NEW life-boats in Scotland, Ireland and England—at Longhope in the Orkneys, at Howth in the Irish Republic, and at Weston-super-Mare in Somerset—were named during the last quarter.

The money to build the Longhope life-boat came from an anonymous gift, and the life-boat was named T.G.B.

by the Hon. Mrs. Alexander Ramsay at a ceremony at the Longhope pier on the 23rd August, 1962. Mr. J. M. F. Groat, president of the Longhope branch, was in the chair, and after Lieut- Commander M. Roden, the northern district inspector, had described the life-boat, which is one of the 47-foot Watson type, Lord Saltoun, Convener of the Scottish Life-boat Council and a member of the Committee of Manage- ment, handed her over to the branch.

Mr. J. M. F. Groat Junior, honorary secretary of the branch, accepted her, and after a vote of thanks had been proposed by Mrs. James Swanson, president of the Longhope ladies' life- boat guild, the Rev. D. A. Williams, minister of the parish of Stenness, assisted by the Rev. Charles Abel, minister of the parish of the South Isles, conducted the service of dedication.

Music was played by the Kirkwall Salvation Army band conducted by Mr.

W. Buchan, and by the pipes and drums of the Orkney and Zetland battery, the Lovat Scouts, R.A., T.A. The grand- daughter of the assistant mechanic, Miss Jennifer Johnston, presented a bouquet to Mrs. Ramsay.

People Who Know Their Job In naming the life-boat Mrs. Ramsay said: "I have read several reports of services by the Longhope boat, all vivid and exciting accounts of endurance, and tenacity, and courage, in very arduous conditions. Services by the Longhope boat are usually carried out in difficult conditions, because, owing to the climate and character of the sea, this area is not one which attracts those inexperienced sailors, in unseaworthy yachts, who often get into trouble in southern waters. People who venture in the Pentland Firth for pleasure usually know something about sailing, and most vessels hereabouts are fishing boats or merchantmen, under the command of people who know their job, and, when such people get into trouble, it is usually because of severe weather, or because their navigational aids have failed, or both".

The T.G.B. is the sixth station life- boat at Longhope, and at the time of the ceremony Longhope life-boats had rescued 423 lives since 1874, the year in which the station was established.

Wife of the President The Howth branch had the honour of welcoming the wife of the President of the Irish Republic, Mrs. de Valera, to name its new life-boat A.M.T. The life-boat was built out of legacies from the late Mr. E. A. Auston, Miss J.

Muhlhauser and Mr. A. Toon. She is the eighth life-boat stationed at Howth since the station was taken over by the Institution from the Dublin Ballast Board in 1862. Since then the Howth life-boats have rescued 165 lives. It is known that there was a life-boat station at Howth before 1825, but there are virtually no records of the earlier boats.

At the naming ceremony on the 1st September, 1962, Mr. Gerald Fitz- Gibbon, chairman of the Howth branch, opened the proceedings, and after Lieut- Commander D. B. Cairns, the Irish district inspector, had described the life-boat, which is one of the 47-foot Watson type, Captain the Hon. V. M.

Wyndham-Quin, Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Management, handed the life-boat over to the branch. Mr. J.

Norman Wilkinson, honorary secretary of the branch, accepted her. The Very Rev. Patrick O'Keefe blessed the life- boat, and after votes of thanks had been proposed by Mr. D. Mellon, a member of the branch committee, and seconded by Mrs. Stephen Gaisford St.

Lawrence, president of the Howth ladies' life-boat guild, Mrs. de Valera named the boat A.T.M. Music was provided by the Post Office Workers' Union band, the St. Lawrence pipe band, and the Howth children's choir.

An attractive booklet giving the history of the Howth life-boat station was produced to mark the occasion.

The new life-boat at Weston-super- Mare is a gift of the Calouste Gul- benkian Foundation, and at the cere- mony at Weston-super-Mare pier on the 22nd September the life-boat was named by the daughter of the late Calouste Gulbenkian, Mrs. K. L.

Essayan. After Captain E. J. Wide, chairman of the Weston-super-Mare branch, had opened the proceedings, and Lieut.-Commander H. H. Harvey, the western district inspector, had described the life-boat, which is one of the 37-foot Oakley type, Dr. Jose de Azaredo Perdigao, Chairman of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, pre- sented her to the Institution. Com- mander Sir Reginald Leeds, Bt, a member of the Committee of Manage- ment, accepted the life-boat and handed her over to the branch, Mr. R. J. S.

Crowe, honorary secretary of the branch, accepting her. The Bishop of Taunton then dedicated the life-boat, assisted by the Rev. Prebendary B. J. W.

Turnock, rector of Weston-super Mare.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Mrs.

P. S. Martin, chairman of the Weston- super-Mare life-boat guild. Music was played by the No. 5 Regional Band of the Royal Air Force, Locking, con- ducted by Flight-Lieutenant J. W.

Martindale. The new life-boat, which is named Calouste Gulbenkian, is the fifth station life-boat since the Weston-super- Mare station was established in 1882. At the time of the ceremony Weston-super- Mare life-boats had rescued 138 lives..