THE WORK of our Northern Irish lifeboat crews continues in the same admirable way as that of their fellow seamen at all other RNLI stations. As to financial branches, last year RNLI committees and their helpers raised £30,000, a record sum.

We have become accustomed to news of tragedies and apparently intractable political problems in Northern Ireland; yet, despite difficulties, some 50 branches continue to raise funds in support of the lifeboats at Portrush, Donaghadee, Portavogie, Newcastle, Bangor and Red Bay.

There was a time in Londonderry when flag day collectors had their favourite stands, outside certain buildings, in certain streets. Now many of the buildings are gone and there is not much left of some of the streets. Nevertheless, in 1973 the street collection amounted to £750, £150 more than ever before. Similarly, denied the area of the city centre for their collection, Belfast flag sellers nevertheless raised a record £2,502 in house-to-house collections in Belfast suburbs last year.

One must admire the organisers of the Belfast boat show who have gallantly kept it going during the past four or five years. So confident have Garth Corbett and John Baxter been in the ultimate success—certainly achieved this year—of their venture, that they accepted early difficulty with as much sang froid as they took the inevitable bomb warnings. RNLI stand space has always been generously given.

So, in 1974 as in previous years, lifeboat collections in Northern Ireland are likely to prosper, in the good hands of RNLI committees and voluntary workers. Furthermore, in this, 'The Year of the Lifeboat', R. W. Berkeley, CBE, JP, and his committee are aiming to raise £30,000 in addition to normal anticipated revenue. It is a measure of the hard work going into this special appeal that Mr Berkeley has personally 'topped and tailed' over 3,000 letters..