THE Institution is at present engaged on a major programme of construction and modernization, and at the time of going to press there are no fewer than 17 new life-boats in various stages of construc- tion. The total cost of this boat building programme will be approximately £575,000. Two of the life-boats, both of which are nearing completion, are of the 47-foot Watson type, the remainder being 37-foot Oakley boats. For a number of years now all life-boats have been built either at Cowes in the Isle of Wight or Littlehampton in Sussex, but three life-boats now on order are to be built in Scotland, two at Buckie and one at Sandbank on the Clyde.

The principal reason for undertaking this large new programme is to be found in the many important advances made in recent years in the design of life-boats, of which readers of this journal will be aware. The Institution's latest type of life-boat was exhibited to the life-boat societies of the world at Leith docks during the ninth international confer- ence. A full account of this conference appears on pages 502-5. Much interest was also aroused in the life-boats of other nations which were exhibited, and a number of life-boat stations had first- hand opportunities of inspecting the new Dutch and German boats. The value of these conferences in spreading knowledge of new designs and new techniques among the life-boat societies of the world is becoming increasingly apparent. The various life-boat societies will meet again in 1967, when the tenth international life-boat conference is to be held at Dinard and St. Malo in France.

ANOTHER BUSY SUMMER Life-boats were launched on service 93 times in June 1963. This is the highest figure for the month of June ever re- corded, the previous record having been set up in June 1959, when there were 84 launches on service. This new figure is further evidence of the continually increasing demands made on the life- saving services in the summer months, and there is already evidence that the new plans launched by the Institution to meet these demands are proving successful. Of the fast inshore rescue boats, which were described in the June 1963 number of the Life-boat on page 449, four are now in service at the life- boat stations at Aberystwyth, Gorles- ton, Redcar and Wells. Other places on the English coast at which these boats are now in operation are Mudeford (Hampshire), Southwold (Suffolk), West Mersea (Essex) and Whitstable (Kent).

On the 3rd June the first life-saving service by one of the Institution's inshore rescue boats was carried out when the Aberystwyth boat rescued three people and a dog who had been cut off by the rising tide.

The inshore rescue scheme, which has been launched jointly by the Institution and the Ministry of Transport during the summer of 1962, and whose purpose is to take advantage of the services of private boat owners, is also proving successful. There are now some 150 places between Berwick-on-Tweed and Portland Bill at which local boat-owners are co-operating in the scheme.

CLOSING OF STATIONS The Cadgwith life-boat station was closed on the 31st May, 1963. When the new Lizard-Cadgwith station, which was formally opened by the Duke of Edinburgh on the 7th July, 1961, was built it was intended that it should replace both the existing stations at the Lizard and Cadgwith. The Lizard station was closed in October 1961, but the Cadg- with station was retained for nearly twoyears. A station was first established at Cadgwith in 1867. The Cadgwith life- boat crews have a magnificent record and have saved 388 lives. The last of the Cadgwith station life-boats was paid for by the Girl Guides of the Empire and was named Guide of Dunkirk.

It has also been necessary temporarily to close the life-boat station at Eye- mouth, Berwickshire. Extensive im- provements are being made to the harbour, and these will involve the demolition of the slipway from which the life-boat has been launched. Alterna- tive launching sites in the area have been investigated but nothing has been found to be suitable. The possibility of placing a life-boat at moorings will be further examined when the alterations to the harbour are completed. The Eyemouth life-boat is being placed temporarily in the reserve fleet and it is hoped that the station will be reopened in about two years.

EXHIBITIONS IN LONDON Londoners and visitors to London now have the opportunity of seeing two life-boat exhibitions of exceptional quality. One of these is at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, the exhibition having been formally opened by Vice-Admiral John Hughes-Hallett, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, on the 24th July. This is the most comprehensive exhibition of modern methods of life-saving at sea to be staged in this country, and it is ex- pected to remain open until the last weeks of 1963. It was staged by the Central Office of Information, acting for the Ministry of Transport, and in addi- tion to the work of the R.N.L.I. and the Coastguard, the parts played by the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, Trinity House, the G.P.O., the Meteoro- logical Office and Lloyd's are also shown.

Earlier in the year, in February 1963, the first gallery in the new block of the Science Museum in South Kensington was opened, and this has a permanent display including a number of models of life-boats presented in an extremely attractive fashion. Other parts of the display include scale models of ships dating back to the sixteenth century, dockyard scenes of the eighteenth century, a meeting of the Navy Board in 1677 and a section of a Viking ship..