DURING the past three years excellent histories have been written, and pub- lished locally, of six life-boat stations.

Rhyl celebrated its centenary in 1952,"and The Story of Rhyl's Life- boats, 1852 to 1952 was compiled by Mr. W. Brookes Parry, the honorary secretary of the branch, published by the committee of the branch and printed by The Charter Press, of Rhuddlan.

The Lizard Life-boats, 1859 to 1952, was written by Mr. F. G. Chapman, the honorary secretary of the branch, with a foreword by its president, Mr.

J. C. Trewin, the dramatic critic and editor of The West Country Magazine, and printed by The Falmouth Packet.

The Tynemouth station celebrated its 90th birthday in 1952, and Tyne- mouth Life-boat, 90th Anniversary, 1862-1952 was compiled by Mr. E.

Selby Davidson, the honorary secre- tary, and other members of the branch, and the Duke of Northumberland, its president and now the treasurer of the Institution, wrote an introduction to it. It was printed by Cail and Sons of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

The Sennen Cove station, of which Mr. J. K. Bennetts is honorary secretary, celebrated its centenary in 1953, and The Sennen Cove Branch of the R.N.L.I., 1853-1953, a Brief His- tory of the Most Westerly Life-boat Station in Great Britain was written by Mr. John Corin and printed by Darke-Johnson of Penzance. It was on the table, with the menu bound into it, at the centenary dinner on the 21st of April.

All four histories were fullv illus-trated and the large number of adver- tisements in the histories of Rhyl and Tynemouth showed the local interest and pride in the stations.

The Bembridge station was estab- lished in 1867, and Annals of Bembridge Life-boats and Life-boatmen was written in 1952 by Captain R. C. Watson, R.N.R. Captain Watson's family has been associated with the Bembridge station since it was established, and he himself for nearly thirty years. From 1942 to 1951 he was its honorary secretary, and when he retired he was awarded the Institution's thanks on vellum. His annals of the station were published by the Isle of Wight County Press.

Captain A. G. Cole, M.B.E., R.N.R., of Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, wrote a history of the town, called Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. Some Records of an Ancient Town, which was first pub- lished in 1946 by the Isle of Wight County Press. It was so successful that a second, revised, edition was published in 1948 and a third, en- larged, edition in 1951. Captain Cole was for nineteen years the honorary secretary of the Yarmouth life-boat station, and retired in 1952. He was awarded the Institution's inscribed binoculars in 1948 and on his retire- ment was appointed an honorary life governor of the Institution, the highest honour which the Institution can give to an honorary worker, and made an M.B.E., for his life-boat services. His history of Yarmouth has a very , interesting chapter on the life-boat station, which was established in 1924..