A group of pirate enthusiasts went on the rampage on Monday 19 September, fundraising for the RNLI. This was the third Exeter Pirate Day, held appropriately on International Pirate Day.

Organiser of the event, Cap’in Queeg, AKA Mexie Mex, (real name Curt Nicol), had been planning the event for nearly a year through posters, a website and a Facebook group. A list of the 15 venues taking part in the pub crawl were published, along with the times of arrival. The website encouraged interested participants to join them en route, to dress and talk like pirates.

Despite the wet and windy conditions, the pirates generated lots of supporters as they moved from pub to pub. The numbers of the merry crew varied during the 12 hour fundraising event, the most present at any one time was 32. At one point, the crew commandeered Butt’s Ferry to continue their rampage of Exeter.

Cap’in Queeg had had arranged with the owner, a band to play at the last venue, The Sorry Head in the heart of the city. Queeg commented, ‘…when the front man discovered it was us,

he got the fiddle player to come along too, as it wouldn’t be a proper Pirate Day without the full band.’

The website (www.exeter-pirate-day.com) says, ‘Last year our chosen charity, the RNLI was so popular we decided to raise money for them again this year.’ This year, the pirates raised exactly £400 in collection buckets and pledges from absentee shipmates.

A week before the event, Cap’in Queeg and RNLI Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, Emma Tarling organised a photo shoot at Exmouth boathouse for promotion of the event. That evening, pirates: Black-hearted Hex the Time Wench (Heather McClenahan), Bosun Bad Tricks (Dexter Fuller), Freya the Slayer (Freya Aldred) and Notorious Natty (Nathaniel Hawes) joined Cap’in Queeg on a pub crawl of Exmouth, before staggering homeward bound to Exeter.

The Cap’in said of the event, ‘It was great fun, the guys at Exmouth RNLI were fantastic and we are looking forward to raising cash for you again next year.’