THE DUCHESS OF KENT, President of the Institution, took part for the first time in naming ceremonies of life-boats when she Avent on March 8th to Bridlington and on March 10th to Tynemouth and named their new life-boats, the Tittle Morrison, Sheffield, and the Tynesider. Both are old stations and have distinguished records, and at both stations the ceremonies were held in the presence of thousands of spectators.

Among them were life-boat workers from all over Yorkshire, Northumberland and Durham.

BRIDLINGTON The Bridlington station was established in 1824, the year in which the Institution itself was founded, and its life-boats have rescued 239 lives.

The new boat is a gift to the Institution from Mr. James Morrison, and the late Mr. David Morrison, of Sheffield, and has been named in memory of their sister. She is a boat of the light selfrighting type, 35 feet 6 inches long, for launching off the open beach, with two 18 h.p. engines. She is the first of this type to have twin engines and two screws. She went to her station in October, 1947.

Lord Middleton, M.C., the Lord- Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire, presided at the ceremony. After Commander P. E. Vaux, D.S.C., R.N., chief inspector of life-boats, had described the life-boat, she Avas formally presented to the Institution by Mr.

James Morrison, nephew of the two donors, and received by Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., chairman of the Institution, who in turn presented her to Mr.

J. M. Deheer, chairman of the Bridlington branch.

The Archbishop of York (the Right Hon. and Most Rev. C. F. Garbett, P.C., D.D.) dedicated' the life-boat, assisted by the RCA% Canon J. W.

Lamb, and the RCA*. H. R. Hinley, President of the Bridlington Free Church Council. The hymns were accompanied by the band of the first battalion of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment.

The Duchess's Speech The Duchess of Kent then named the life-boat. She said: "Your Avarm Yorkshire welcome has touched me deeply, and I appreciate it very much.

" I am always glad to assist the Royal National Life-boat Institution, of which I am very proud to be President, in any way I can, and when I heard that Bridlington was to haAre a new boat, thanks to the interest and generosity of Mr. Morrison and his family, I made a point of coming here for the ceremony.

"Though I have visited several stations throughout the country, this is the first time that I have named a life-boat, and I am particularly pleased that it should be at Bridlington, about which I have heard so much, and where the Institution receives such splendid support from the inhabitants, and also from the Ladies' Life-boat Guild of the East Riding of Yorkshire.

"I would like to thank you for all your hard work, appreciating, as you do, the perils which the gallant men of the life-boats face each year, as they go out on their errands of mercy.

"And now I have great pleasure in naming this life-boat, Tillie Morrison, Sheffield. I wish her and her crew God-speed in their work of rescue." A vote of thanks to the Duchess was proposed bv the Mayor of Bridlington (Councillor * F.. F. Millner, J.P.) "and seconded by Colonel A. D. Burnett Brown, M.C., T.D., M.A., secretary of the Institution. After the ceremony the Duchess had tea with the Bridlington Ladies' Life-boat Guild.

TYNEMOUTH The Tynemouth station was established in 1862, and its life-boats have rescued 325 lives. The station and a new life-boat, John Pyemont, which had arrived eighteen months before, were completely destroyed by direct hits from two bombs in April, 1941.

The station was closed for six months and was then re-opened with the motor life-boat Henry Frederick Swan, built in 1917, which the John Pyemont had replaced in October, 1939. As there was no boathouse she lay in the open at the head of the trolley-way, which had not been destroyed, and continued to serve until the new station was built and the new boat arrived there in November, 1947. The new boat is 46 feet 9 inches long, of the Watson cabin type, with two 40 h.p. engines.

At the station there was a guard of honour of sea scouts and sea rangers, 'and before the ceremony started the Duchess opened the new boathouse and watch house. The ceremony was held at the Fish Quay Gut and the Duke of Northumberland presided. After Commander P. E. Vaux, D.S.C., R.N., chief inspector of life-boats, had described the new boat, Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., chairman of the Institution, presented her to the Tynemouth branch. She was received by Mr. E. Selby Davidson, honorary secretary of the branch, who then presented to the Duchess of Kent a cheque for £7,109 5s. Id., which the people of the Tyneside towns had subscribed towards the cost of the newboat and station.

The Bishop of Newcastle (The Right Rev. Noel Baring Hudson, D.S.O..

M.C.. D.D.) dedicated the life-boat, assisted by the Rev. L. B. Tirrell, vicar of Tynemouth Priory, and the Rev.

George Barclay, of the Presbyterian Church. The singing of the hymns wa& led by the choir from the Church of the Holy Saviour, Tynemouth, and accompanied by the Sunderland Constabulary Band.

The Duchess's Speech The Duchess of Kent then named the life-boat. She said: ';Wheii I heard that your new lifeboat station, as well as the new lifeboat, was completed, I was particularly anxious, as President of the Royal National Life-boat Institution, to come here to help in to-day's ceremony.

''This fine station and boat are the most up-to-date anywhere on the coast and worthy, I think, of the gallant men who form the crew.

" It is the policy of the Institution to see that every advantage is taken of modern inventions to build the best and safest boats for those who have to face all kinds of danger, and, thanks tothe generosity of Tynesiders, yon have here the very latest form of equipment, and your boat will serve the many ships •which use the Tyne, and the fishingfleets whose welfare means so much tothe prosperity of you all.

" I have great pleasure in naming this new life-boat Tynesider, and wish her and her crew God-speed in their work of rescue.1' The Duchess of Kent presented to Mr. E. Selby Davidson, the honorary secretary of the station, and ex- Coxswain George Lisle, the bronze medals awarded to them by the Institution for the rescue of 21 men from the 2().GOO-ton Norwegian motor vessel Oslo Fjord, in December, 1940, when she struck a mine or torpedo and her captain ran her ashore a mile south of Tyne Breakwater.

The Mayor of Tynemouth (Councillor W. R. Forster) proposed, and Colonel A. D. Burnett Brown, M.C., T.D., M.A., secretary of the Institution, seconded, a vote of thanks to the Duchess of Kent.

The Duchess and representatives of the Institution were entertained by the Mayor of Tynemouth to lunch before the ceremony and to tea afterwards..