An evening auction of antiques and fine art at Bonham's Montpelier Galleries, Knightsbridge, on May 25, organised by the Central London Committee and conducted by Nicholas Bonham, raised nearly £6,000 for the lifeboat service. The first lot, A View of Windsor Castle, a print signed and donated by HRH Prince Philip, was auctioned by the guest of honour, Raymond Baxter. Among other welcome guests were Coxswain Derek Scott of The Mumbles and his wife and, as a fitting end to a happy evening, Mrs Anne Wall presented them with a pair of lifeboat rescue scenes for which she had just made a successful bid; they were two of a set of six framed originals given by Mobil Shipping.

As part of its Jubilee celebrations, Ridgeway Middle School, Redditch, held a sponsored walk of 20 laps around the school field to raise money for its adopted lifeboat, Penlee, and the Silver Jubilee Appeal. £670 was raised, of which £400 was sent to Penlee branch.

During London lifeboat week 1977.

Fairlop Junior School, Barkingside.

Ilford, raised £427.94i; they sold £71.25i worth of souvenirs, collected £9.97 in their lifeboat box and held a sponsored swim which made £346.72.

George Lamey (third from r.), holder of the bronze medal, who retired as coxswain in 1955 after 26 years service at Clovelly, was presented with a statuette for collecting £3,000 in four years with a collecting box at the lookout. 'I never ask for a penny. I just put on a nice smile and say, "Thank you very much",' he explained. 'If they put in two lOp pieces I add "indeed"!' With Mr Lamey (I. to r.) are two of his former crew members, Second Coxswain (later Coxswain) Bill Braund and Motor Mechanic Charles Shackson, and also Lieut. Andrew Young, assistant DOS (SW).

A hobbies evening was held in February at the home of Mrs J. D. Neal, chairman of the Port of Liverpool ladies' guild and president of Hoylake ladies' guild. Six hobbies were displayed— —nautical antiques, embroidery and collage, N gauge model railways, dolls houses, clocks and bee-keeping.

Questions were answered, a wine cup drunk, and there were raffles and a competition. With two houses (6 to 8 pm and 8.30 to 10.30 pm) each limited to 100 people, it was a sell-out and £200 was raised by an event which gave great pleasure both to exhibitors and their audience.

Among the latest efforts of Coventry ladies' guild were an Old Tyme Music Hall and an auction. The music hall raised £200; a master of ceremonies presided, local professional and amateur artists gave their services, a high proportion of the audience were in costume; it proved a very good evening.

On another occasion the sale by auction of pictures, Victorianaand miscellaneous items raised £350; a stereo recording of the LSO Gala Concert with Edward Heath and Andre Previn was given by Mr Heath—he had signed and dated the record sleeve.

Third year pupils of Bridgewater School, Berkhamstead, were preparing a project on the sea, and, to help them, Mrs Mary Potter sent them some copies of THE LIFEBOAT. They decided to support the RNLI as it seemed to them 'good and worthwhile', and raised £43.07 by a number of events: a disco, tinfoil and newspaper collections (for which more proceeds are to come), an egg painting competition, a sponsored walk, an Easter egg raffle and a jumble sale.

Portsdown branch recently arranged for M. A. Perry of Ryde, Isle of Wight, to make a model of the new Yarmouth Arun lifeboat in a bottle to be used as a prize in a draw, Tickets at 5p each were sold for several months and £117 was raised. When the draw took place at Portcreek lifeboat fair Mrs Tull of Paulsgrove, Portsmouth, was the winner.

In the ten years since it was formed Dringhouses ladies' guild has raised nearly £13,000. The Reverend John Horton, husband of the guild secretary, is one of the people who have given enthusiastic support; he will personally pass the £2,000 mark this year. Each year he has taken part in various collections arranged at public places in York, and his figure of £21.22 in 1967 steadily rose each year until he achieved £358.59 in 1976. On one occasion his rate of collection was £15 an hour in a seven-hour stint.

A film was being made in and around Bristol Cathedral, all shots being taken during the night. The caretaker in a nearby building complained to the film company that they were disturbing his sleep, so they gave him £10 compensa- tion. This money he brought round to the RNLI south-western district office as a donation, explaining that all he wanted was a good night's sleep! St James' School, Whitehaven, a small primary school of only 180 children, last year raised £275 with a sponsored spell. It repeated the event this year, raising £325 — a remarkable effort, speaking well both of the children's spelling and their enthusiasm! On a beautiful spring evening in May the ladies of Goosnargh and Whittingham Women's Institute, with Mrs Marguerite Dixon as leader, presented a buffet dinner dance in Goosnargh Village Hall. A capacity crowd of 120 enjoyed a most pleasant occasion and raised a fine £144.60 for the RNLI.

Early in January Porthdinllaen crew members gave film shows at a young Farmers Club meeting, after which a cheque for £5 was given to the branch, and at a chicken basket evening held a Woodlands Hall, Edern, which realised a profit of £63.

Orpington and District branch has taken part in a number of local events.

At Oakley School Fete in May £120 was raised for the RNLI; in June at Green Street Green Association Fete £60, and at RAF Biggin Hill Round Table Fete £58.

Earl Spencer kindly allowed Northampton ladies' guild to hold a wine and cheese evening at Althorpe House and guests were taken on a tour of his priceless portrait gallery. In just two-and-ahalf hours £1,100 was raised.

Ventnor and District branch raised £258 for the Yarmouth lifeboat appeal last May with a sponsored tiddlywinks drive. Many children from youth organisations and schools in the area took part, successfully flipping the discs for 15 lengths or more of the Winter Gardens, Ventnor.

At Rhyl a group of children raised £5 for lifeboat funds with a sale of old and unwanted toys.

Earlier this year trawlermen of Skerries and Loughshinny presented a box offish per boat for auction at Dublin Fish Market in aid of the RNLI. Twenty boxes were donated and £500 raised.

At the Annual Festival of Public School Masonic Lodges at Harrow in May, the Master of the Old Harrovian Lodge, a Shoreline member, invited those present to devote their charity to the RNLI this year; £506 was raised which it was suggested should be put towards the new Duke of Kent lifeboat..