Harrow County School, Middlesex, in April got sponsors for ''bar billiards'.

Five boys played billiards continually for 72 hours, thereby breaking the world record for this type of event. At the time it was estimated that the boys had raised about £300 for the R.N.L.I.

A local shop at Little and Broad Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales, which sells, among other things, fish, puts a pile of empty scallop shells outside with the following notice: 'Can be taken away by anyone. Price—put something in the life-boat box.'' In May, 1970, a cheque for £210 was presented to the R.N.L.I, by the Windmill public house, Enfield, Middlesex, raised by weekly raffles and a sponsored walk by ten of the regulars since August last year. Latest sponsored walk was by wives of the regulars—all in their fifties—and was possibly the first of its kind for mothers and grandmothers.

In sending the R.N.L.I. a cheque for £4 14s. in March this year, Mr. T. M. J.

Kroll, a member of the staff of The Downs School, Charlton House, Wraxall, Bristol, said: "The little chaps in Form IK have made Tuesdays their giving day when they forgo their 3d. tuck and put the money in the fund instead. During the last two weeks the rest of the school have contributed something as well and we hope that this small amount by very small givers will contribute towards life-boat research or the training of another crew.' When a cheque for £90 was presented to the R.N.L.I. by the sixth form of Croesyceiliog Grammar School, Cwmbran, Wales, it was stated that most of the money had come from 'the making and sale of toffee apples'.

In March it was announced that the pupils of Chew Valley Secondary School, Bristol, were being allowed to wear any mufti they wished, instead of uniform, on a certain day. For the privilege—to wear maxis and minis—each paid Is. The money was given to the R.N.L.I.

After the St. Buryan and district young farmers' club, Cornwall, had seen the R.N.L.I. film 'Bequest to a Village' they handed over to the Sennen Cove branch of the R.N.L.I. a cheque for £340. The money was raised through a ploughing marathon held towards the end of last year. The marathon was held from noon on a Thursday until midnight the following day, and in the 36 hours the three tractors involved ploughed 140 acres. Those taking part had secured their own sponsors at various rates per acre. Captain H. B. Harvey, the honorary secretary of the Sennen Cove branch, wld the R.N.L.I.: 'The ploughing match took place on one of the mostexposed parts of the north Cornish coast, near Portreath, in gale force winds, and for at least the last 12 hours with temperatures well below freezing point'.' Amanda and Jane Farmer, aged 11 and 8, of Finchampstead, Berkshire, and their friend, Claire, aged 11, recently went on a fund raising expedition for the R.N.L.I. Their joint letter is reproduced verbatim: ' Yesterday we went on a bicycle ride of 18 miles, it took us four hours ten minutes {from 1.50 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.). Before hand we had decided that it would be a sponsored ride; Jane (my sister) and I were sponsored 3d. per mile (to share) and Claire, my friend was sponsored Id. per mile—but she got an extra 4d. since she bicycled up to our house to begin with and then, when we had finished, she had to bicycle back down to her house, again. The combined forces came to six shillings and sixpence or, in decimal currency, 32 pence; but it suddenly turned out that Claire's grandmother had sponsored her too—five shillings, that brought it up to eleven shillings and sixpence or, 57 pence. We placed some tickets with different charities on them, in a hat and our younger brother, Sam, drew yours out.' Miss J. Blackburn, the treasurer of the Halifax life-boat luncheon club, has thought up a new way of making money by selling gay 'with it' ties. They are made out of lengths of material from dresses or remnants. Ties cost 10s., 7s. 6d. and 5s.

depending on the material used. Already over £12 has been raised by the sale of such ties. All that is needed for production, Miss Blackburn points out, is a machine and an iron..