May Day May Day

Switching on the radio this morning and tuning in to radio Cumbria (yes I know I’m getting to be a bit of a local radio bore) I heard that there had been a speed boat crash on Derwent Water in the early hours. Sounds dodgy and probably Bank Holiday high jinx on the lake – I can see the headlines now –‘8 booze fuelled Geordies/Scousers in speedboat meant for 4 brings new meaning to ‘on the rocks’’. I’m maybe being a bit harsh, as one of them is ‘serious’ in hospital.
What did catch my ear though was the fact that Search & Rescue for the Lakes is handled by the Liverpool Coast Guard. Now how does that work? Is this another case of cheapest competitive tender or just Liverpool looking after their own? I am presuming that the speedsters are scousers otherwise the Newcastle Coast Guard would have been called out. If it turns out that it was just 8 local farmers making their way back from a charity event on Derwent Island - confused by the holiday makers camping lights on the shore, I offer my apologies, in advance, to the citizens of Liverpool and Newcastle for this foul slur.