ROBERT ANTHONY FOALE of Hyde Park Junior School, Mutley, Plymouth, Devon, has won the first prize in a competition for the best essay on the lifeboat service organized by the Royal National Life-boat Institution. The competition was open to boys and girls under twelve years old in Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.

Competitors were asked to write on the following subject: "You are at the seaside and visit the life-boat station where you are given a conducted tour over the life-boat. Just as you have finished you learn that the life-boat is to be called out on service. Shortly afterwards she is launched.

Describe in your own words what you saw when you looked over the boat, how the launch took place and what you learnt afterwards about the rescue the life-boat had carried out." Prizes for the best essays hi Ireland, Scotland, Wales and six districts in England have been awarded as follows: Ireland. Bartholomew Gerard Murphy, Ballybryan National School, Fahy, Co. Offaly, Irish Republic.

Scotland. Maureen Donnachie, St. Mungo's Primary School, Greenock, Renfrewshire.

Wales. Nigel George, Bedlinog Junior Mixed School, Bedlinog, near Treharris, Glamorgan.

ENGLAND Midlands. Martin Field, North Malvern Church of England Junior School, Malvern, Worcs.

North East. Edward Wegorzewski, St. Williams R.C. Primary School, Bradford, Yorks.

North West. Janice Margaret Booth, Broadhurst County Primary School, Moston, Manchester 10.

South East. Penelope Ann Gill, Harmans Water County Junior School, Bracknell, Berks.

South West. Robert Anthony Foale, Hyde Park Junior School, Mutley, Plymouth, Devon.

London. Dorothy Jackson, Grimsdyke Primary School, Hatch End, Middlesex..