End of an era: on the retirement of Coxswain David Cox of Wells I above) til the end of August, the station was without / member of the Cox family fur the first time in three generations. David Cox was a member of the crew for 43 vears and was the youngest coxswain in the RNLI when he took up the post in I960. He is the holder of both the bronze and silver hraverv medal t the RNLI, the Inner won when Wells lifeboat stood by the Romanian freighter Savinestiybr hours in a blizzard and mountainous seas. David's grandfather, George Henry Cox joined the crew in 1X92. staying with the lifeboat for 43 years and his four sons Loadv, Jimmv.

(David's father), Billy and Jack put in a total of 177years between them. Loady's son, Alan Cox, retired as assistant mechanic at the end of last year after 42 years' service.

photograph by courtesy of Campbell MacCallum.