THE Centenary celebrations concluded, just before the Institution reached its 101st birthday, with two Bazaars, one in Birmingham and the other in London.

The Birmingham Bazaar, which was called the Life-boat International Fancy Fayre, was held in the Town Hall on 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th February. Aswill be seen in the picture, the platform of the Town Hall was arranged as a village on the coast, with a Life-boat and Life-boat House, while the speakers' table was also a model of a Life-boat, Each stall was a house representing a different country, and the stall-holders wore the national costumes.

On the first day the Fayre was opened by H.R.H. Prince Henry, who was received at New Street Station by the Lord Mayor (Alderman P. Bower) and a guard of honour of Rhyl Lifeboatmen, wearing oilskins and carrying oars. Among those who were also present to welcome him were Sir GodfreyBaring, Bt., Chairman of the Committee of Management, Captain the Viscount Curzon, R.N.V.R., M.P., and the Right Hon. F. 0. Roberts, M.P., late Minister of Pensions, members of the Committee of Management, the Town Clerk, the Chief Constable, Mr. George F. Shee, M.A., Secretary of the Institution, andMr. H. G. Solomon, District Organizing Secretary. Owing to a meeting of the City Council, the Lord Mayor could not preside at the opening of the Fayre, and his place was taken by Sir David Davis, ex-Lord Mayor.

In the course of his speech Prince Henry congratulated the Committee which had organized the Bazaar and also the stallholders, and thanked the Ambassadors of the United States, France, Italy, Spain and Belgium for their kindness, not only in giving the Fayre their patronage, but in obtaining gifts for it from their countries to be sold in aid of what was not only a greatBritish charity, but a great international Service. Prince Henry went on to say : " Birmingham is an inland city far from the sea. Yet, for many years it has given its support to this great sea- Service. By doing that it has shown how clearly it recognizes that wherever we live, and whatever we do, we, who are citizens of an island kingdom, owe a debt to our Life-boat Service. In thatspirit you have organized this Fayre to-day, in order to celebrate the cen- tenary of the Life-boat Service by raising £10,000 to build a Motor Life-boat of the latest and most powerful type, which shall bear the name of your city. I feel sure that Birmingham will not be less generous in such a cause as this than those great cities of the north, Manchester and Bradford. They have already raised funds of £10,000 each, and the Life-boats bearing their I names are now on the coast. I j know that your proud and well-deserved motto is ' Forward.' My last appeal i to you is to remember it in working for 'this great cause. I can imagine few things which could give the citizens of • this inland city greater pleasure and pride than to read in the paper in the morning that far away on the coast the lives of men and women have been rescued from death, and that the Boat which brought them to safety was the City of Birmingham." On the second day Sir Godfrey Baring presided, and the Fayre was to have been opened by Admiral of the Fleet Sir Doveten Sturdee, Bt., G.C.B., K.C.M.G., C.V.O. At the last moment he was prevented by illness, and Captain Lord Gurzon opened the Fayre from London, bos speech being broadcasted in the Town Hall by "loud speakers."On the third day the Hon. George Colville, Deputy-Chairman of the Com- mittee of Management, presided, and the Princess Bibesco opened the Fayre, and on the fourth day Mr. Graham Squiers, F.C.A., Chairman of the Fayre Committee, presided, in the absence through illness of Sir Gilbert Barling, Bt., C.B., and the Fayre was opened by Ltdy Davis, in the absence of the Duchess of Rutland.

Altogether the Fayre and other efforts carritd cut by the Fayre Committw since 1923 have raised nearly £3,000 towards the £10,000 required to build the City of Birmingham Motor Life-boat.

The London Bazaar.

This Bazaar was organized by the London Women's Committee, and was to have been held in November, 2924.

Owing to the General Election it had to be postponed, and was then fixed for 3rd and 4th March, as the last day of the Centenary year, and the Institution's 101st birthday. It was held at the Hyde Park Hotel, and was opened on' the first day by the Duchess of Suther- land, and on the second by Admiral of the Fleet Sir Doveton Sturdee, Bt., Viscountess Bertie of Thame, Chairman of the London Women's Committee, presiding. The Bazaar was held under the patronage of H.R.H. the Princess Louise, Duchess of Arygll, the Patron of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild, who had a stall. The international recognition of the value of the Life-boat Service was again shown by the names among the patrons of the Spanish, Belgian, Italian and Portuguese Ambassadors, the Finnish, Swiss, Austrian, Swedish, Argentine, Danish and Polish Ministers, and the Charges d'Affaires of the United States, of the kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and of Latvia.

Some of the foreign colonies in London took an active part in the Bazaar. The Japanese colony sent a cheque to be spent in obtaining goods to be sold, the Chilian colony sent two barrels of honey, and the Italian colony sent Italian produce of almost every kind from spaghetti and olives to suit-cases, mineral-waters ard shawls.

Altogether the Bazaar raised £750..