[This interview was broadcast in the B.B.C. programme Radio Newsreel on 19th of March, 1953, when Mr. Valentine Selsey of the B.B.C. spoke to Miss Madge Tart and Mrs. Ellen Tart, of Dungeness. It is reproduced by the courtesy of the B.B.C.] NARRATOR: At many places round the coasts of these islands, it used to be a custom, when a call went up for the local life-boat to go out, for women to help to launch it. But the custom seems to have died out everywhere now—except at Dungeness. The local women there still turn out for the occasion whatever the weather. And in London tomorrow, two of them, who have been helping to launch the boat, and to keep a long tradition alive for more than fifty years, are to receive the gold badges of the Royal National Life-boat Institution from the Duchess of Kent. The two women are Miss Madge Tart and her sister-in- law, Mrs. Ellen Tart—members of a family whose menfolk have helped to man the Dungeness life-boat, and whose womenfolk have helped to launch it for more than a century.

During a visit to Dungeness, Valentine Selsey recorded interviews with both of them.

SELSEY: Well, here at Dungeness, the life-boat is ready to be launched for a practice trip. She's the Charles Cooper Henderson, the latest of a long line of sixteen life-boats stationed at Dungeness. Today, Mrs. Ellen is at home with a touch of rheumatism, but Miss Madge is on the job. Now, Miss Madge, I believe you're sixty-six years old. How long have you been launch- ing this life-boat? Miss TART: Well, since I was about eleven. I came to help my father, when I was still at school. On a Saturday I remember very well, the Glenard, a sailing ship, was on the shore and we helped ti launch that very day, and I was eleven then, and I've been helping ever since, and now I'm sixty-six.

SELSEY: And I suppose you turn out in all weathers, don't you ? Miss TART: Yes, in all weathers, yes, rain, blow, snow, whatever happens, we go. And we like the work and we want to continue as long as we possibly can.

SELSEY: Now what was the worst storm you remember? Miss TART: Well, I think about 1929, we had a terrific gale, and in that very year we had two barges: the Ironsides was one which was very, very bad indeed—very bad—we rescued two from that barge; and then the Shamrock followed on, and we had two men—three men and a cat from that. And I think these really were the worst times we've ever seen.

SELSEY: And now, everything is ready for the launching. The great doors of the life-boat shed are open, you can see her bows from where I'm standing here beside the slipway; some twelve women and twelve men are manning a long rope attached to the bows of a life-boat and they're pulling as hard as they possibly can.

Well, there she goes—she's moving slowly at first; and now she's going faster and faster.

And now she's reached the sea and the crew have taken over.

Well, I've now moved to Dungeness village and I'm sitting in Mrs. Ellen Tart's sitting-room; she's not too well at the moment and she is sitting com- fortably in front of a coal fire. Now Mrs. Ellen, when did you start launch- ing life-boats? MRS. TART: WThen I was first mar- ried at sixteen—I married my husband at sixteen, and I started then as he was a life-boatman.

SELSEY: Of course you not only help to launch the life-boat, you also help to bring the life-boat in, don't you? MRS. TART: Yes, we do, pull down the skids and help—and pull on the rope when they throw it over the side; help pull her ashore until she's made fast, and then we heave her up. But of course it's all very much better now than it was in the years gone by whenwe used to have to stand round the old capstan in all sorts of weather.

Many a time we've been wet through, we've tipped the water out of our shoes. And I remember well the time, 1928, when they launched the boat for the Hanna that went down; we had to walk all the way to Lade—had a message to say the boat was going ashore at Lade, it was too rough to come back to this capstan, and we had to walk to Lade, four miles on the shingle, and we hove her up, and in the meantime heaving her up they broke a capstan, the big capstan. My uncle was in charge of the capstan at Lade at the time—Mr. Tart—and after we got home we had a call back at five o'clock in the morning to go and launch the boat because the weather had moderated a bit and she'd got to come home to her own station.

And we had to walk all the way back there again.

SELSEY: I expect you're looking forward to going to London aren't you, to be given the award ? MRS. TART: Well, I hope to be well enough in time, to go and meet the Duchess of Kent. I should very much like it, and I think it's a great honour for the Institution to be presenting us with a badge like that. I'd very much like to go. I've never been to London before, it would be something very out of the ordinary, if I went to London, I'm sure. I don't know how I should get on, but I suppose I should enjoy it.

SELSEY: Well, I'm sure you will and you certainly greatly deserve the award.

MRS. TART: Yes.".