Just in case some of your readers might be wondering how I managed to get the 'Pictorial Story of an IRB Service . . .' (THE LIFE-BOAT, September 1969, centre pages), may I assure them that there was nothing rigged about it: my wife and I were there only by pure chance.

We were spending the weekend in Exeter and on the bright Good Friday morning, we drove down to Exmouth for a breath of fresh sea air. We cruised along the front and on the way back decided, on the spur of the moment, to 'have a go' on the miniature golf course. We missed the entrance to the car park and were looking for somewhere to turn round. The first convenient place was the apron in front of the life-boat display centre which houses Exmouth's IRB. We'd just completed this manoeuvre when cars squealed to a stop behind.

'The IRB's going out', I said, reaching over the seat for my camera case and opening the door at the same time. Within a minute I was ready to shoot— which was just as well as the IRB was already on its way out. We followed its progress and waited for its return.

The odds of my being 'on the spot' for a life-boat launch must be somewhat long, as we live in Wiltshire. However, within three months, it happened again! This time we were holidaying in a caravan at Trevose Head which overlooks the Padstow life-boat station: again the maroons went up and I was able to photograph a launch. I only hope that the R.N.L.I. will not ban us from coastal districts in the future! The irony of these stories is that in 1968 I did want a launch sequence of photographs to illustrate an article about the R.N.L.I. Obviously, a mock launch could not be arranged for my personal benefit, and so R.N.L.I. headquarters arranged for me to be at the official launching of the new Padstow life-boat.

We travelled a total of 365 miles, and were away from home for 36 hours for the photo-sequence which took some 60 seconds to complete! David Harwood.

The Common, Broughton Gifford, Melksham, Wiltshire..