On a beautiful summers evening members of the Guild and guests gathered at the Little Ship Club for a pleasant reception drink before The Master welcomed Guild Members and their guests and presenting the Guild members' donation of £1000 (plus the Masters' personal donation) to Tony Vlasto, who is the former RNLI City of London Committee Chairman.
 
Tony explained the tragic background as to why the RNLI are based on the tidal Thames, following the Marchioness Disaster in 1989. Since 2010  the lifeboat has been launched 7082 times and saved 280 lives. We then went onto the Thames’ terraces to watch one of Tower Lifeboat’s vessels in operation. Here we witnessed the RNLI Tower Lifeboat Station Manager Kevin Maynard at the helm of an RNLI E-Class E-07 ‘Hurley Burley’ demonstrate their response speed and how they would manoeuvre efficiently to recover someone from this fast flowing watercourse.
 
Following the  demonstration Guild Members and their guests retired back inside the Little Ship Club for a stunning two-course supper with some excellent wine and tremendous companionship discussing the RNLI’s great work being achieved on the tidal Thames. 

Photos of the event can be found here
 

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