Royal invite for lifeboat cox'n

NEWHAVEN lifeboat coxswain Ian Johns and his wife Pat were guests at a Royal garden party attended by the Queen.

But their day of hobnobbing with Royalty looked in doubt when Ian's pager sounded just as they were about to leave for Buckingham Palace.

Fortunately he was just handing over the helm to a relief coxswain, Howard Lester, who took charge and went to the aid of boat which had trawled up a Second World War bomb. The bomb was later destroyed at sea in a controlled explosion.

Pat said: 'The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal were in attendance amid a guest list of 8,000, many of whom were from other charitable organisations, and a good many military guests.'

The couple enjoyed the performances of the military bands and chatted with other visiting lifeboat men and their wives from Wales and Bridlington.

Well-known faces in the gathering included the Archbishop of Canterbury and former cabinet ministers.

But the highlight of the day was when Prince Philip spotted the lifeboat men.

Pat said: 'The Duke recognised the badges on the men's caps and came over and chatted to them for a few minutes, he was a charming gentleman with a genuine interest in what we did.'

She added: 'We had plenty of time to explore the grounds and sit by the lake.

'We arrived back in Newhaven shortly after 9pm exhausted by the London heat but with memories to cherish.'

Pictured: Lifeboat coxswain Ian Johns and his wife Pat.