BRIGHSTONE GRANGE, ISLE OF WIGHT.

—The Life-boat stationed here by the Institution many years ago has been replaced by a new one named the Brothers Brickwood, the cost of which was generously bequeathed to the Institution by the late Mr. E. D. Brickwood, of Boscombe.

The new boat is of the self-righting type, 35 ft. long by 8 ft. 6 in. wide, and possesses all the latest improvements.

She is fitted with masts and sails, two water-ballast tanks and two drop-keels, and pulls ten oars double-banked.

On Thursday, the 30th May, the ceremony of naming the new Life-boat proved a highly popular and attractive event at Brighstone. The inhabitants turned out en masse for the occasion, and the adjoining parishes were well represented. There were also present leading island Life-boat officials and many interested spectators from Newport and other parts of the Isle.

The presence of Sir Charles Seely, Bart., the esteemed President of the Isle of Wight Life-boat Board and of his daughter (Miss Seely), who performed the naming ceremony, gave the liveliest satisfaction to the large company present.

The ceremony took place outside the Life-boat House, where the beautiful new boat was resting on her carriage, with her gallant crew all in readiness waiting for the launching signal. The Rector of Brighstone (the Rev. E. W.

Silver), -who is the hon. secretary of the local Life-boat Branch, and the Vicar of Shorwell (the Rev. G. E. Jeans), with the surpliced choir from the Parish Church, carried out a short and appropriate religious service. In addition to Sir Charles and Miss Seely, the company included the Rev. R. L. Morris (Rector of Brooke) and Mrs. Morris, Mrs. Silver, sen., Mrs. E. W. Silver, Miss Silver, Mr. Charles J. P. Cave (member of the Central Committee of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION), Mr. Keppel Foote (Inspector of Life-boats for the District), Capt. Travers, R.N. (commanding the Coastguard, Ventnor Division); Mr. J. G. Pinnock (hon. treasurer), Mr. F. Pinnock (hon. secretary) and Capt. Frank King (hon. auditor), representing the Isle of Wight Life-boat Board; Messrs. James Attrill, J. R. Fisk, J. W. Fisk, and P. H. Lempriere (members of the local Life-boat Branch); and many others, including the Coxswains of all the six island Life-boats, were present.

Sir CHARLES SEELY. presided, and said they were all glad, he was quite sure, to be there that afternoon on so pleasant an occasion as the naming of a new Life-boat. He felt very grateful to the Committee for asking him to take part in those pleasant proceedings, and rightly, might they say, the Church was there to give her blessing for that boat, for certainly no more charitable or no more religious work was there than the Life-boat with its crew going out to save the lives of their fellow-creatures when they were in difficulty and danger.

They wished for that new Brighstone Life-boat a long and prosperous career.

Their boat no doubt was mortal, it would become old and obsolete; the crew were mortal, for in Grod's good time they would be laid one by one by the side of their fathers and their comrades in the quiet earth, but the spirit which animated the donor of that boat, and also the spirit which animated the crew, they trusted would always remain along the coasts of England.

On behalf of the Isle of Wight Branch of the Life-boat Institution and of the people in that neighbourhood, he wished long prosperity for that Life-boat and happiness to her crew. (Cheers.) He then asked Mr. Keppel Foote, the District Inspector of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, to formally hand over the boat.

Mr. KEPPEL FOOTE said he was instructed by the Institution to hand over that Life-boat to the safe custody of the Brighstone Local Committee, and in doing so he felt quite confident that every possible care would be taken of her. He wished the crew of the new boat every success, and he hoped, in the providence of God, that whatever she might be called upon to do it might be successful.

Mr. JAMES ATTRILL said on behalf of the Local Committee he accepted the charge of that beautiful new boat, and he sincerely trusted that she would prove a worthy successor to the old one.

The usual service of benediction then followed, the Rector and the Rev. G. E. Jeans taking part in the service, which concluded with the appropriate hymn, " Eternal Father, strong to save," and the Blessing pronounced by the Rector.

Miss SEELY then named the new boat the Brothers Brickwood.

After the ceremony, Miss Seely said : " I wish all happiness, prosperity and success to her gallant crew, and I pray that the blessing of God may rest upon this beautiful boat on her errands of love and mercy." (Cheers.) After further proceedings, the new boat, on her carriage, was drawn to the shore by a team of horses, and in a few minutes the task of launching her was successfully accomplished, the boat floating gracefully on the water to the accompaniment of lusty cheers from the crowd of people assembled on the shore and the cliff.

REDCAR, YORKSHIRE. — This Station has been provided with a new Life-boat of the self-righting type, 35 ft. long by 8 ft.

3 in. wide, is fitted with three waterballast tanks and rows ten oars double banked. The boat is named the Fifi and Charles, as desired by her generous donor, the late Mr. Charles Carr Ashley, of Mentone, France.

The launching ceremony took place on the 28th September, when several thousands of people met on the Promenade to witness the proceedings.

A procession, headed by the Warrenby Brass Band, assembled at the Life-boat House and marched to the top of Bath Street, where a staging had been erected.

After a few remarks, Commander T. Holmes, R.N., the District Inspector, presented the boat, on behalf of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION.

He stated that the Station was one of the oldest on the north-east coast, and had a splendid record of life-saving. The new Life-boat was accepted by Mr. T. H. Nelson, Chairman of the Local Committee. The craft was then named by Mrs. Nelson, and following this, the Vicar, the Rev. J. Groves, performed the dedication service, the hymns " Peace, perfect peace," and " Fierce raged the tempest" being sung.

The boat was then launched for exercise, a trip out to. sea being made. Notwithstanding the weather was foggy, everything passed off with the greatest enthusiasm, all the arrangements having been splendidly carried out by the indefatigable hon. secretary, Mr. J. M. Meek.

Through the kindness of Mr. T. Nelson, about fifty members of the Redcar Life-boat crew, Rocket Brigade, and Coastguardsmen were entertained at dinner on Saturday evening at the Swan Hotel, Mr. T. Nelson presiding.

BROOKE, ISLE OF WIGHT ; CLOVELLY, NORTH DEVON ; and PORT LOGAN, WIGTOWNSHIRE.

—The Life-boats placed by the Institution on these Stations have recently been replaced by new ones, which are all of the latest self-righting type. The Brooke and Port Logan Life-boats were provided from the legacies of Mr. Charles Carr Ashley, of Mentone, France, and Mr. William McCunn, of Largs, Scotland. The boats are named respectively Susan Asldey and Tlwmas McCunn. The Clovelly Life-boat is the gift of Mrs. Roget, of Maida Hill, London, who also presented the cost of the old Life-boat to the Institution, and is named, like her predecessor, the Elinor Roget.