Red Arrows wow crowds at annual Hoylake Lifeboat Open Day

Aug 29 2012 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

Red Arrows wow crowds at annual Hoylake Lifeboat Open Day

THE famous Red Arrows wowed crowds at the RNLI’s annual Wirral lifeboat fundraising extravaganza.

Visitors to Hoylake Lifeboat Open Day on Monday packed along Hoylake promenade for a colourful 20-minute display by the aerobatic aces.

For the second year running the event was hampered by gloomy conditions and gusts of wind – but despite forecasts the rain stayed away.

Organisers said the event raised around £20,000 for the RNLI – boosted by visitors who made the journey to Wirral after the cancellation of outdoor music at the Mathew Street Festival in Liverpool.

Other attractions included fairground rides, stalls and street theatre.

There were also tours of Hoylake Lifeboat Station and displays of lifeboats from New Brighton and West Kirby RNLI.

Organiser Carole Jackson said: “Hoylake Lifeboat open day got off to a slow start but the skies lit up for the first of the aircraft at noon with a display by The Trig Aerobatic team.

“The display by the Red Arrows was breathtaking. “Lifeboats from Hoylake, West Kirby and New Brighton hovercraft all turned out for the public to go aboard and chat to the crew.

“With the cancellation of Mathew Street Festival many people hopped on the train to Hoylake to attend the event.”

Last year’s planned appearance by the Red Arrows – traditionally one of the main attractions at the event – was cancelled when a team member died after a display in Bournemouth.