Thirty years ago this week saw the end of an era at Walmer lifeboat station when the Rother Class lifeboat Hampshire Rose was withdrawn from service after 15 years.

During this time she had launched on 132 occasions, saving 57 lives and assisted countless others.

But it wasn't the end of the vessel's story. After some years as part of a relief fleet, she went on to a new home in Devon where according to her new owner Stuart Carpenter, she now works harder than ever.

Thousands of people each year enjoy sightseeing tours on board her from Ilfracombe Harbour in Devon.

Mr Carpenter, a member of the Ilfracombe lifeboat crew, said: "The Hampshire Rose spends her retirement working harder than ever on the beautiful North Devon coastline.

"She spends her days in use as a sightseeing boat taking people on coastal cruise trips up and down the stunning coastlines.

"These trips include as well as many other things stunning views of the coastline, seal watching and dolphin spotting.

"She finishes off her days work during the summer months with a lovely relaxed sunset cruise.

"All our cruises are accompanied by a commentary from our skippers and crew telling you all about the local area, the history of the Hampshire Rose and of course the modern RNLI and sea safety information."

He continued: "Many people come back year after year to enjoy our trips.

"We have even had former crew members from her RNLI days and we get a fair amount of present RNLI volunteers who come to see how it used to be done."

In a Those Were The Days feature, printed in our sister paper the East Kent Mercury in 2015, writer Colin Varrall detailed how The Hampshire Rose left service at Walmer lifeboat station in 1975, having replaced the Walmer lifeboat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No 32).

She was a 37-ft Rother-class, self-righting, all-weather lifeboat that was built between January 1973 to September 1974 by William Osbourne, of Littlehampton.

Her build number was 37-32 and remained on service at Walmer from February 1975 until May 1990, before becoming part of the RNLI relief fleet until October 1992, when she was then sold by the RNLI.

The design of the Rother-class lifeboat was the final displacement hull lifeboat produced by the RNLI.

As a result of the decision to have fast lifeboats at all-weather stations they had a shorter than usual career and none of the 14 built reached 20 years’ service.

Six of the 14 Rother-class lifeboats constructed went to stations with slipways even though they were originally intended for being launched from a carriage.

The Hampshire Rose had a strengthened hull that allowed for beach-launching over skids.

The Rother achieved its self-righting ability from having an extended watertight superstructure with 12 watertight compartments and all had an enclosed wheelhouse with a radar and an echo sounder.

They displaced 13 tons and had twin 52hp Ford Thorneycroft 250 four-cylinder diesel engines, giving a maximum speed of 8 knots (9.2 mph).

The Hampshire Rose cost £65,000 to build and had been paid for from funding by the people of Hamsphire, who had subscribed to an appeal launched by round-the-world-yachtsman Sir Alec Rose.

On May 5, 1990, the Walmer lifeboat Hampshire Rose was launched down the beach at Walmer on her greased slips for the final time.

Thousands of people crammed on to Walmer beach to give the Hampshire Rose a gracious send off on her new home in Wales.

As she left her turntable and slipped down the shingle beach across the slips entering the water the crowd clapped and cheered.

Visitors attended from as far as London and officials from the RNLI headquarters at Poole in Dorset joined branch members from throughout the county.

A coach load of lifeboat fanatics from a Bromley pub also travelled for the occasion.

The Junior Band of the Royal Marines played at the event, and the lifeboat chaplain, the Rev Bruce Hawkins, conducted a short service.

An air and sea helicopter from RAF Manston patrolled the foreshore, while the Dover and Ramsgate lifeboats joined local fishing boats, dinghies from the Downs Sailing Club, Walmer Sea Scouts afloat and other small crafts waiting to pay their respects.

Hampshire Rose’s last coxswain, and current Walmer Lifeboat Operations Manager Denis Brophy said: "It was a sad and very emotional day, but I felt privileged to have had the opportunity to be the last in a long line of famous coxswains at Walmer."

She was replaced by an Atlantic 21, permanently establishing Walmer as an inshore lifeboat station, with a D Class lifeboat already being on service there.

Mr Brophy said: "Over the last 30 years the Atlantic 21 and now the Atlantic 85 lifeboats have proved to be excellent additions to our station."

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