Mr. C. J. H. Thornhill, of Stanbrook and Thornhill, Holland Street, London, writes: I have kept a life-boat collecting box on my yacht (a smack built in 1894) for a year and during that period, by merely rattling it around the crew at weekends, usually after supper on Saturday night, I have collected, quite painlessly, £10 which has been sent to the R.N.L.I.

I do not know how many thousand boats there are but if only a small proportion of them were to do as I have done an enormous sum of money would be collected and it would come from a section of society under the greatest obligation to pay, the yachtsmen. I think anyone who took up this suggestion would find that the life-boat box makes an attractive piece of decoration in his boat.' Collections made aboard the S.S. Orsova for the R.N.L.I, were remembered in December when a plaque was presented to Captain D. A. Hansing on the vessel.

Just over -£1,260 was raised in a little over a year, the money all being handed to the Ramsey branch, whose chairman, Mr. Simon Attlee, attended the plaque presentation.Hertford branch of the R.N.L.I., found a fruitful source of revenue when Mrs. E. Gudgin picked 154 Ib.

of blackberries and 314 Ib. of apples and sold them for charity. She was able to give over £10 to the life-boat service.

Ryde ladies' life-boat guild made £70 during the year by the sale of sun hats (life-boat hats). The vice-chairman of the guild, Mrs. Hamilton Black, had taught child members how to make the hats, the material for which cost 25p per hat. The hats were made out of gingham, one yard (34-inch squares in length and 23-inch squares width) making two hats. The inside was lined with nylon. Out of the left-over strips of each yard dolls' hats were made and sold for 5p each.

Better late than never comes a note about a novel fund-raising device used at the Moat Boat Race at the Bishops Palace, Wells, Somerset, last Whitsun. Mr.

Ivor Howcroft, former chairman of the Wells branch, now living at Cardiff, writes: "The novel attraction on which we raised some £17 was the "static bicycle race". Through my wife's physiotherapist department at the Mendip Hospital, we were loaned the bicycle and contestants of all ages keenly competed to cycle the farthest distance in 30 seconds against the pedal distance meter geared to the pedals' Mr. Philip Hodgson, honorary secretary of the Filey branch of the R.N.L.I., reports that the dinghy raffled last year was won by Mrs. Patchett, of Keyingham.

She very generously gave this back to be sold, and R.N.L.I. Filey benefited by over £300.

Mr. J. Chantler, the honorary secretary of the Portsdown branch of the R.N.L.I., presented a pendant to Mrs N. Richards, president of Cosham Women's Co-operative Guild, in recognition of the guild's help to the R.N.L.I. The Women's Co-operative Guild have adopted the life-boat service as their charity of the year.

Mrs. Judith Reynolds, of Sussex Road, Gorleston, spends all her spare time from January to November making Christmas decorations which she sells each year from a stall on Yarmouth market place. Each year the proceeds go to a charity and last year was the turn of the R.N.L.I. The ladies' guild committee helped with the actual selling and the result exceededevery expectation and every other year—about £200 was the record until 1972. There are literally hundreds of arrangements by her ranging in price from 8p to £1.

Illustrated on this page is one of Mr. A. W. Hawkes' well known table lamps made in aid of the R.N.L.I.

Formerly of Waldringjield, Mr. Hawkes, who now lives at Ipswich, believes he has made and sold close on 300 of these lamps over the past eight or nine years.

He adds: 'About £1-50 to £2 profit is made on each lamp depending on prices of raw material, shades being especially variable. This looks to me like £500 odd for table lamps in the eight years' Mr Hawkes started collecting for the R.N.L.I. 45 years ago.

News reaches THE LIFE-BOAT of the success of Mr. Christopher Waddington's dance held at his boatyard (Wicormarine Ltd.] in Portchester, Hampshire, last year in aid of the R.N.L.I. Over £500 was handed to the life-boat service. The dance was planned several months in advance by Mr. Waddington, his wife and staff. Interested supporters are urged to make early inquiries about this year's dance expected to be held in July. It will be the third.In December Wing Commander R. E. Lewis, of the Leatherne Bottel, Goring-on-Thames, organised a sponsored swim across the River Thames. In addition, Danny La Rue, who owns the Swan at Streatley, kindly gave six bottles of champagne to be auctioned.

The two events raised -£100.30 for the Henley-on- Thames branch of the R.N.L.I.

The second Anglesey ball in aid of the R.N.L.I.

raised £300. It was held at the recreation centre at Wilfa nuclear power station—perhaps the fast lime the R.N.L.I. has had the free use of such facilities at any nuclear power station.Mr James Elliot, honorary secretary of the Stonehaven ILB station, writes: 'A roundabout was constructed by Mr. David Andrews, retired fisherman, from model life-boats, and it has attracted considerable attention from visitors to our town. The local ILB was housed in the centre of the harbour area and we were able to collect sufficient from our life-boat box to pay for all local expenses. Then a new boathouse was provided just outside the harbour area, where it was not possible to leave the money box unattended. On approaching Mr. Andrews to see if he would allow the box to be beside his roundabout, he most readily agreed and put out the box each day. From the month of July to the end of October, 1972, he collected for the maintenance of the local life-boat exactly £100.'The Shanklin junior branch was formed last summer. The age of members is limited to between eight and 13, and they are guided by an adult member of the Shanklin branch. Their first main effort was a disco party in November. Members are too young to collect on flag-days but they assist the adult committee at local functions. Support from schools is one of their aims.

The Shanklin junior branch is thought to be composed of the youngest group of its kind aiding the R.N.L.I.

Formed as recently as August last year, the Burnhamon- Crouch, Essex, ladies' life-boat guild had by mid- December raised about £600. Mrs. Gail Toung, the chairman, writes: ' The fund raising started with a sherry party held at Mrs. Kettley's house. The occasion was the first Sunday of the Burnham Week Regatta and the Prime Minister, Mr. Edward Heath, despite many other commitments, attended and stayed to meet all the other guests.'.