Aberdeen Lifeboat hosts its annual Open Day this Sunday – assuring families of ‘something for all’ on the last day of the school holidays.
Visitors will be able to meet the crews and tour the City’s two lifeboats – the all-weather lifeboat ‘Bon Accord’ and the inshore lifeboat ‘James Bisset Simpson’ – as well as the visiting Stonehaven lifeboat, an Atlantic class RIB.
Aberdeen Lifeboat coxswain Davie Orr says: “The three lifeboats are very different, and designed for different roles. They range from the 5 metre long inshore inflatable to the 17 metre long 46 ton Severn class – the largest in the RNLI’s fleet.”
Other emergency services will be joining the fun, with Scottish Fire & Rescue bringing the City’s newest ‘height’ appliance, Police Scotland bringing search dogs, Aberdeen Coastguard displaying their coast rescue skills and equipment and Scottish Ambulance represented by their Special Operations Response Team.
The Gordon Highlanders Association pipe Band will open the event and play during the afternoon. There will be souvenir stalls, games, a tombola and raffle, tea stall, a barbecue and ice cream stall.
Dr Margaret Farquhar CBE, former Lord Provost of the City of Aberdeen and no Chair of the Aberdeen Branch of the RNLI says: “We had a record attendance and tremendously positive feedback at last year’s event. The crew make a great effort to put on a show for the public, so I hope people will come and support them.”
Admission is free but, with the RNLI being entirely dependent on public donations to sustain its work of saving lives at sea, the crew hope visitors will support the RNLI through voluntary donations and purchases at the event.
Parking near Aberdeen Lifeboat Station is easy, but as an added attraction First Group Heritage Trust will have a vintage 1960s Aberdeen City double decker bus operating a free service from the stance outside the Town House on Union Street to the Lifeboat Station, running continuously from 12 noon – 3pm.
