The proprietor of Highfields Hotel, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, recently received a substantial contribution in his life-boat collecting-box from a German visitor.

The German explained that he had been a U-boat commander in the last war and had been rescued from the North Sea by one of the Institution's life-boats.

The Dover ladies' life-boat guild ran a successful vanishing coffee party. The first hostess invited six people to coffee, charging each a shilling and giving each a receipt from a book. She also gave each of the guests a book containing five receipts, each of the five in turn asking four people, the next four invit- ing three, and the next three inviting two.

When Harbens' senior staff mess at Parkside Mills, Golborne, near War- rington, closed down, a collection of beer mats assembled over 36 years and numbering over 2,000 was given to the Institution to sell. An advertisement was placed in a national paper, and the mats were sold for £17, the money being credited to the Golborne branch.

A doctor in Blyth visited an old-age pensioner, who produced an old jug, stating that he had put threepence a week into the jug throughout the year until life-boat day. When the jug was emptied it was found to contain 16s.

The Stanmore branch recently organ- ised what is known as a " good as new" sale. People brought articles which they wanted to sell, and one penny in each shilling was taken for commission and given to the Stanmore branch funds.

Mr. Donald Pink, a woodcarver, holds an annual exhibition, a part of which is devoted to puzzles in wood.

If visitors are defeated by the puzzles they can learn the solutions at the enquiry desk on payment of a forfeit in the life-boat collecting box.

The Bushey and Bushey Heath branch organised a Christmas punch party in the house of a member of the com- mittee. Those who came were charged 3s. 6d. for tickets, and the recipe for the punch was sold at a shilling.

A lady in Wales has raised more than £250 for the Institution in the last four years by making dolls and selling them at a special doll stall on life- boat day..