RNLI My Story

This story belongs to Nia

and her daddy, Tony.

It's a tiny tale about Tony's life and the things he used to do,

and what he still does today.

Now it's time for him to share his memories

and take Nia on a journey of discovery.

They've come to Daddy Tony's work to find out more.

-You look busy there.

-Yeah, I'm tidying up the box.

Are you?

-What is this?

-Ah, have a look inside.

Oh, that looks like a special medal.

-Wow!

-That's Dad's 20-year badge.

Dad got that for working for the lifeboats for 20 years.

-Wow, so you've been working for a very long time.

-Yeah.

-What is a lifeboat?

-A lifeboat?

A lifeboat is a boat that goes out to sea

and saves people who are in trouble.

-But how did you get into the job?

-How did I get into the job?

When Dad was a little boy, sometimes he'd hear big bangs

and that meant that the lifeboat was needed.

So all the men in the village would run down to the lifeboat

and all the little boys would run as well.

We'd come and watch the lifeboat launch.

We wanted to join the lifeboat when we were older.

-Dad, is it hard to steer the lifeboat?

-Oh, sometimes it is.

When it's rough and there's big waves and it's raining.

What's the biggest boat...?

They chatted about what Tony did when he was a young man.

What a story he has to tell! Nia has so much to find out.

Daddy Tony tells Nia about his exciting times at sea.

Nia's daddy was so keen to join the lifeboats,

that he started with them when he was only 17

and off he went to a special school to learn all about the sea.

Daddy, what kind of things did you do at sea school?

In sea school...

we had to learn how to navigate...

and they kept us very fit,

and they taught us all about discipline.

We had to go to bed very early and get up early.

Everything had to be very neat.

We also learnt how to tie knots

and how to steer a ship,

and how to follow orders, how to march.

It was all very, very strict.

And all sorts of things like that.

The lifeboat teams have lots of fun days

where people can see what they get up to.

The lifeboat crews need to raise money for training,

keeping the boat shipshape AND to help buy new ones,

so Tony and his crew mates

often organise lifeboat days like this one.

These fun days happen all over the country

and lots of people join in the celebrations.

There is also a special shop that sells lifeboat goodies.

Nia is helping her daddy in the shop today. Time to get busy.

-Will we put some of this stuff on the shelf?

-Yeah.

Let's see what we've got here.

-Ooh, these look nice - chocolate bits.

-Mmm, delicious!

-Think they'll sell well?

-Not as well as the chocolate.

-What's that on there, then? What's that on the lid?

-That's a whale!

A big whale. I wonder why they've put a whale on there?

-Cos it's something to do with the sea.

-I see!

I think I'll be eating all these.

-Daddy, you're not going to eat them.

-OK.

-We've got to sell them.

-Yes.

-Not allowed to eat them.

You're allowed to eat them, but as long as we sell some too.

-OK. Not allowed to eat the profits, is that what you're saying?

-Mm.

Tony is taking Nia to the lifeboat museum

to look at an old lifeboat.

-Daddy?

-Yeah?

-Did you work on a lifeboat like this before?

I did, this is just like the first lifeboat Dad worked on.

-Want to steer it?

-Yes, please.

Right, let's go inside there, then.

-OK, move along then. That's a big steering wheel, isn't it?

-Yeah.

You'd be no good on here, would you? You can't see over the top.

-No, I can't see where we're going!

-Now you can see.

-Yeah.

-Do you know what this thing is for?

-What?

-This is a compass.

-It shows you where you're going.

-That's right.

It shows what direction you're going in.

-Want to look at something else?

-Yes, please.

Let's go out on deck.

When on a boat, you must keep yourself nice and safe.

-OK, do you know what this is?

-Um...

This is the type of life jacket that we used to wear on the old boats.

-D'you want to try it on?

-Yes, please.

-OK.

-OK, now, they're a bit bulky, aren't they?

-Yeah.

