The two shore helpers on the slipway are, on the left , the late Martin Hills ( Head Launcher ) and Michael Moore on the right.

Off topic for the lifeboat, but a curious event is occuring behind her. The vessel at the car ramp is not a ferry, but a specialist car carrier, the Dora Riparia [built 1976, scrapped 2002]. She's the longest vessel to use the ramp, even longer than the Dieppe.

To enable her to use the ramp, the Newhaven work barge Barrowhead has been placed in position. The ship's ramp is lowered onto Barrowhead, as is the shore ramp, making a connection. I'd guess this was OK for loading cars, but probably not a great idea for trucks!

I was very saddened to hear of the passing of Martin Hills, because as a newbie lifeboatman we had to do our spell as help for the launching authorites so I spent many a night making the obligatory cup of tea and listening to how the world could be made better. All very enjoyable though and many happy memories, especially the Parrot stories.

You will be pleased to know Rob,  Martin's parrot is still going strong at the ripe old age of 48 !!!

When and for how long, was the "Good Hope" stationed at Newhaven. Also for interest, what number did it carry?The name "Good Hope" is not listed in the RNLI souvenir booklet commemorating the naming of "David and Elizabeth Ackland".

The Good Hope was stored in the old lifeboat house as an emergency reserve boat for the South East district. She was a Watson class lifeboat with the official number of (I think) 821. She was not actually the station lifeboat at Newhaven although she was maintained by the Newhaven crew and would regularly be taken to sea by them to conduct joint exercises with the Newhaven Lifeboat. Quite often she would play the part of 'casualty' and be rescued by the station boat. The Newhaven crew would also take her away to a station where she would be placed on relief to cover for another station boat being in refit or damaged. When she was retired from the active fleet her place in the boathouse was taken by the RNLB Tynesider, a similiar boat, numbered 852, which features in several photographs taken when working in conjunction with the Newhaven Lifeboat in searching for survivors from an overturned fishing vessel, Dec 13/81. Previous to the Good Hope, the boathouse was home to relief lifeboat 803, Canadian Pacific, and; of course; was the home of Newhavens slipway lifeboats, Sir Fitroy Clayton, Cecil & Lilian Philpott, and Kathleen Mary, before the arrival of the Waveney Fast Afloat Boat "Louis Marchesi of Round Table".

'The Good Hope' ( O.N. 821 ) was a 46' Watson class lifeboat built in 1939, she was stationed at Montrose from 1939 to 1972 and then served in the relief fleet from 1972-1980. Now the " Myra Jane " at Cardiff Yacht Club.