Blackpool History

1864 Blackpool lifeboat station was established.

1880 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Robert Bickerstaffe for rescuing four people from the wrecked schooner Bessie Jones.

1887 Coxswain Bickerstaffe was awarded a Silver Medal on his retirement.

1897 Twenty people on board Lord Nelson's old Flagship Foudroyant were rescued by the lifeboat. She was totally wrecked in a gale and a very heavy sea.

1937 A new boathouse was built on the promenade and opened by the Duke of Kent. He also named the station’s first motor lifeboat.

1940 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain R Parr and a Bronze Medal awarded to Mechanic Thomas E Rimmer in connection with the service to the Pilot boat Charles Livingstone that went aground in bad weather conditions on 26 November. Two of the crew were washed out of the lifeboat during this service but were safely recovered.

1965 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established with a D class lifeboat.

1975  The all weather lifeboat was withdrawn from the station in May. An inshore B class Atlantic 21 lifeboat was sent to station for evaluation trials.

1979 The Atlantic 21 lifeboat was withdrawn and a second D class was sent to the station.

1980 The Liverpool Shipwreck Association awarded scrolls to Crew Members Keith Horrocks and Peter Canham for the rescue and resuscitation of an unconscious woman on 28 July. She later recovered.

1981 A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Helmsman Keith Horrocks for his seamanship when the ILB rescued the three crew from a catamaran.

1988 Bronze Medals were awarded to Helmsman Keith Horrocks and Helmsman Philip Denham when both inshore lifeboats were involved in rescuing two people. Keith Horrocks rescued one person from the Peebles which had capsized and Helmsman Philip Denham rescued the sole occupant of the Dijon. Crew Members Stuart Cottam, Terence Rogers, Robert Browell and Alan Parr were awarded Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum.

1996 A third ILB, an Atlantic 75 lifeboat, was placed on service in June.

1998 A new lifeboat station and visitor centre was completed in September.

A new Atlantic 75 lifeboat, B-748 Bickerstaffe, was placed on service on Friday 25 September.

2000  The new station D class lifeboat William & Rose Nall was placed on service on 12 September. This lifeboat was provided by a donation from Godfrey and Desmond Nall, from Solihull, in memory of their parents.

2001 The D class lifeboat Norah Cadman was placed on service in July. This lifeboat was funded in memory of the late Norah and Harry Cadman from a bequest of Mrs Norah Cadman.

Station honours

At Blackpool lifeboat station the following awards have been made:

Framed Letter of Thanks 1

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 4

Bronze Medal 3

Silver Medal 3