THERE WAS MUCH that was unusual in the naming ceremony of the 54' Arun lifeboat City of Bradford IV on Saturday, September 10; but then, there is much that is unusual about Humber, her station. Isolated at the seaward end of a long narrow isthmus, Spurn Point is devoted entirely to the needs of shipping passing through the busy approaches of the River Humber: a modern Coastguard tower; a lighthouse; a pilot's base; Humber lifeboat station—and that is all. In an emergency, it would take too long for the crew to come from the mainland to man Humber lifeboat and so they and their families live out at Spurn Point, the sole inhabitants in their own 'village'. Coxswain Superintendent Brian Bevan is in charge of the station; there is no honorary secretary, no station branch.

Although Humber lifeboat has not got the immediate backing of a home branch, it certainly does not lack interested support, and the naming ceremony of the new boat, organised jointly by Hull branch, which looks upon Humber as very much its own, and Bradford branch, which has traditional links with this station, was in every sense a family occasion. The Arun is the fourth lifeboat named City of Bradford to be stationed at Humber and her cost was met by the Metropolitan City of Bradford's Lord Mayor's appeal 1974-1975, supported by Bradford and District branch, ladies' guild and ladies' luncheon club, Baildon, Bingley, Ilkley, Shipley, Keighley guilds and Keighley branch, together with the Sheffield lifeboat fund, a gift from the International Transport Workers' Federation, various legacies and a gift from the Phoenix ladies' club, Pinner.

While a relief lifeboat and her crew gave temporary cover on station, City of 'Bradford IVwas brought by her crew to King George Dock, Kingston-upon- Hull, their wives and children following by road; thus the whole Humber lifeboat community was at the dockside to join with their friends from Hull, Bradford and other associated branches and guilds for the ceremony. Sir Basil Parkes, OBE, JP, president of Hull branch, opened proceedings and Clifford Kershaw, chairman of Bradford branch, presented the lifeboat to the RNLI. She was accepted by the Duke of Atholl, Deputy Chairman and a member of the Committee of Management, who pointed out that, on this unique occasion, she would not be handed over to a station branch, but would remain in the immediate care of the Institution.

After the service of dedication, led by The Lord Bishop of Bradford, and a vote of thanks from T. Martin, Jnr., chairman of Hull branch, Councillor T. E. Hall, MA, Lord Mayor of Bradford 1974-1975 and patron of the appeal committee, accompanied by his little grand-daughter, named the lifeboat City of Bradford IV.—J.D.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, was a day of superlatives. It marked the culmination of a year of concerted effort by Round Tablers throughout the country in one of the biggest fund raising efforts of its kind ever organised. It saw a huge crowd gather on a south coast quayside.

And it was a day when two organisations covering the same geographical areas and both dedicated to service to others, the Round Table and the RNLI, came together in mutual celebration.

The occasion was the naming ceremony of the new Newhaven 44' Waveney lifeboat Louis Marchesi of Round Table. The National Association of Round Tables (Great Britain and Ireland) had decided at their Blackpool annual conference in 1976 that they would commemorate their golden jubilee by providing a memorial to their founder, Louis Marchesi, in the form of a lifeboat.

It was an historic decision for it was the first time in the movement's 50 years that all Round Tables banded together in one project. The strength of the Round Table movement has always been in the autonomy of its 1,200 Tables. Each is fiercely independent and with a membership of young men under 40, dedicated to 'adopt, adapt and improve', local Tables have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities over the years. The RNLI has frequently benefitted from such collections in the past and inshore lifeboats and pieces of equipment have been typical targets.

The idea of buying a lifeboat came from Junior Allen, a Round Tabler from Northern Ireland. Another Northern Ireland Tabler, Howard Beattie, proposed the motion to adopt the lifeboat project at the Blackpool meeting, a motion which was carried overwhelmingly. Having decided on the scheme, Tablers got into action immediately and used their incredible resourcefulness to start the cash flowing in.

Hornchurch Table entered the round London inflatable boat race to raise their £1,000; Hamilton raised £1,000 by throwing a 'Millionaire's Night Out' where the currency for the night, to be used on auctions, raffles and tombola, was the 'Hamilton Acker' with an exchange rate of 1,000 to the £1; Mumbles Table towed an ILB five miles to raise £500 by sponsorship; and Area 11 of Round Table, Northern Ireland, raised £15,000 with activities including carol singing, sponsored golf, raffling a Volvo car, firework displays and sponsored walks.

The appeal was co-ordinated by a special committee under the chairmanship of a Scottish Tabler, Forbes Simpson. Forbes was in frequent contact with the RNLI—firstly to say that the appeal was going well, then to report that the £150,000 target had been reached and finally to ask how the Institution could use the extra £65,000 that was raised, for the enthusiasm generated throughout the country had meant that the final total was over £215,000. Captain Nigel Dixon, Director of the RNLI, said of the achievement: 'For Round Tablers to raise the cost of a lifeboat was marvellous; then to raise a further £65,000 can only be described as outstanding.' The Waveney class lifeboat Louis Marchesi of Round Table was allocated to Newhaven, one of the oldest lifeboat stations in the country. As the money had been raised throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, Round Table asked that the excess funds be used on capital expenditure projects in the latter three countries. The list was impressive; single side band radio for Broughty Ferry, Islay, Invergordon, Rhyl, Rosslare Harbour, Arranmore, Howth, Ballycotton and Valentia; air bag righting conversions for Holyhead, Tenby and Fishguard; an Atlantic 21 for Helensburgh and electronic equipment for the Donaghadee lifeboat.

Thousands of Tablers came to Newhaven to see the result of their work.

They brought their families with them and the local Table, acting as stewards, gave all the children a good quayside view of the ceremony. It was a relaxed and enjoyable occasion, a day of celebration and yet moving, as all naming ceremonies are. Accepting the lifeboat the Newhaven honorary secretary, Dick Sawyer, said 'Like the Round Table Movement, she will not fail to give (continued on page 96).