, Rob Parker, Scott Parker, Chris Hamilton. Middle row, left to right: Keith Stevens (visiting Mechanic), Phill Corsi, Ian Johns (Coxswain), Lol Deakin. Robin Scott, Mike Tubb (Lifeboat Operations Manager), Chris O’Connor, Paul Legendre. Front row, left to right: Lee Blacknell, Robin Deakin and Nick Gentry. Photo: Newhaven RNLI
10. Prince George, 1931
On Tuesday 7 July 1931 Prince George visited Newhaven to christen the ‘Cecil and Lilian Philpott’, the first lifeboat of the late Mrs Lilian Philpott of London, a great benefactor to the RNLI. When loaded with crew, equipment and fuel the lifeboat weighed 20.5 tons. Fitted with an iron keel 9inch deep and 12inch broad, weighing 3 tons. Stern post in oak, grown to shape with bent Canadian elm timbers, self-draining cockpit, two 40hp engines, speed 8.25 knots, range at full speed of 110 miles, consumption 104 gallons, or 7.5 knot cruising speed range of 158 miles. On this date, Newhaven Lifeboat had been launched on service 171 times and rescued 317 lives. Prince George had to make three attempts to break the bottle of champagne over the bow of the vessel. Prince George then stepped aboard the lifeboat and the boat was launched. It cruised up and down the harbour and eventually ran alongside SS Worthing, where HRH went on board for tea. Photo: Newhaven RNLI
11. Eendracht, 1998
On 21 October 1998 the 60m three-masted Dutch young person’s sail training schooner ‘Eendracht’ (built in 1989) with 51 people on board, bumped the sand bank to the east of Newhaven harbour, shortly after dropping the Pilot onto the pilot boat, on its departure from Newhaven. The Lifeboat made three attempts to come alongside on the third attempt the schooner rolled on to the lifeboat sustaining damage to the bow of ‘Keith Anderson’. Newhaven’s crew that day were: Mike Beach (Coxswain), Ian Johns (Second Coxswain), Brian Ashdown (Mechanic), Chris Bird, Phill Corsi, Lol Deakin, Nick Gentry, Paul Legendre, Andy MacQueen and Shaun Thomas. The RNLI’s Chief of Operations sent a Letter of Thanks to Mike Beach and his crew for their seamanship, teamwork, and professionalism during this service. He also sent a Letter of Thanks to skipper of the ‘Meeching’ Bob Domin. Photo: Newhaven RNLI
12. The Peruvian, 1899
The barque ‘Peruvian’ of Denmark, 1899. Bound from Esmerelda’s for Hamburg with a cargo of ivory, nuts and logwood, she came ashore in Seaford. Newhaven’s ‘Michael Henry’ took off ten of the crew but the chief and third mate declined to leave the ship. When the lifeboat later returned to the ‘Peruvian’, they found one of the mates had been rescued by the Coastguard from Blatchington and the other drowned. Photo: Newhaven RNLI