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St Ives ILB Naming Ceremony - Colin Bramley Parker
The weekend rain cleared Saturday afternoon (26 th May 2007) to be replaced by sunshine and blue skies just long enough to give us a glorious afternoon for the naming ceremony of the new St Ives Inshore Lifeboat, D668 Colin Bramley Parker. A large crowd of invited guests, locals, and visitors down for the Bank Holiday weekend enjoyed the ceremony with the crew and helpers of the St Ives Lifeboat, and the official naming party including the boat's sponsor, Diane Saxon, all taking place on the Lifeboat Slipway in front of the All Weather Lifeboat The Princess Royal and tractors which had been festooned with bunting for the occasion.
 The ceremony was opened by St Ives Lifeboat Station Chairman John Culver, followed by speeches and dedications by Diane Saxon who donated the boat; RNLI Council Member Air Vice Marshall John Tetley CB, CVO; St Ives Lifeboat Operations Manager Capt. Michael Hicks; RNLI Deputy Divisional Inspector Tom Mansell; and a service of dedication lead by Pastor Harold Stevens which included a reading by St Ives Lifeboat crewman Daniel Bassett.
After the Service of Dedication, Diane Saxon named the boat using the traditional bottle of champagne, which was then passed over for the crew to enjoy while the ILB was taken into the bay for a demonstration by St Ives Lifeboat crew Anthony McClary, George Deacon, Robert Cocking . The ceremony ended with pasties, saffron buns and tea in the lifeboat house for all those present.
The new ILB was donated by Diane Saxon in memory of her friend, Colin Bramley Parker, after whom the boat is named. Colin was a consultant oral surgeon, who spent many holidays in Cornwall and lost no opportunity of visiting St. Ives. He took a great interest in the Open Studio weeks as he was a talented amateur artist himself. He was very interested in, and supportive of, the activities of the RNLI as well, and the pontoon berth at Falmouth was also financed by a donation in his memory.
St Ives RNLI Lifeboat press officer Derek Hall
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