Calshot RNLI lifeboat crew toast former chaplain as ‘Murf’ lives on with tribute room

CALSHOT’S RNLI lifeboat crew have officially opened their new training room, named in memory of their beloved former chaplain Peter Murphy who died in 2021 aged 81.

Peter, or ‘Murf’ as he was commonly known, served as the station chaplain in the 1980s when he was the vicar in Hythe, and after moving to Lyndhurst for a time returned to the area around 2008 and rejoined the crew.

After his passing in 2021, Shelley Wilson, the daughter of a friend of Murf, set up a Justgiving page in his memory and the proceeds were donated to Calshot RNLI to use as they needed. They decided to convert upstairs space in the station that was not being used effectively and create a training room, now officially called Murf’s Room.

Murf’s widow Trish and members of his family, plus friends including members of his darts team named the Improbables, gathered with Calshot RNLI Lifeboat operations manager Jane Banting for a blessing of the room by current chaplain Barry James, before retiring downstairs for refreshments.

Jane said: “The fact that it’s Murf’s Room is a fitting tribute to a wonderful man who did so much for not just Calshot RNLI, but also for the wider community. It is an honour and a privilege to have Murf’s name on the door and his picture adorning the wall in our station.

“We are also very lucky that his legacy lives on as Trish joined the crew as our admin officer.”

The new training space has foldaway tables, large enough to accommodate the crew’s many charts, plus a new projector and screen to enable group training via the RNLI’s online training platform and two comfortable chairs for crew time to sit and take a moment or two out.

Trish recalled: “Whenever the pager went off, Peter would always check on the status of the boats and when he saw them coming back to station would make his way down, in case it had been a tough job and any crew needed support.

“Often that support would just be to sit and listen. He viewed himself as a shepherd watching over his returning flock. Peter also had the pleasure of marrying members of the crew, as well as baptising their children.

“He also went afloat to administer the scattering of ashes until his health deteriorated, after which he trained crew to perform the task, while he participated from shore via radio.”