EARL'S COURT, LONDON, JANUARY 5 TO 15 RECORDS AGAIN BROKEN AT RNLI STAND by Heather Deane Assistant Public Relations Officer, RNLI THE SOUND OF BAGPIPES proclaimed the Scottish theme of this year's International Boat Show and further evidence was conveyed by the swirling kilts, the lure of highland holidays and quantities of Scottish £1 notes in the tills.

The RNLI stand, well situated on the main thoroughfare from the pool, was the scene of great activity.

This year, the chief exhibit was SPIDOT from Littlestone-on-Sea, described in the last issue of THE LIFEBOAT, complete with an Atlantic 21. Always on hand were volunteers from lifeboat crews, ready to explain the merits of the selfpowered launching trolley and answer questions from interested onlookers.

There was a visual display unit installed by Computer Management Group which enabled newly enrolled Shoreline members to see their names being linked into the Onex computer system, and volunteers, many of them 'old hands' by now, broke existing records by enrolling over 900 new members.

A print entitled 'The Lynmouth Lifeboat Service to the Forrest Hall, 1899', by Mark Myers, was also on public display for the first time.

An attractive range of souvenirs was on sale to complete the scene, and if all this wasn't enough to attract the crowds, Frank, Joe and Topper, three old friends from the Royal Chelsea Hospital, drew colourful attention to the stand.

Indeed, few passers-by could resist their persuasive appeal to put a coin (or a note!) into their collecting boxes, which finally resulted in over £900 for RNLI funds.

Branch and guild members manned the souvenir stand and sold lottery tickets while young ladies from the St James Secretarial College worked on a rota basis to sell lottery tickets throughout the duration of the show.

Small wonder that with all these concerted efforts this year's show broke financial records, too, by taking nearly £10,000 from the sale of souvenirs, lottery tickets and donations in collecting boxes kindly displayed by other exhibitors.

The success, however, can be judged in more than monetary terms. There were for instance many visitors to the stand including the United States Ambassador, Dr Kingman Brewster, and the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Peter Vanneck, who opened the Boat Show. Miss Great Britain, Susan Hempel, boosted the sale of lottery tickets and autographed calendars when she visited the stand on the first Saturday and Sunday of the show. Mrs Margaret Thatcher bought tea towels and lottery tickets one afternoon, while Edward Heath, visiting the following day, renewed acquaintances from previous years.

Radio 2 and 4 broadcast interviews from the stand with Ken Boardman, honorary secretary of the Littlestone-on- Sea branch, and Lieutenant Alan Tate, operational assistant to the chief of operations of the RNLI.

The activity spread to the pool for a diary of presentations. On Friday January 6, a £30,000 cheque from the Wolverhampton lifeboat appeal was presented to the chairman of the Institution, Major-General Farrant, by Malcolm Timmins, chairman of Wolverhampton branch. The money will gotowards an Atlantic 21 and her boathouse at Abersoch.

On the following Monday, Alan Hughes of the 18+ Club presented a cheque for £2,500 for an ILB to Lady Norton, of the Committee of Management of the RNLI. The next day a cheque for £500 in the shape of a canoe was presented to John Lunch of the Committee of Management by Paul Grigg, one of the three canoeists who had taken part in a sponsored canoe trip from John O'Groats to Lands End.

This was the first canoe trip of its kind and is to go into the Guinness Book of Records.

A day later, Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Compston, chairman of the Fund Raising Committee of the RNLI, received a £1,000 cheque from James Moller, director of the Parker Pen Company.

The four-foot cheque was in the shape of RMS Queen Elizabeth and the money came from the sale of pens made from brass recovered from a porthole of Queen Elizabeth which was destroyed by fire in 1972.

Nick Carter, assistant to the chief ranger of the Ancient Order of Foresters, presented a cheque for £5,000 towards the Shoreline lifeboat appeal to John Atterton, deputy director of the Institution, and Mr Atterton later received a cheque from a contingent of 22 Belgians who wished to become Shoreline members. The cheque represented the joint subscriptions of 40 Belgians.

On January 12 the Duke of Atholl, a deputy chairman of the RNLI, presented statuettes of lifeboatmen for outstanding services to the Institution in the field of public relations. The recipients included Sir Alec Rose, round-the-world yachtsman, and Richard Evans, BEM, former coxswain of the Moelfre lifeboat and the only man alive to hold two gold medals for gallantry. Both these gentlemen are much in demand as public speakers at RNLI events. Mrs Stanley Herbert received a statuette awarded posthumously to her late husband for all the help he gave to the RNLI in connection with the Midlands Boat Show. Finally Peter Hadfield, a young photographic student, received the award for providing the Institution over a number of years with many fine photographs as a voluntary contribution. Fifteen lifeboat crew members from Beaumaris had planned their visit to the Boat Show to coincide with this presentation, which was their special tribute to their 'neighbour', Richard Evans.

The Midland Bank has given the RNLI, for many Boat Shows, access to its well-appointed lounge and bar for the purpose of providing hospitality to guests, either before or following presentations.

Since many guests have often travelled a considerable distance to attend the show, this facility is of real benefit and is greatly appreciated.

Apart from the AGM, which is a more formal occasion, rarely can such a large cross section of lifeboat crews, voluntary workers, supporters, senior officials and members of permanent staff come together to work for the common cause.

Amid the busy atmosphere of crowds, persuasive selling and cheerful goodwill there are no formalities, no barriers— one cannot help feeling that Sir William Hillary would approve.

This year's stand manager was Jack Chambers—ably assisted by Ray Kipling. The efficient organisation and the happy atmosphere which emanated from our stand throughout the show can be attributed to a great extent to these two hard-working gentlemen.

Sadly, it was Jack's last Boat Show, for after nearly 50 years of service with the RNLI he retires later this year.

You have set us a fine example to follow, Jack, and I am sure you will pay us a visit next year to see that we continue the good work and break new records..