You can't do much in them. Oh, apart from a hug!

Daddy Tony has worked on lifeboats for a long, long time.

Let's find out all about them.

Sometimes it can be very dangerous out at sea.

Especially when there's a big storm.

Some boats get into trouble and need to be rescued.

The lifeboats and their crew - like Nia's daddy, Tony -

come to help them in special boats,

just like this pretend one here,

which is made to be able to stand up to all kinds of weather

and stormy seas.

The sea isn't always stormy, but all around the shores,

Tony and his team-mates are ready to help.

Nia's daddy Tony is now taking her to see the lifeboat he works on.

You look just like Dad when he goes to work.

SHE LAUGHS

What do you think to this life jacket, then?

-It's different to the other one.

-It's different, is it?

It was big and bulky, the other one. This is nice and light.

-Think you can still give Dad a hug in that one?

-Yeah.

-Want to have a look around the new lifeboat?

-Yes, please.

Let's go and have a look.

-We come back the other side now, don't we, Daddy?

-Yeah.

Get ready for some fun, Nia!

PANELS CLATTER

PROPELLER WHIRS

-Watch out for those waves, Nia!

-SHE CHEERS

SHE LAUGHS

Whoa! That was great!

-Where's our house, Daddy?

-Just up there, look.

You are such a lucky girl.

-Not many people get to do that.

-Only the lifeboat crew.

-Yeah.

Full speed ahead!

This screen shows Nia's daddy where the land is

and if there's any boats in the water.

-What happens if there's a shark coming?

-A shark?!

Well, it will pick a big shark up, won't it?

-You'll see it swimming underneath the boat.

-You'd have to go full speed!

Exciting stuff! Did Nia have a good time?

-What did you think of your first launch?

-Wow! It was cool!

-Was it?

I put my hands up like this - wheeeeee!

-Did you think you were on a rollercoaster?

-It was like that.

HE LAUGHS

It's not just people that lifeboats help.

Animals are looked after, too.

It's not only people we rescue, sometimes we have to rescue animals.

One day we had a call out, and we had to go and save a cow.

Oh, look! They're helping the cow swim to safety.

That's amazing.

The lifeboat crew really do keep animals safe.

It's a tough job out in the deep blue sea.

Tony and his buddies often get really hungry,

but with no cookers on board,

what do they do when they want some hot food?

Even the new lifeboats won't have a cooker on board.

Do you know how we have food on a dark and stormy night

when we all get hungry?

-Shall I show you?

-Yeah, please.

We use these things here. OK?

There's sausage and beans in here and it's called a hot can

and what we do is,

we take the lid off and inside here we've got this big pin.

OK? We pop that pin in the holes there, yeah?

All the way down...like that.

OK? In three places.

We leave it for 20 minutes or so, and then there's special water in here

and when you've put the pin in, it's mixed that water

and that heats the food which is in the middle there.

We just open it a little bit like that...

-Shall we try them?

-Yes.

-Yes? Right. Dig in.

-Mmm, mmm!

-I'll try some.

-Mmm, this is so nice!

-Mmm!

So, did Nia enjoy finding out all about her daddy's life?

-Have you enjoyed yourself?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

Nia just loved steering the old boat.

And big hugs for Daddy are always great.

What was your best bit?

Going down on the slipway.

-Would you like to join the lifeboat?

-Yeah!

-When would you like to join?

-When I'm 17, like you!

-Wouldn't you like to join now?

-I'm too young.

It doesn't matter, cos Daddy's the coxswain,

so you can join now if you like. Yeah?

Shall we put your hat on?

There we are. Welcome aboard. Give us a hug.

Aw.

What a fabulous heap of fun!

That was Nia and Daddy Tony's tiny tale

about the things Tony used to do and still does,

and why he has a medal for working on the lifeboat.

Daddy Tony has shared his story with Nia

and now Nia is starting her own story.

Do you know someone with a story to share?

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd