About the Book


This book was produced to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Falmouth Lifeboat Station in 2017. It is not a definitive history of the station or a launch by launch account as this would have needed a far bigger volume than published.

Produced by Simon Culliford, Falmouth RNLI Volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer and co-written with David Barnicoat, Master Mariner and retired Falmouth pilot, the book celebrates the people and the lifeboats that are part of the history of Falmouth Lifeboat Station.

All the station’s RNLI silver and bronze gallantry medal services are described as well as some of the more notable lifeboat launches including the Darlwyne disaster in 1966 and the Ben Asdale incident in 1978. Extensive use of photographs has been made throughout the book.

The book, priced £9.95 can be purchased here online. We have a limited number of copies signed by the authors as well as by Falmouth RNLI Coxswain Jonathon Blakeston.

Buying this book will help Falmouth RNLI save lives at sea.

We can post Worldwide by Royal Mail. Please select the option that suits you best for your location. For more details see the order form at the bottom of this page.

Book Review:
“This impressive book has been published to detail the station’s century and a half of operations. Running to 208 pages, it details all the lifeboats that have served the station, as well as the coxswains and the famous rescues. It is profusely illustrated with many unusual photos of Falmouth’s lifeboats, and has been well researched and is highly recommended. “ Nicholas Leach, Lifeboat Enthusiasts Magazine.

Simon and David at the Book signing
Simon and David signing books at the launch at the Falmouth Bookseller book shop in 2017

About the Authors

Simon Culliford was educated at Falmouth Grammar School, Cornwall Technical College and Ealing School of Photography where he was awarded a Diploma in Professional Photography. He worked at Falmouth School of Art and its various name changes – Falmouth College of Art and Design; Falmouth College of Arts and University College Falmouth for 36 years starting as a photographic technician and was Head of Photography Centre at the Tremough campus when he retired in 2011. He started taking photographs for Falmouth RNLI 32 years ago and became the station’s volunteer lifeboat press officer in 2002 and then stepped down to the deputy role in 2008. Simon is also a volunteer boat guide at the station and has also acted as a volunteer RNLI photographer on occasions.

 

David Barnicoat, a Master Mariner and born in Falmouth, was Falmouth’s longest serving pilot when he retired in 2010 after 35 years of service. During his pilotage career he handled many of the world’s largest ships, tankers, oil rigs, cruise ships and tall ships. At the age of 18 he was in the Falmouth lifeboat crew when the lifeboat was called out to search for bodies after the pleasure boat Darlwyne foundered off Dodman Point in 1966 with the loss of 31 lives. He was awarded the RNLI’s Vellum Service Certificate in 1985 when the lifeboat went to the aid of the trawler St Simeon sinking 26 miles south of Falmouth in a violent easterly storm. David was a Deputy Launching Authority and Assistant Honorary Secretary of the station from 1981–1995. He also writes a weekly shipping page in the Falmouth Packet newspaper which he has done for 30 years.

Purchasing a signed copy of “Falmouth Lifeboat 150 years of saving lives at sea“

To purchase the book please use the form below. We are using PayPal to handle payment processing. You can pay using any major Credit or Debit Card.

Post Packing and Delivery Options 

Prices below are for signed copies of the book including various delivery post and packing options. We can post to the USA and Canada, Australia & New Zealand as well as Europe. Please choose your location and delivery method from the drop-down list in the order form below.

All deliveries are by Royal Mail and wherever possible we try to get the book on its way to you within 48 hours. You will receive an email both to confirm your order and another when we posted the book. If you choose a tracking option the email will include the tracking details.