THE RNLI'S ASSOCIATION with the Queen's Jubilee and with activities of the Royal Family during the Jubilee summer were widespread and colourful. On July 14 the Queen named the new Hartlepool lifeboat The Scout. This was the first time a reigning sovereign had named a lifeboat at her station, although in 1972 the Queen named a reserve lifeboat The Royal British Legion at a special ceremony arranged at Henley-on-Thames.

Through Robert Maiden, thenineyear- old son of the Hartlepool coxswain, the RNLI made its Jubilee gift to the Queen during the naming ceremony.

This was a photographic record giving some impression of the wide variety of engagements which members of the Royal Family have undertaken in order to assist the work of the lifeboat service since Her Majesty came to the throne.

In the inscription the album was appropriately described as 'a record of twenty-five years of service and concern'.

Another royal naming ceremony took place on July 24 when the Duke of Kent, the RNLI's President, named the new lifeboat at Yarmouth in the Isle of Wight Joy and John Wade. On page 65 a letter appears from a retiring member of the Committee of Management, Mr L. C. H. Cave, in which he describes how a lifeboat was not available for a naming ceremony as planned because she had been called out on service. The Yarmouth lifeboat nearly had a similar experience as she had in fact been called out on three separate occasions on the night before the naming ceremony, and was on service for ten hours. The first call came at 2115, to a yacht off St Catherines, the second took the lifeboat east to Gurnard Ledge, and the third was to investigate a reported flare off the Needles. These first services of the new Arun since she arrived on station on July 19 left no doubt of the advantages of the boat's high speed.

On the first call it took her just 21 minutes to reach the Needles, on the first of the ebb, from the time she slipped her moorings; it would probably have taken the previous lifeboat about 50 minutes.

Thames and Spithead Review Three lifeboats took part in the Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames on June 9. They were the new Margate lifeboat Silver Jubilee (Civil Service No.

38), the Sheerness lifeboat Helen Turnbull, which acted as the Lord Mayor of Westminster's barge, and the lifeboat Canadian Pacific, which was formerly stationed at Selsey. Canadian Pacific, now out of service, later undertook an extensive tour on the River Thames.

Raymond Baxter, commenting on the visit of this boat and an ILB, wrote: 'The impact of the boats and their crews upon everyone with whom I was in contact could not have been more favourable. They really were superb and undoubtedly drew their presence to the attention of hundreds of thousands—perhaps millions.'' At the Jubilee Review of the Fleet at Spithead on June 28 three lifeboats were also present, the Clovelly City of Bristol, the new Yarmouth lifeboat and the present Selsey lifeboat Charles Henry.

Many coxswains were aboard, and it is doubtful whether a more distinguished gathering of lifeboat coxswains has ever occurred anywhere. Between them the lifeboatmen present had received no fewer than 25 medals for gallantry.

A number of lifeboat crews were presented to the Queen during her Jubilee tour of the United Kingdom.

Hoylake lifeboat, Mary Gabriel, and New Brighton's Atlantic 21 took part in the Review of ships on the Mersey in June, and, in August, Torbay lifeboat, Edward Bridges (Civil Service No. 37) acted as an escort to HMY Britannia and then to the Royal Barge when the Queen visited Torquay. During the summer lifeboatmen took part in guards of honour to Her Majesty at such widely spread places as Norwich, Holyhead, Torquay and Falmouth.

Major-General Ralph Farrant, the RNLI's Chairman, represented the RNLI at the Jubilee Service at St Paul's Cathedral in London and Raymond Cory, a member of the Committee of Management, represented the RNLI at the service of thanksgiving at Llandaff Cathedral on June 24.

Shipbrokers' Gift A new lifeboat for Moelfre has been presented by the shipbroking firm, H.

Clarkson and Co. She was launched at a ceremony at William Osborne's boatyard in Littlehampton on June 18, which was attended by many members of the firm. The staff of Clarksons, many of whom work on commission, were fully consulted before the gift was made and they were overwhelmingly in favour of the project. The launching ceremony was performed by Renske Kemp, the wife of the longest serving member of the staff, Charles Kemp.

Another welcome and encouraging gift from industry was received jointly from Chevron Oil (UK) Limited and Chevron Petroleum (UK) Limited at a small ceremony when a cheque was presented to Major-General Ralph Farrant.

End of the Poplar Depot One of East London's links with the lifeboat service will disappear shortly when the former storeyard of the RNLI in Poplar is demolished.

The storeyard was formally opened in 1882 with sheds for the stowage of lifeboats and their carriages. Harbour trials of lifeboats were carried out in the Limehouse Cut canal before the boats went to their stations. With the development of the motor lifeboat the need for new premises became increasingly evident and in 1939 the RNLI opened a new depot in Boreham Wood and disposed of the Poplar property.

Among the traditions which grew up at Poplar was the Christmas party organised by the RNLI's storeyard staff for poor children in the area. This became so popular that for the party in 1928 children queued up for two-and-ahalf hours. Over 150 aged from six to ten received tea, toys, sweets and fruit.

About 100 dolls which had been dressed by the RNLI staff were given to the little girls.

Two men who worked in the RNLI storeyard in Poplar are still in the fulltime service of the RNLI. They are L. A.

'Bunny' Austin, who is now chief personnel officer, and Jack Chambers, who is now in charge of all publicity stores at the depot in Poole.

Obituary Alfred James Schermuly, who died in July at the age of 77, was the inventor of the Schermuly identification flares.

These were 7 million candle-power markers used by RAF Bomber Command Pathfinders for target illumination.

His company had a long association with the RNLI, manufacturing linethrowing guns and a variety of flares and mortars. Since 1973 Schermuly has formed part of the Wilkinson Match Group. Alfred Schermuly was a wellknown figure in Walmer and District and was president of the Goodwin Sands and Downs branch of the RNLI from 1958 until his death.

Duke of Kent at the Banqueting House The RNLI's President, the Duke of Kent, has agreed to attend a reception at the Banqueting House in Whitehall on Monday, November 7, between 6 and 8.30 pm in aid of the American/ British Lifeboat Appeal. Tickets at £6.50, including refreshments, from RNLI, 21 Ebury Street, London, SW1..