HRH THE DUKE OF KENT, president of the Institution, visited Shetland for the first time on Tuesday September 12, 1978, when he named Lerwick's new 52ft Arun class lifeboat, Soldian. A guard was provided by A (Lovat Scouts) Company 2/51 Highland Volunteers and as the Duke arrived at the pier, where more than 2,500 people had gathered, he was presented with a Shetland silver paper knife as a memento of the occasion by Julie Clark, the eightyear- old daughter of Motor Mechanic Hewitt Clark. A. G. Beattie, chairman of Lerwick branch, opened proceedings, greeting the Duke, all the station's guests and everyone who had come to be present at the naming ceremony.

Particularly welcome was the Norwegian lifeboat Skomvaer II, an old friend in Lerwick Harbour, and her crew. Norwegian lifeboats sail in company with their offshore fishing fleets and over the years, during the fishing season, Skomvaer II has paid many visits to the Shetland Islands.

Arun 52-10 was handed over to the RNLI by Lady Steel on behalf of the Oil Consortium and all other donors; this lifeboat was provided by all who had responded so generously to the Lerwick Lifeboat Appeal including members of the Brent and Ninian Pipeline Consortium, Chevron Pet- roleum (UK) Ltd, the Aberdeen Students Charities Campaign and a number of bequests.

7 know,' said Lady Steel, 'that the oil industry is-delighted to have been able to lend its support to the tremendous efforts that so many Shettanders, both individuals and firms, have made in raising funds for this lifeboat.' Soldian was accepted by Major- General Ralph Farrant, chairman of the RNLI, and placed in the care of Lerwick station, the honorary secretary, Magnus Shearer, accepting her on behalf of the branch.

The service of dedication which followed was conducted by the Reverend A. E. Lambie, Minister of Lerwick and Bressay Parish Church, assisted by the Reverend D. Monkton of Lerwick Methodist Church and Bernard Clampton, Superintendent of the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen.

Before naming Soldian, and the breaking of the bottle of champagne, the Duke of Kent paid tribute to all those who had helped provide her and t o . . .

'. . . the men upon whom the whole of the lifeboat service ultimately depends: the crewmen themselves, whose dedication to the cause of saving life at sea, quite regardless of danger to themselves, is simply beyond praise.' The naming ceremony performed, the Duke went aboard and up to Soldian's flying bridge with Coxswain George Leith for a demonstration run to sea.

* * * A month later, on Monday October 9, Dungeness lifeboat people and their guests gathered at the station's new lifeboathouse for the naming of their new 37ft 6in Rother class lifeboat Alice Upjohn. Gordon Paine, chairman of Dungeness station branch, welcomed everyone to what was indeed a family occasion from every point of view, the warmth of which could in no way be diminished by the light rain falling.

The lifeboat had been given by Miss Ursula Upjohn in memory of her mother and RNLB Alice Upjohn was delivered to the care of the station by Commander Ralph Swann, a vicepresident and past chairman of the Institution who is also Miss Upjohn's cousin. Miss Upjohn herself has got to know the branch and crew members closely and the presentations made to her of a special plate decorated with a picture of the lifeboat and of a painting of the boat by Mrs Pauline Fehr, were just two expressions of the deep affection of 'the family'.

Following the acceptance of Alice Upjohn on behalf of the station by the honorary secretary, G. L. Bates, the service of dedication was conducted by the Reverend G. P. Chidgey, Rector of Lydd, assisted by the Reverend Father O'Brien, Roman Catholic Parish Priest, and the Reverend Dennis Reynolds, the Methodist Minister.

Gordon Paine then invited Miss Upjohn to name Alice Upjohn and, at the conclusion of the ceremony, to board her for an inspection and launching.

Lifeboat people had come from all the neighbouring stations to be present, and the music for the occasion was played by Hastings Lifeboat Brass Ensemble, whose conductor, Robert Shoesmith, is second assistant mechanic of Hastings lifeboat..