PORT Isaac RNLI staged an evening reception at the Chapel Café, the Pottery, Port Isaac, to launch a new book titled ‘An Illustrated History of Port Isaac Lifeboats’.

Charting Port Isaac’s RNLI history from 1899 to 2016, the book was jointly written by the chairman, Bob Bulgin, and the well-known author of many books charting RNLI Lifeboat history, Nicholas Leach.

The reception aimed to record the fascinating story of the historic station and its courageous volunteers as it approaches its 150th year of Sea Rescue Service, as well as promoting sales of the book in support of the RNLI.

The 120 page book contains a wealth of information and first hand gripping accounts of rescue work carried out throughout the years, further enhanced by the 198 photographs in monochrome and colour, many of which have never been published before.

Further insight into the station’s vibrant activity is covered within the book’s pages, with details of events supporting the station’s operations, both by dedicated committee members and local artists.

A selection of full colour reproductions of the Port Isaac lifeboat in action is included in a seven-page section.

Author, Nicholas Leach, and co-author Port Isaac RNLI chairman, Mr Bulgin, presented an individually engraved Special Edition RNLI Shield to Angus Clark CEO of Padstow-based printers and book binders, TJ International.

This marked the occasion and illustrated appreciation of the dedication and support given to the project by this leading book printing company, both technically and financially.

Over the course of the evening, readings from the book were given by leading members of the current lifeboat crew and the past honourary secretary, and a total of £1,000 was raised by sales of over 50 of the books, donations and a raffle, as well as the sale of a special limited edition run of personally numbered and named hard back editions of the book.

The unique one-off publications were hand crafted by TJ International business leader, Peter Leach, bringing together both book binding techniques, with special individual embroidered images and titling created by WOVINA at Bodmin.