MOELFRE, JUNE 17 and BROUGHTY FERRY, JULY 17 BRILLIANT SUNSHINE and a fresh northerly wind building up white horses out at sea gave a sparkling day for the handing over ceremony and dedication of Moelfre's new 37ft 6in Rother lifeboat, Horace Clarkson, on Saturday, June 17. Guests met on the cliff top behind the boathouse, with many more wellwishers surrounding the little field.

Proceedings were opened by Sir Richard Williams-Bulkeley, Bt, HM Lord Lieutenant for Gwynedd and president of Anglesey branch, and the lifeboat was handed over to the RNL1 by H. L. C. Greig, cvo, chairman of H.

Clarkson (Holdings) Ltd. Donated by this shipping and insurance company to commemorate its 125th anniversary, Horace Clarkson had been named by Mrs Renske Kemp at a ceremony at Littlehampton on June 18, 1977. The lifeboat is named after the founder of the company and now Mr Greig recalled how, when the firm first came into being in 1852, the young Horace Clarkson had invited his friend Leon Benham to become his partner.

Benham, described as 'shrewd but impecunious', was then living in Cardiff.

Undaunted by the fact that he had no money to make the journey by rail or coach, he set out there and then on foot and walked to London.

The lifeboat was accepted by Raymond Cory, a vice-president of the Institution, who then gave her into the care of Moelfre branch, on whose behalf she was accepted by Thomas Owens, station honorary secretary.

During the service which followed, the Archbishop of Wales was escorted down to the boathouse by Coxswain William Roberts and Motor Mechanic Evan Jones, for the dedication of Horace Clarkson. She was launched by Mr Greig and, while afloat, an amplified radio link enabled the crowd to listen in to messages between the lifeboat and the helicopter with which she was exercising. A final message of thanks and farewell from Coxswain Roberts sent everyone happily on their way to Moelfre Community School, for tea with the ladies' guild.

With music by Beaumaris Town Band, songs sung by young children from the school and hymns and an anthem sung by the male voice choir, C6r-y-Traeth, it had been a wonderful afternoon and a really happy village occasion.

* * * On Monday, July 17 at Broughty Ferry Harbour, Dundee, HRH The Duke of Kent, president of the Institution, named the station's new 52ft Arun lifeboat Spirit of Tayside after what was a somewhat unusual handing over ceremony. The cost of the new lifeboat had been largely defrayed by a local appeal which raised the magnificent sum of £226,000. It was, therefore, Ian Low, president of Dundee branch, who handed over the boat to Sir Charles McGrigor, Bt, convener of the Scottish Lifeboat Council and a member of the Committee of Management, who then delivered her straight back again into the care of Dundee branch for use at Broughty Ferry station. She was accepted on behalf of the branch by the honorary secretary, Captain R. W.

Forbes; Spirit of Tayside in name and in very truth.

A service of dedication was conducted by the Reverend Dr J. U.

Cameron, minister of St Stephen's and West Church and the Reverend T. P.

Robertson, minister of St James's Kirk, both of Broughty Ferry, after which the Duke, following in the footsteps of his mother, Princess Marina, came forward to name the lifeboat: 'It strengthens a family link,' the Duke told the 1,500 people gathered on the quay, 'in that the previous lifeboat, The Robert, was named by my late mother 17 years ago.' Congratulating the branch, the Duke went on to say that, while many branches contributed towards their own boat, few successfully met almost the entire cost, as Broughty Ferry had done: 'It is a truly remarkable effort, and for Mr Low, your president, it is a considerable personal achievement. This exemplifies the way in which our lifeboat service unites and involves the whole community.

'The voluntary spirit extends to helpers, organisers and thousands of supporters who make the whole operation possible and who work jointly with a single aim—to provide the very best for the incomparable lifeboat crewmen, with whom it is a point of pride that at any time they are ready to go out without regard to the risk of their own lives to save the lives of others.' After he had performed the naming ceremony, the Duke of Kent stepped aboard Spirit of Tayside for a demonstration run to sea * * * In a ceremony on Wednesday July 26 closely linking Edinburgh with Kippford station branch a new D class ILB was handed over and a newly built boathouse opened.

The boat had been purchased with money raised by Edinburgh ladies' guild's charity shop 'The Lucky Dip' (see THE LIFEBOAT, Spring 1978). Since it first opened ten years ago the shop has raised £62,000 and its founder Mrs J. P. Patullo said that no one could have foreseen that the dilapidated butcher's shop they had taken over would grow into such a flourishing venture. W. F. G. Lord, a member of the Committee of Management and vice-convener of the Scottish Lifeboat Council, accepted the boat on behalf of the Institution and gave her into the care of Kippford station branch.

Lady Birsay, president of Edinburgh ladies' guild, then cut the tape to open the new boathouse, for the building of which there had been considerable local help both in gifts of money and material and with the work itself.

* * * An ILB to be carried on board Clovelly's 71ft Clyde class lifeboat City of Bristol was presented to the RNLI by the Ancient Order of Foresters Friendly Society to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of HM The Queen. The ILB was handed over by W, J. Mumford to Surgeon Captain F. W. Baskerville, a vice-president of the Institution, on the old lifeboat slipway at Clovelly on Sunday May 21. As well as representatives of the Ancient Order of Foresters and members of Clovelly crew, branch and ladies' guild, a large number of holidaymakers were there to watch both the ceremony and the demonstration launch which followed..