Naylor Swift of the Carmarthen branch of the R.N.L.I, is hoping to start a new fund-raising scheme this year. It is the 'basket supper' where couples bring baskets containing supper for two. Each basket is given a number and the men bid for them.

With each basket goes the lady who brought it.

Last year the landlord of the Fountain Inn, Fowey, organised a sponsored haircut. A 'certain gentleman' with fairly long hair agreed to have his hair cut if other customers would sponsor him. Result: £50 was passed to the local R.M.L.I, branch. The landlord hopes to arrange another 'cut in' this year.

A cigarette rolling competition, organised on behalf of Churchman's cigarettes, was held at the Mermaid Theatre, London, last year. Six charities were represented by stage, screen and television personalities. Each of the charities nominated received a cheque for £100 and the best cigarette roller of the six received an additional cheque for £250 for the charity he represented. The R.N.L.I, was represented by Mr. George Lazenby, an Australian actor who has played James Bond. An R.N.L.I. official who attended reported: 'Mr. Lazenby won in a canter'.

The Exe Powerboat and Ski Club, whose president is Jimmy Savile, held a 20 mile sponsored ski in aid of the R.N.L.I. in October. The event was completed in five hours by 12 enthusiastic skiers whose ages ranged from 11 to 30. Over £90 was raised.

Two of the competitors, Raymond Jelfs and Sandra Winkley, both aged 13, completed the whole course, and Sandra's sister Sheila, 11, completed nine miles.

What is believed to be a national record is held by the Dee Street Club at Hull. At a charity concert at the club in aid of the R.N.L.I. the Barton Bros., as they are known, demolished a towering 'lighthouse of pennies'. As 8,640 pieces of copper fell to the floor the life-boat service was that better off. Apparently the national average for the completion of the lighthouse of pennies is about three years—Dee Street Club, without special effort, completed the task in nine months. A number of other charity concerts in the Hull area during the same period produced amounts ranging from £50 to £100 for the R.N.L.I.

A series of projects on life-boat stations—'some of them remarkably detailed and full of imagination' —were a feature of a life-boat afternoon organised by children at Ewyas Harold, Hereford, in September.

The proceeds—about £30—were given to the R.N.L.I.

Miss Sutherland Graeme, president of the Orkney mainland ladies' life-boat guild, writes: 'Sarah Gray and Gillian and Ian Dennison, spending their summer holiday with relations in South Ronaldsay, Orkney, held a sale in the garage and made £1 15s. for life-boat funds. They made shells into mice and pigs and other objects. They also collected bluebell bulbs and nettles. The latter they cut up and put into bags along with a recipe for making nettle soup.' Mrs. L. J. Thomas, of St. Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, reports: 'Just as a point of interest, the method by which we collect our money is quite shattering.

We all three work in a laboratory and handle quite a lot of glassware. To discourage ourselves from breaking too much we fine ourselves 3d. an item broken, and thus collect our money. We don't seem to have lessened our breakages, but at least someone benefits by it. I hereby enclose a postal order for £2 and hope it will be useful in some small way.' An anonymous well-wisher in the Godstone and district branch of the R.N.L.I. offered a donation of £10 provided that the branch could find four other people to give £10 each. The four were found and a total of £50 was collected for the Institution.

With the news that Prettygate County Junior School, Colchester, held a concert some months ago for parents and friends at which they raised £30, comes details of a toy and book sale. Mr. Norman P. Clarke, the honorary treasurer, tells us that two pupils, aged 10 and 11, sent him the following letter: 'In May we organised a toy and book sale. The money we raised amounted to £5. We would be . . . grateful if you would accept this donation and put it into your funds' The writers were Sheila Jarman and Deborah Gifford..