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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Hewitt Clark, lifeboat coxswain, was surprised by Michael Aspel outside Holyrood House in Edinburgh, having been led to believe he was being interviewed by local television after attending a Royal Garden Party.

Hewitt, who was born in Lerwick, started his working life as an apprentice mechanic after leaving school at 15. In 1962 aged 17, he contracted TB, but after several months in the hospital, he was well enough to begin volunteering with his local lifeboat crew. Having completed his apprenticeship, he applied for a full-time job with the RNLI and served on the Lerwick lifeboat throughout the 1970s, becoming Coxon in September 1979.

Hewitt was Britain's most decorated serving lifeboatman, with three Bronze medals, the first awarded in 1983, a Silver medal in 1995 and a Gold medal in 1997. In his 34 years with the lifeboat service, Hewitt took part in 423 rescues and helped save 319 lives.

"I do not believe it! I do not believe it! Dear oh dear! How long have you known about this?"

programme details...

• Edition No: 1027
• Subject No: 1002
• Broadcast date: Mon 8 Nov 1999
• Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
• Recorded: Tue 6 Jul 1999
• Venue: Lerwick Town Hall, Shetland Islands
• Series: 40
• Edition: 2
• Code name: Launch

on the guest list...

• current and former members of the Lerwick lifeboat crew
• Yanna Romsburg
• Monica Romsburg
• Wilma - mother
• Billy - brother
• Cathy - aunt
• Margaret - wife
• Julie - daughter
• April - daughter
• Neil - son
• Malcolm Younger
• David Ellis
• Ian Fraser
• Lt Cdr Brian Miles
• Sarah Findlay
• Lyle Ward
• Ian Fraser
• Norman Leask
• Magnus Shearer
• Capt John Garder
• Derek - son-in-law
• Shannon - granddaughter
• Ernest Ritchie
• Mary Ritchie
• Chrissie Ritchie
• Andrew Ritchie
• Aaron Ritchie
• Jonathan Ritchie
Filmed tributes:
• Carol Smillie
• Michael Buerk
• Raymond Baxter
• Tracy Edwards
• Martin Bell
• Norman, Lord Lamont
• Duke of Kent

related appearance...

• The Night of 1000 Lives - Jan 2000

production team...

• Researcher: Emma Dooley
• Writer: Joe Steeples
• Director: John Gorman
• Associate Producer: Helen Gordon-Smith
• Executive Producer: John Longley
• Series Producer: Jack Crawshaw
• Producer: Sue Green

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

Life Savers

heroes of the emergency services

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

Timeline

the show's fifty year history

Raymond Baxter

Tracy Edwards

Carol Smillie

Screenshots of Hewitt Clark This Is Your Life