Swanage Bay and Peveril

A couple of photos from Monday.

Tandoori Lambchop Sent to Space (Meatspace)

Flood Alert Issued

A flood alert has been issued for the Purbeck rivers and streams. Due to recent rainfall the current river level has risen to 1.095.

Further rainfall overnight of up to 8mm may cause levels to rise further

For further updates call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 (Envirnoment Agency)

The blue barrel and the chemistry teacher...

The IRT where tasked yesterday morning to investigate a canister that had been washed up on the beach. The canister had clearly been in the sea for some time and was most probably full of seawater or possibly the original contents. Details of the markings were passed to the operations room, while Chris googled the name from his flash new phone (which is the size of a large hamster ... or if you're using old money - three mice stood end to end (excluding tails)). 

Drum roll...... it was a chemical used in water coolant systems. Harmful stuff if handled incorrectly.

It just happened ...and yes this did happen, that a passing chemistry teacher- nice chap ( who works with our very own teacher/coastguard Mr Hobbs) was able to tell us a bit more about the chemicals inside. How good is that! 

The local authority have been contacted and have arranged to remove the canister.

If you do find washed up items and you believe they are a risk to the public please do not touch them, phone the Coastguard on 999 and we'll deploy a team to investigate.

A Blue Barrel

A Chemistry Teacher ;-)

Its a Mystery

Its training night tonight, and with the boss away the DSO is in charge.
I wonder what he has in mind?
Our training could cover all sorts of things: mapping, rope rescue, search techniques, first aid, communications, water rescue, care of our equipment etc, and anything might be possible.

I've opened a book, and the odds on favourite is that tea and biscuits will feature somewhere.

Not Fade Away

I went for a walk along the beach the other day and noticed that the groyne numbers that we painted on 18 months ago were all starting to fade and wear off, and I immediately began to think of who in the team would be fair game for the repainting job.   I decided Terry, because he likes cleaning stuff and Kyle because he is tall and can do the high groynes that Terry can't reach.

On the walk back, I noticed that the numbers had already been repainted.  

 Now not even Terry's that quick is he?  No, he's not! So what's been happening?  Well, the faded sides are all south facing, so it could be that they are being faded by the sun.  Or, as our weather is predominantly South Westerly, maybe the wind and rain from that direction are to blame?  Or are the more intact sides more intact because they are painted under a large beam which offers a bit more protection? 

Answer is none of the above.  It turns out that the faded sides were all painted by the boss, who happens to be away at the moment and so cannot deny it.  The other sides were painted by the more artistic members of the team and the talent clearly shows through.  So, when you're back Ian, there's some painting wants doing.....

Slip watch 2014

It's back and with the rain things are starting to move a bit

This is around the Sheps hollow area










Be aware of the tide - a real risk of being cut off at high tide.

Swanage Ukulele Group

I popped down town today to watch the Swanage Ukulele Group playing on Station Road for Children in Need. They were fabulous!

 ....well they were fabulous until Coastguard Nick did his solo.

Fabulous 

Suddenly what was a masterclass in ukulele playing became a painful experience for the audience. It sounded like a cat had trapped its tail in a dishwasher. People started to pull faces like they were sucking lemons. Luckily for me I have lost my high frequency hearing as pointed out by the Doctor at a medical last week; at the time I was disappointed, but today it was a blessing.

Anyway, I offered to chuck in some money if Nick stopped playing solo.....and all was good.

Nick's son Adam was fantastic and stayed on for a hour busking by himself... He raised £47.07 for Children in Need. Well done Adam! 

Cream Cakes

There is a rumour on station that the Station Officer likes cakes when he attends events.

Totally not true despite these latest photos from Andrew PM Wright......thanks Andrew




I was not looking at the cakes


It's an empty plate .....honest



They weren't for me .

Cliff Tech Training Weekend

This weekend saw the SCOO (Senior Coastal Operations Officer) or Allan as we call him,  organise a Cliff Technician Weekend.

