AFTER 35 years of service to the RNLI, St Bees volunteer Marcus Clarkson handed in his pager and said goodbye to his fellow volunteers.

Marcus visited the lifeboat station last week where he was presented with his Jubilee Medal and letter of thanks for his service by his friend and St Bees RNLI President Ray Wilkinson.

Marcus joined St Bees RNLI in March 1987 as shore crew. He swiftly became part of the boat crew a year later, passing out as a Helm in 1998. In 2007, he stood down as Helm to become Deputy Launch Authority. In this role he helped the launch of the lifeboat, looking after the crew and making sure both crew and boat remain operational.

From a young age, Marcus started visiting the lifeboat station and could not wait to be old enough to go on the boat.

Some of Marcus' rescues include a boats crashing on the rocks, unexploded bombs caught in fishing nets and helping to bring much needed supplies to the village when it was cut off by snow.

For two of the rescues Marcus was awarded a ‘Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum’ and ‘The Ralph Glister Award' for the most meritorious service carried out by an Inshore Lifeboat. During his time at St Bees there have been 51 lives saved, four different lifeboats and two different stations.

Marcus said: "I will miss the camaraderie, the banter and the regular training exercises but I don't think I will miss the pager interrupting meals or waking me up in the night."

The RNLI have thanked Marcus for his 35 years of service to St Bees and wish him all the best in the future. 

Read more: The Whitehaven artist whose 'Street Scapes' promote Cumbria