In September 1908 Wellington staged a fundraising lifeboat day. The Minehead lifeboat came to the town and, after being paraded through Wellington, was floated on The Basins.

There it gave rides to townsfolk young and old.

The photograph, taken by Wellington photographer A E French was one of the pictures shown at the recent ’Wellington Miscellany’ public talk organised by Wellington Local History & Museum Society.

The talk took the audience of just over 40 on a - sometimes disjointed - virtual walk around the town looking mainly at odd bits of architecture and street furniture of historic and present day interest.

The lifeboat day picture reminded a member of the audience that his grandfather, born in 1900, had enjoyed a ride on the lifeboat - an experience that made such an impression on the eight-year-old that 70 years later he could recount the trip to his grandson.

The day raised £50 for the lifeboat charity.