A few days before Jon Jones went on his West Country tour of lifeboat stations with the Dl, Sue Denny, RNLI Press and Public Information Manager was in the same area looking at stations through the eyes of a tourist… rset off bright and early in the morning ibrNewquay - I hadn't phoned the station secretary, for f was to be just another emnwa1. So. where was the lifeboat station? No clues on ihe nwid signs, so 1 resort to the usual RNLI method of 'go in the seafront and for the flagpole'. No luck there. So I head for ihe heach. Woops! Newquay doesn't jmd a beach, n seems lo have do/ens of (hem in little troves, but none of them appears to li;i e hfehoal house sluing on il.

find pleniy of surfers out and about early, bill ihe surf was up. and they couldn't point me wands the litchoai station My nc t stop should he the harbour. Not as simple as itsecniv lur espile the harbour being signposted, ever)' lime I think I am getting close to it. I am sent off yet another one-way street, that fails 10 lead me 10 the elusive harbour.

Now the big decision is whether to spend the entire day driving round Newquay's oneay system (attractive though il is), or to head north to PadMow. OK. so I'm a defeatist. I decide to take OK coast road and head out of town.

The B3276 is something of a switchback ride in places, hut the views are at limes quire spectacular, and the hedgerows, jusl bursting with flowers of rtd. purple, blue, yellow, pink and white. The sun is shining and I am having quite a day. despite ihe lack of lifeboat houses so far. Bui by ihe time I arrive in Padstow I minutes later) and the skies have turned from blue to blue-black and heavy rain is pouring through my sun roof. The divks might luru-seemed like a good place to start looking for the lifeboat. But n did not look promising. One thing I do know is that Padstow lias a slipv. ay launched lifeboat, and the area around the docks looks noihing like the photographs 1 ha e seen back at ihe office. Knowing thai I cannot bear lo fail again, I ring the secretary al his home. 'Hello Sue'. George Phillips says.' what are you doing ringing me on a Sunday?'. Well'. I admit. 'I am trying to play the tourist and visit lifeboat stations in Cornwall for The Lifeboat, nui I can't find the hoathouse. Can you tell me where to go?' Instead he directs me to his home, and promises to escort me to Trev )se Head, which is some way out of town. When we are almost at the gates leading to the lifeboat station 1 spot a signpost with ihe words I have been longing lo see all morning - 'Lifeboat Station'. 1 drive slowly along (he twisting narrow lanes feeling all the while that I would not like io he anemi ing lo drive in the opposite direction when the lifeboat crew is answering an emergency call! The trip is well worthwhile. The station is located in a beautiful sheltered spot overlooking Mother Ivey's Bay. The boathouse stands at ihe foot of 125 concrete steps.

Trust me to arrive when Ihe station lift has jusl been condemned. Its replacement is due in the near future. But not near enough to avoid ihe long climb back to the car park! Who'd Iv ,i roving reporter? George lakes great pride in showing me around the station. The Tyne class lifeboat is gleaming and ready for action. The view down the slipway, truly awe-inspiring. The service details neatly displayed showed that the lifeboat was last on service on 12 May.

when the crew went to the aid of a fishing vessel drifting towards ihe rocks.

Piulstow lifeboat station is open front l(kun lt -ti m Monday lo Fritlu throughout the xmwner. ami I lant-2f»n in winter. Tin1 Oattonatso Has three Open /Am cicn rttranda y in rati t i - ciidt Auiiii-it. which tin- tutvertiwd lin'iill tiiul«» the ttittmt ch Directions in the lifehxit house: From the B3276 lake ihe nxul towards Trevose Heat! at St Merryn illage. You ill nine to the entrance to the lift-faun station on your right just past Mother h'ey's Cam ttn Park.

George points me towards ihe quickest route back to the A30. My next port of call was to be St Ives but jusl short of Redrulh. I spot a sign towards St Agnes.

iiveiitum a] an 'fannied I divided lo make a quick detour to the home of Blue I'eier IV. This lime the old RNLI guide to finding ihe hlehoat station works. F-'ollow ilie sign to Ihe beach - and yes. there is the RNLI flag waving proudh from the flagpole atop the lifeboat house. Did it in one! The road to Ihe beach ends abruptly with a slope on lo UK- sand on one side and a 'no through mad' sign on the other In between, (lie entrance to the illage c;ir pork seems ihe best place to go. I ha e onlj jusi put front iv re to tarmac when the parking atlcndani looms up with his hand outstretched for my pound coin. Having duly paid up I discover that the c.u park lias been designed with Minis and Metros very much in mind, so the earlier arrivals of all manner of larger aneties ol" ehicle are by this time overhanging any supposed 'spaces' that remain.

