1970s pop star Steve Harley shows his support for Seahouses RNLI

How the Cockney Rebel has mellowed over the years, because last Friday he took time out of his 100 date UK tour schedule to visit Seahouses lifeboat station and offer his support to the great work the crew does in Northumberland.

Steve, who now lives in Suffolk, is a good friend of Ellingham resident Graham Edmondson, and has become fascinated and inspired by the work the RNLI do.

Having also become interested in the story of Grace Darling, he was keen to visit the Bamburgh museum dedicated to her, to see the place where it all took place, as he passed en route to his sold-out show at the Sage, Gateshead.

Volunteers showed him Grace’s coble, and he talked about how he had become aware of her story many years ago, and how special it was to visit the place “where it all happened that night in 1838”.

Steve was also invited to look at the new Shannon Class boat at Seahouses and met with coxswain Craig Pringle.

He chatted with several crew members at the station and was taken on board the lifeboat, before signing items of merchandise which will be offered as prizes at the Seahouses lifeboat summer coffee morning on July 30.

Steve then gave them a mention at his Gateshead gig, commenting: “They are just ordinary people, butchers, bakers, candlestick makers, and doctors and nurses. They are all my heroes.”