TEN years ago a special ceremony was held at Beachley near Chepstow to celebrate the opening of a £250,000 state-of-the art lifeboat centre.

The building at Severn Area Rescue Association’s Lifeboat and Rescue Station at Beachley was built to house three lifeboats, as well as a state-of-the-art control room, a custom drying room for crew’s storm suits, life jackets and other equipment and a modern training and conference room.

Ten mayors and lord mayors representing the towns and counties served by the station attended a ribbon cutting ceremony.

We've been through our archive and have found these pictures of the event.

South Wales Argus:

SARA 1 and SARA 3 go through their paces on the River Severn at a ceremony launch for SARA lifeboat station anex in Beachley in Chepstow

South Wales Argus:

SARA 1 and SARA 3 go through their paces on the River Severn at a ceremony launch for SARA lifeboat station anex in Beachley in Chepstow

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South Wales Argus:

Watching SARA 1 being launched from the SARA lifeboat station annex at Beachley

South Wales Argus:

At the ceremony launch for SARA lifeboat station annex in Chepstow were a multitude of former and current mayors

South Wales Argus:

Admiring SARA 1 at the lifeboat station annex at Beachley is two-year-old Lyall Hope of Sedbury

South Wales Argus:

The Beachley station SARA crew taking the rescue lifeboats down to the Severn

South Wales Argus:

At the ceremony launch for SARA lifeboat station annex in Chepstow were a multitude of former and current mayors

South Wales Argus:

At the ceremony launch for SARA lifeboat station annex in Chepstow were a multitude of former and current mayors

South Wales Argus:

Helping launch SARA 3 from the station annex at Beachley was station trainer Mark Carwardine