The lim lifeboat Imuse nestles between a souvenir shop and the surf lifesaving club. As I arrive a father and son are looking at the I) class donated thanks to the efforts of "Blue 1'eter' viewers I have fond memories of escorting three members of the Si Agnes crew to the BBC studios in London last year, w lien they appeared on ilk- slxnv to talk about a rescue tliev had carried out which led to the helmsman being awarded a vellum. But Ihe crew member*.

are nol in e idence todaj. I lav ing taken a good lixik at the D class behind a rope harrier, lite little ho settles for a ride on (lie coin-in-the-slot lifeboat outside the station.

St Agnes lifeboat Million is o/wn everv ilay in ihe summer (Late Spring Bank Holiday until September or October depending on -eailu-n from 10am until at least ft/fin. . selection itf'KNIJ gifts is available JOI stilt • from the lift-l oai Mniion.

St Ive-s is an easy journey from Si Agnes. By the time I arrive the temperature is in the 7(K and the skv clear blue. Mv fuM glimpse ni the sea reminds me of the Mediierranean in liie South of l-rance. I follow the signs to a ear park. This time it costs £2 a time. 1 decide lo ask (he attendant il I am wilhm walking distance of the lifeboat station before parting with my eash.'No' he replies. ' ou need the station cor park, (io out of the exit turn left, follow the road around and look for tlie signs near Ihe lown centre* Off I go again. The evil to this car park is now here near lite entrance. I mm left as instructed and M-I oil"along a winding lane climbing all the while. Higher and higher I go.

This is no place for a lifeboat station' I tell myself. Bui there is no option but lo keep climbing up and up until 1 reach a huge triangular monument. Then ihe mad begins lo descend as sharpl as it had risen and soon 1 am back on the road into lown. With my luck impnn ing h the minute, I find the onlj a ailahle space in Ac station car park. The walk down to ihe lifeboat house takes me through a narrow lane lined with picturesque little rose-covered collages, past the small cafes and souvenir shop-, and suddenly the lifeboat station is in sight.

Hiu ing had a very successful Open Day the previous day. the only doors open at the lifeboat station are those lo ihe public conveniences around the back '["he sign in the gift shop window indicates lliat 1' e come on ihe wrong day. Open Monday to lTida . 11-5. it declares. So I console imsell " w i t h u peep through the window sat ihesiaiior Mersej class as I lick a clotted cream ice cream cone. And I'll have to move at a lair lick now. if I'm to arrive at my next destinalion before it gets 100 late.

Stt -e. HjelxHii Maiiim is open most days. The shop opens every day (except Soaado) Stuuiayl (mm I lain to -t[ tti. During Jiilv titul. iixttM tin' dm/* re-opensfrom .S/»» '(' 9.30/This time. I am expected, for the Sennen Co e crew and I are all going to a funciion evening. Sennen is easy to find. A fiindraising olunleer is colleciing by the junction where need to tun right nd the station is clearly visible as I drive along the scafront. Now. isilm all getting easier, or am 1 just getting better w ith practice ' Outside the boathouse. ilk' cov-w ain ami crew ;ire w ailing to greet me. They direct me an large parking space righl opposite tin.1 station. The boat house may not he (he prettiest ha e seen all day. But. let's lace it - 1 actual!) managed lo find it. I could pork easily, and of all il was not only open bul there were people there lo welcome me loo! I like it here.

Sennen Cove lift-hull station is o/x-'i e rr ihi from fi.Mkim 10 4i»n I later in ifu- VMHIWIC, Tlu-n- is ti xiji . lin/ wall n viewing x il! 'iy u 'frh t kin ! the lifeboat, llu- sluy is ryx'/i in wnmiertrum I limio 5pm on selected days. St-nnt-n Ctrve Ifygboat station is unique » luiving two A/i'/num, inif tor !,nin,-h niul tin-other tor rt'i'iivny tuul lilt1 launch tiftht' D-A nt-w T iu-ilti. . Iceboat Is due on station soon to replace the smaller Mersey ctasflbcFv* Boys.

Nifle: Ni-wtpuiy lifeboat slat it HI is on the luirbotir. Il is o/xw mrv tia - from Vam lo llit'ir is n v"' shop nJtHitfitlf llif Million. I i.M/crv wlu nre alleiyic to oiit'-wtiv svstenix fur mill H'tilk there.'!.