Shelley the Lifeboat Labrador by John Periam

HYTHE AND ROMNEY MARSH – CHAPTER 12
     
     
    Life was going well for us both and my job was very enjoyable – although I did a lot of driving it did not deter Shelley in any way.  My work with the RNLI was very exciting and I had made many new friends spending a lot of time at the Boathouse.
     
    When there was ever a ‘shout’ one went to the station and had set jobs to do and these were given to us by the Head Launcher who was Bill Owen whilst the Coxswain Kenny Voice decided which crew he wanted to take.  The regular crew took priority but as was often the case others were sometimes asked.  Our jobs as ‘Helpers’ involved the opening of the boat house doors and greasing the slipway (not much fun in bad weather) and preparing the boat for launch and retrieval.  It was the same when the boat returned we all had specific jobs to do.  Once back in the boathouse it was refuelled and all the checks made making it ready for another launch.  The boat was also washed down to remove any salt water. As was the case the following evening we used to turn up to polish the brass and make the boat look spick and span.
     
    Our mechanic was Jack Silverston was a paid full time crew member spending several hours a day at the station making sure all was running well.  Jack was a jovial person and when not at the boathouse he was often selling souvenirs at many local functions or giving talks to schools.  His wife Peggy supported him at many of these events.
     
    Both Jack and Peggy knew I travelled around a lot and one week they came with me for a couple of days to visit Kent and see some of the other stations.  It was a bit of a busman’s holiday for us all - but off we set. Jack in the front and Peggy in the back with Shelley to our first port of call Rye where we met their Hon Secretary Humphrey Lestocq who had made his name in film and television as an actor.  His best role was that of playing Flight Lieutenant ‘Batch Salter’ in the classic war film ‘Angels One Five’. 
     
    What a character full of enthusiasm for the RNLI and he lived in a beautiful house overlooking the harbour entrance situated right next to a local pub.  “Come on chaps” he said with a broad smile adding “Bring your pooch with you the landlord loves dogs.”  What was going to be a short visit ended up about four hours long with more food and refreshments back at his house?  Shelley loved the attention and her crisp packet trick had all and sundry laughing with Humphrey wishing she had been around when they had made ‘Angels One Five’ “What a super dog to have on set,” he added as in most films from that era that were based around squadron life the Labrador played an important role.  “Do you remember Guy Gibson’s black Labrador ‘Nigger’ – now there was a story in itself,” he said with a great deal of enthusiasm.
     
    We drove off all excited about our visit and the meeting with a well known actor who had now retired and given his free time up to the RNLI. 
     
    Dungeness was next and we had a look around their new boathouse which in those days was state of the art.  Their lifeboat was launched over a pebble beach and old railway sleepers were used to guide it down into the sea when the tide was out – it was also retrieved by a tractor. In the early days the crew’s wives used to haul the sleepers down the beach and cover them in grease.  Needless to say Shelley found the railway sleepers a bit of a handful when she tried to pick them up.  I had also forgotten that we had Peggy in the back of the car and she was not too pleased having to sit next to a wet Shelley.
     
    What a day we had all had as we drove into Hythe where I used to live.  We had booked two rooms at the Stade Court Hotel on the seafront. When I lived in Hythe I used to use it a lot as there was a nice hotel bar and my late parents liked to pop along for a drink from time to time and I was known well by most of the loyal staff.  After a