Respect due to brave men Although I have lived in Kendal since 1976 I was born, in 1936, and bred in Blackpool.

I recently attended a dinner at the Imperial Hotel, Blackpool, to celebrate the 150th anniv-ersary of the launch of the first lifeboat in the town.

The Blackpool RNLI has tried to contact as many direct relations of the original crew members and I am one of them. My great great grandfather, William Parr, was a member of that first crew.

My great grandfather, John Parr, was also a crew member.

When I was a child every member of the crew was, in one way or another, a relative. Unfortunately my father was not a crew number - we lived too far away from the Lifeboat Station which was, and is, adjacent to the Central Pier. The original Lifeboat Station was where the Manchester Hotel now stands.

In 1864 that first lifeboat was not self-righting with diesel powered, twin engines. There was no radar, GPS, ship to shore radio or even a search light. In 1864 the boat was built of wood, it was heavy, unwieldy, and had to be manually rowed.

Primitive, cork, life jacket over oilskin coats and Sou’westers were the total safety equipment.

Today the lifeboat crews have state-of-the-art, high- tech clothing and equipment. A thermal, all-in-one under suit which is topped by a completely water proof all-in-one over suit which includes built in Wellington boot. They also wear specially designed helmet with heavy, face covering, visor. Inside this helmet there are water proof earphones and radio microphone - this keeps them in radio contact with each other and their Control Room.

I am sure my great great grandfather would have envied this equipment but would have also agreed it still takes a great deal of courage and bravery to set out in an Irish Sea force 10 storm now as it did them.

I am also sure those brave souls, manning that first life boat 150 years ago got as much, if not more, satisfaction from saving a life at sea as do today’s courageous lifeboat men. However, my admiration of those first brave souls is beyond words.

There must be hundreds of people alive today who would not be here at all if there ancestors had not been rescued by generations of gallant Lifeboat crews.

Michael Hartley

Kendal