South Shields has the "Original" X Factor!

X Factor winner, Joe McElderry is not the only star to come from South Shields in the North East of England. Known as the Original this is the first purpose built lifeboat and the forerunner of today's RNLI. The Original was built to provide a safety service on the river Tyne, which she did for forty years, in the process saving hundreds of live. What made her unique was the inclusion of cork - designed to make her the first recorded self-righting lifeboat.