A Local Hero

I'm in awe of the brave volunteers that form the lifeboat crews. I still find it astonishing that this essential service is a charity, staffed by volunteers, so do please consider donating if you see volunteers out collecting. I had to blip the statue of Henry Blogg when I came across it today in Cromer, a local hero who is the most decorated in the RNLI's history. He served at a time when the lifeboats relied on the strength of the oarsmen and the power of the wind. In a Force 9 storm on a wild day / night in Jan 1917, as Coxswain he led his men to the rescue of the crew of the Pyrin, then immediately needed to rescue the survivors from another vessel the Fernebo which it's thought had struck a mine and broken in half. At one point the lifeboat was launched from the beach by many volunteers and thrown back by the ferocity of the waves three times. He led his men for nearly 24 hours in the rescue effort, saving 18 from the Pyrin and 11 from the Fernebo. Just one day of many rescues and lives saved, on one rescue he nearly drowned. A true hero. 

Day 770 / Day 61 of no Legal Covid Requirements in England (for my record only)
Denmark is the first country to suspend its Covid vaccination programme except for some at-risk groups, after its health authority said the virus is now under control. It sounds like it will be reviewed and re-opened in the Autumn. A £25m Public Sector Fraud Squad has been launched to tackle the over £10bn thought to have been lost in Covid related frauds, it will operate from July - too little and far too late and obviously prevention is always better and cheaper that detection and prosecution. The TUC said today that over 15,000 people of working age died during the pandemic, many of whom were key workers in high risk workplaces. They called for the public inquiry to focus of what could have been done to prevent the deaths of workers. Research has forecast that at least 15.000 new cross-species transmissions are forecast by 2070 driven by climate change making animals move to new environments.