A full weekend of cliff training the technicians - the ones that go over the cliff! Some were re-qualifying, some qualifying for the first time. We also had John Evans from St Albans - as guest trainer.

Saturday saw Coastguards from Southborne, Swanage and St Albans (Poole are a mud team - not cliff) all meeting at the Dorset Fire and Rescue Fire Station at Holes Bay. The day basically involved refreshing and learning skills on a vertical tower while getting wet. Very wet indeed. If it rains we roughly toughly coastguards just carry on - while the fire service chaps watch on and laugh from the comfort of there warm and dry restroom.

But to start we were diverted to McDonalds for a breakfast.

...and then to the tower to get soaked.

Soaked. 

Once suitably wet....we started training.

Vertical 

Kerry taking the stretcher over.

More photos of Saturday here.


Sunday saw better weather and we popped over to St Albans to get their kit all wet and muddy!

Allan offering words of advice

Kerry and Nick on the face

Kerry has only been in the Coastguard a year or so, but as a Climbing Instructor she was thrown over the cliff to get her Tech qualification at the first opportunity.

Marc from Southborne celebrated his new Cliff Tech status by eating a whole tub of Heroes ;-) 

(The winch hiding behind him was used to pull him back up the cliff as he was full of chocolate)

Big thanks to Allan and everyone for a really fantastic weekend worth of training - special thanks to John Evans from St Albans who gave two days of his time to assist. Apologies to St Albans for nicking some of your kit ...we'll drop it back to your station this week.

Weather Warning

For most of this week there is a "Be Aware" weather warning in place.

Mostly of heavy rain.

Honouring those who served on D Day

In September I was invited to a special event on the Swanage Railway to honour some Swanage Residents who served on the beaches of Normandy on D Day.




Our friend Clifford Brown and I being introduced to Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant for Dorset, Angus Campbell.




Some true hero's ........Photos courtesy of Andrew PM Wright.

Supporting the Royal British Legion

We were challenged by our HQ to produce a selfie of us at our Remembrance Parade this year in support of The Royal British Legion




And this is the result from HQ

We Shall Remember Them

Today, along with the nation, we shall remember those fallen in conflicts around the world.

Many were Coastguards who served on Royal Navy Ships.

Technicians Training

If you were passing the Poole Fire Station today, you may have seen something slightly different on the fire training tower...... A group of Coastguards !

Our colleagues from Dorset Fire and Rescue Service kindly allowed us to use their tower. The tower allows us to work in a slightly safer environment and in a control manner that you don't always get on a cliff.




The weather was not kind with heavy rain at times - this didn't put us off.




Kerry standing on a window sill - whilst a little different from a cliff, the concrete lip and windows are similar to the over hangs we often find ourselves in when on the cliffs.

The day and whole weekend is about furthering our cliff skills.




Gareth about to descend with the cliff stretcher, not easy with railing but adds to the skill required.

More photos during the week - Thankfully no one caught the Station Officer having a go !

Special thanks to the Poole Fire Station crew for looking after us today - the coffee was fab after the rain.

999 call from Anvil Point sparks search

Just before midnight the team were called to the emergency 999 phone at Anvil Point.

A call had been received from the phone by the Coastguard and there was concern someone was in trouble.

The team arrived in difficult weather conditions to find the line on the phone dead however a search was conducted to see if any person or persons required assistance.

With no further information or anyone found the team returned to station.

Flood Warning

This Flood Alert affects the whole of the East Coast of Dorset particularly at Weymouth, Preston Beach and Swanage and will remain in force for two hours following the times and dates of high tide.

The time and date of the forecast high waters for which this Flood Alert is in force are : 19:00 pm on 06/11/2014 and 08:00 am on 07/11/2014. The forecast wind direction are South and West. The forecast wind strengths are Force 7.




High tide at Swanage Tonight

Proud to be worn