RNLI couple celebrate wedding day on lifeboat

(l-r) Richard Pimm and Hebe Gregory in front of the Severn class lifeboat

A couple who both work for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) have celebrated their wedding day with a trip to the lifeboat station.

Senior station technician Richard Pimm and press officer Hebe Gregory were married on 1 July.

After the ceremony they visited Mr Pimm's "first love", the Severn class lifeboat, which is based out of Yarmouth.

Ms Gregory said: "The date of our wedding ceremony was chosen because it's the numbers on the side of Richard's one true love.

"He now doesn't have the excuse of ever forgetting our anniversary.

"It was originally a joke made between the crew after a routine practice one evening that then became a reality."

(l-r) Hebe Gregory and Richard Pimm wearing yellow RNLI wellies

Mr Pimms joined the RNLI crew as a volunteer at the age of 17, but has worked full time for a decade.

He has a strong family connection with the station and was even christened on a Yarmouth lifeboat.

Ms Gregory started working full time for the RNLI last year and is currently training to be one of Yarmouth's launch authorities.

The couple had a small ceremony at Northwood House in Cowes.

Lifeboat operations manager of Yarmouth RNLI station Tom Carlstedt-Duke said Mr Pimms was "a third-generation crew member with his grandfather, father and brother all serving on the Yarmouth ALB".

'"All of Yarmouth's One Crew wish Rich and Hebe a long and happy life together, congratulations," he added.

The RNLI is a charity that saves lives at sea, with volunteers providing 24/7 search and rescue services around UK coasts.

It operates 238 lifeboat stations and more than 240 lifeguard units.

Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.