Farewell to a hero of the seas REDCAR lifeboatmen and fishing crews gathered this afternoon to pay their last respects to one of the town's true heroes.       The funeral of Cecil Picknett - who was the oldest surviving member of Redcar's original oar-powered lifeboat - took place in the Park Avenue Baptist Church.       The 86-year-old former fisherman - who was personally responsible for plucking almost 80 people from the icy seas during his 25 years as a lifeboatman - died in the town's Sea View Nursing Home just before Christmas.       Mr Picknett, of South Terrace, Redcar, quit his part-time role in 1947 to concentrate full time on fishing from Hartlepool.       But he never gave up his concern for sea safety and was commended by the RNLI chairman at the age of 67 for his part in the dramatic sea rescue of two men from a capsized fishing coble, the Peter Lynne in December 1969.       The ancient mariner also pulled off a daring sea rescue during the war with German bombers on a raid lurking menacingly overhead.       Among the mourners today was ex-lifeboatman Dave Phillipson, who recorded some of Mr Picknett's finest moments in a book entitled An Every Day Hero.       Mr Picknett leaves an 86 year-old widow, Elsie, and a daughter Molly.